Fear Bola and Duct Tape...

"Sell the fear": it was the instruction I received in a very uneventfully short career as a sales representative for an electronics security firm. Part of the memorized script I recited that entailed sharing horrid crime stats to wearied prospective buyers was "how did that make you feel?" It was of course, supposed to make you feel afraid, very afraid...for your lives and reaching for your checkbooks. At an appointment scheduled through the office, before I could launch into my memorized banter, the woman said: "I was just burglarized last night." Undoubtedly, the fastest sale I ever had. She knew exactly how she felt: violated, angry and afraid.

It is interesting then, that this definition is put forth. All the networks do this: posing simultaneously as the voice of reason and prophets of doom. It looks for answers while promoting doubt post "X-Files" that the "truth is out there." It makes a rational discussion and discourse almost impossible to attain.

This fear is unfortunately the byproduct of 9-11, reminiscent of the fear of Anthrax attacks that spurred the prodigious purchases of duct tape (I'm sure like manufacturers appreciated the bump in sales). Currently, a mint is being made in HAZMAT suits and other emergency supplies, just in time for Halloween. The governors of Illinois, New Jersey and New York are now competing in the silly season on which can suspend the Civil Rights of medical professionals the fastest, NJ and NY's main men potential presidential candidates in 2016, but I'm sure that has nothing to do with it. Both have used the now bipartisan, feckless dodge "I'm not a scientist" to defend inaction on climate change and fracking (NJ's chief executive selective ignorance notable after the devastation of Hurricane Sandy and his previous complaints of congressional inaction).

The danger of these draconian measures will be eventually discouraging military and medical professionals from doing what we did after 9-11 (paraphrase): "fighting terrorists/Ebola over there before they/it comes over here." What nurse or doctor will WANT to volunteer for hazardous duty when instead of a hero's welcome, they get thrown in a gulag? Kaci Hickox has tested negative, NEGATIVE for Ebola 2X! The protocol for self monitoring has worked successfully since developed for dozens of volunteers that have come to our shores after duty since 1976, when the virus was first reported on the continent of Africa. Nina Pham (RN), Amber Vinson (RN) both of Texas Presbyterian and Doctor Craig Spencer are medical professionals that knew these protocols and reacted to them swiftly. Could they be tightened? I'm for lowering the standard of the 103 degree temperature to any low-grade fever when you've deployed to an affected area along with the self-monitoring/isolation and reporting to medical authorities when anything changes. Ms. Vinson was diagnosed with a low-grade fever of 99.5 degrees after travel, and not infectious (a TV host in New York got explicitly graphic on the unlikelihood of casual infection). It does appear catching the infection prior to any forthcoming vaccine early is the key to survival.

The problem with this lack of appreciation for STEM fields, atomizing humanity to islands of xenophobia in our Solar System's outer asteroid belt (a mythical "over there" that will magically not affect us); tying the hands and feet that must combat Ebola [actually] "over there" that will tragically affect us, the inevitable outcome is the very thing no one wants: a modern plague, first in Europe then in America. We will fair better as currently not being torn asunder by Civil War (imagine the impact if this struck us during our actual Civil War). As a nation, we seem determined to do the stupid, and swiftly.