Ebola update 2014-10-23 Patient Zero, the index patient, Thomas Duncan, is still the only Ebola patient to die after arrival in the US. All of those exposed to him including his family who were forced by Dallas police to stay in the apartment where he was sick have now proven to have escaped catching the disease. This further confirms that members of the press and political pundits who sought to create the Ebola scare were out of line and perhaps criminal. Was this conduct treasonous? Did these people knowingly lie about the situation? Did they materially gain from telling these lies? Was their intent to divert limited resources? Did any patients suffer death or injury or were their conditions worsened by having resources which would have been devoted to their care had they not been diverted for no legitimate reason? We believe in Freedom of the Press and Freedom of Speech. But when does irresponsible conduct by individuals or the press constitute a crime? Ben Bradley who recently died was one of the last of an era when you could respect the press. They had standards. Stories had to be verified. Now the standard seems to be make up any lie you want as long as it sells papers or gets people to go to your website or TV channel so that you can get more money from advertisers. Will failing to charge entities such as the Drudge Report and Fox News with a crime for knowingly making up and spreading lies about Ebola encourage them to do worse the next time? I went to Wal-Mart today to buy needed medical supplies my wife’s many medical problems. The worker stocking shelves informed me that she could not get those supplies to stock the shelves with because of the Ebola scare. Now, I and my wife have been materially impacted by this nonsense. In order for me to go shopping, I have to get a sitter to be with my wife who requires care 24/7. Now, I will have to hire a sitter or impose on friends and family to go out to other stores to look for these supplies. This inconvenience could end up costing hundreds of dollars to hire sitters and make multiple trips. It could also aggravate or worsen existing conditions possibly ending in hospitalization or death. Multiply this petty inconvenience by millions of other patients so inconvenienced and there is substantial evidence for a class action lawsuit which will make these irresponsible entities think twice before they make up lies again. Maybe I should get a good lawyer and sue Rupert Murdock? Quoting the old guy in Moonstruck, Somebody tell a joke!
Posted on: Fri, 24 Oct 2014 06:40:17 +0000