Ebola, Obama, and America

BY MICHAEL RIESIG –

We can really reduce all this Ebola hoopla down to one simple question. If you knew your next-door neighbors had a highly contagious, life-threatening disease, would you invite them over for dinner?

Simple question. Check the blank Yes___ No ___

Apparently our president would check “Yes”.

The Ebola virus has threatened lives in three impoverished West African countries – Liberia, Guinea, and Sierra Leone – and there are, of course, fears of a wider outbreak. This is not the first time this area has been threatened by a pestilence. In fact, history shows this segment of the globe is rarely ever free from pestilence of disease, terror, or bad government for the last couple of centuries. Our president, who has become as inactive as a concrete gargoyle regarding the safety and protection of America (the intrusion on our borders by half of Central America, the new surge for power by Russia and China, and our receding economy), suddenly comes to life and decides we need to send Americans into West Africa. In addition, his plan is no quarantine on these nations – wouldn’t want to embarrass them. Let’s just welcome them and pretend everything is just peachy.

Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel is considering a recommendation from “military commanders” for a 21-day “quarantine-like” monitoring period for all U.S. personnel returning from Ebola response efforts in West Africa. (Our propensity to be afraid of certain words is simply amazing). We definitely rule out deploying U.S. forces to fight radical Islam (which will most certainly overwhelm us as effectively as a disease) but we’ll make all efforts to deploy soldiers to fight a virus that our men and women can bring home with them.

Our president is so afraid of offending people from other countries he won’t even put restrictions on travel from countries affected by this highly contagious disease. You really need to put this in perspective here. West Africa is a cesspool of ignorance, violence, and lawlessness. It has been since its inception.       There should be restricted travel on some countries regardless of disease, and West Africa is near the top of the list. But our president is not only opening the doors of America in this critical situation, he is using the power of his office to force states that have implemented mandatory quarantine for people entering the U.S. from Ebola-embedded countries to cease their quarantine. Come one, come all. Everyone is welcome in the new America. Got a hideous, infectious disease? No problem. Want to bomb a local marathon? Come on in. We welcome you.

The last few years in America reads like “The Manchurian Candidate.”

The views and opinions expressed in this column do not necessarily reflect the views and opinions of the ownership and staff of The Polk County Pulse. Michael Reisig is a freelance writer and published author whose works are reproduced throughout the globe.

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Jeri Pearson

Jeri is the News Director for Pulse Multi-Media and Editor of The Polk County Pulse. She has 10 years of experience in community focused journalism and has won multiple press association awards.

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