On March 31, Richard Claypoole wrote that the Cape Gazette should restrict my letters because they appear “on at least a weekly basis.” Not even close. At that point, I had four letters in 2020, plus another 14 in 2019 - a little over once a month. I guess they’re memorable.
He also accused me of castigating, berating and demonizing anyone “who even remotely agrees” with President Trump’s policies. Nope, I checked that too. Provide examples, if you can.
But Claypoole is in good company. Most of my critics don’t respond by discussing my arguments. They’re satisfied to say I hate the president, which they seem to think wins the day. It’s basically name-calling. It’s also untrue. I couldn’t have cared less about Trump, if he had remained a reality TV star and failed casino owner. Unfortunately, he’s president of the United States during the most serious public health crisis since the 1918 flu epidemic. My first letter about the coronavirus appeared March 10. At that point, 30 people had died. Now, less than a month later, more than 10,000 people are dead - three times the number who died on 9/11. The United States - the richest, most powerful country on earth with the greatest doctors and medical research centers - is bumbling through a crisis response of jaw-dropping incompetence.
Is Trump responsible for everything that’s gone wrong? No. Is he the single person most responsible? Yes. Because he’s president of the United States. That’s how it works. The buck stops in the Oval Office. In my March 10 letter I criticized the president for saying, “Anybody that wants a test can get a test.” It was a lie then. It’s a lie now. He’s still saying it.
Last week, on a conference call with the nation’s governors, Trump said, “I haven’t heard about testing being a problem.” He’s not listening. “Yeah, that’s just not true,” said Larry Hogan, the Republican governor of Maryland. “No state has enough testing.” Hogan said states are guessing about infection rates and the location of outbreaks: “We really are flying blind.”
Trump keeps saying we’re testing more than other countries. So what. On March 27, Kaiser Health News reported that, per capita, South Korea had tested six times more people than we had in the U.S. More important, according to Dr. Eric Topol, South Korea began testing early, when it counted the most. Those first two months, while Trump was downplaying the crisis, were lost. We’ll never fully catch up.
Here’s Gov. Gavin Newsom of California, who was among the first to issue a stay-at-home order, talking about the issue. “The testing space has been a challenging one for us and I own that,” Newsom said in the Los Angeles Times. “And I have a responsibility as your governor to do better and do more testing in the state of California.”
“I own that.” Imagine those words coming from Donald Trump. You can’t. Speaking like that requires leadership.
Trump enjoys calling himself a “wartime leader,” but he’s unwilling take to the responsibility. He’s unwilling to “own” the crisis.
That’s why we have all 50 states competing against each other - and other countries - for precious medical supplies, thus bidding up prices. A coordinated federal response would have saved lives and money.
That’s also why we don’t have a nationwide “stay-at-home” order. Eight states, all led by Republican governors, are dragging their feet. Their reckless foolishness - with Trump’s consent - will lead to more deaths.
Dr. Anthony Fauci said he doesn’t understand why every state hasn’t issued a “stay-at-home” order. Poor Dr. Fauci. The answer is that guy standing with him at the podium. Because of Trump’s inaction and incompetence, there will be thousands of deaths that could have been prevented. But on one issue, I found common ground with Claypoole. He said my letters should be put in a box labeled “Reader Beware.”
I think it’s a great idea. “Reader Beware” is a great name for a column, and it would help steer people from opinions they might disagree with.
Don Flood
Lewes
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