Ebola

[thinkandmull]

I think the reason that all flights from Africa were not cancelled right away was because the Democrats were reluctant to let Africans know that Americans choose American lives over other peoples’. After all, one person less in Africa with ebola means less people die there. Am I right?

 

[Zoltan_Cobalt]

When you fly on a commercial airline, the flight attendant gives a little speech.

“If we develop a sudden loss of cabin pressure, oxygen masks will appear from overhead. PUT ON YOUR MASK FIRST AND THEN HELP OTHERS…”

Same with Ebola and Africa. We must think of ourselves first…then we will be able to help others.

No one from Africa should be permitted into the U.S. until we discover a cure and take care of ourselves. Then we will be able to better help other nations fight this thing.

 

[livingwordunity]

Here are some facts:

• Ebola has been plaguing parts of Africa for decades.
• It was there through the G.W. Bush years, through the Clinton years, and probably before that, too.
• It never came to America then, but we are suddenly seeing it come here now during the Obama admin.

 

[FaithJourney90]

Here are some facts:

It never came to America then, but we are suddenly seeing it come here now during the Obama admin.

Before you blame president Obama please show me how the US authorities prior to the Obama administration have handled previous outbreaks of Ebola similar to this one ?

Oh wait, there haven’t been any Ebola outbreaks of this size ever before.

To blame Obama is unreasonable !

 

[Book_Worm]

I think the reason that all flights from Africa were not cancelled right away was because the Democrats were reluctant to let Africans know that Americans choose American lives over other peoples’. After all, one person less in Africa with ebola means less people die there. Am I right?

No you are wrong, very, very wrong.

Every infectious disease specialist - every one, every single one - says that the best way to bring this disease under control is to eradicate it in Africa. In Liberia there are only 103 doctors. Only one patient in twenty can find a hospital bed. This means that people are treated by their family members in the last stages, the time when they are most contagious so their family members are infected, and the disease continues to spread.

The disease will continue to spread unless other nations send in aid workers to build hospitals and treat the ill. That’s not possible unless you let the aid workers return. Volunteers will not travel to Africa if they are prevented from coming back to their own countries.

Also, people who want to leave Africa will find a way to do so under the radar. That means that anyone who enters illegally and is infected will be more difficult to trace.

But why listen to what people who know what they are talking about when it’s so much easier and more satisfying to blame people you dislike without any logical rationale?

And perhaps we would have a vaccine to prevent the spread of Ebola if the Republicans had not cut funding to medical research in order to give tax breaks to billionaires.

 

[PolarGuy]

I’m voting that the USA borders should be closed. Although it is true that the health care system in Africa is overwhelmed, how is the situation made better by letting people with Ebola enter the US? So they can expose others? That helps nothing.

I do think Obama is part of the problem. He has done absolutely nothing to discourage immigration by people who manifestly need government assistance to take care of themselves. Say what you will about Clinton or either of the Bushes – back then there was a surgeon general to be in charge of things like Ebola outbreaks; the post has apparently been eliminated now. He’s instead appointed an “Ebola Czar” who’s a lobbyist/democratic operative. Wouldn’t it better to have a doctor fill that role?

 

[DanielJT]

We should sincerely try not to mix our politics with our religious callings. The President does not control every aspect of every situation that eventually turns to public anxiety.

If America has the resources to deal with an outbreak that Africa does not it would seem prudent to do what was necessary to save lives and control the spread of ebola.

The more it spreads over there, the harder it will to be control. The harder it is to control the more likely it is it will come over here in an uncontrolled way.

This is not the zombie apocalypse where we need to lock and barricade the door on the living dead that are trying to eat our brains. These people still deserve compassion.

Which brings me back to our religious calling . . . see beginning of post.

 

[pnewton]

Ebola is not that political. Dallas had an outbreak with the initial subject dying. Now it is contained. While Ebola is scary, it is also controllable, due to its lower rate of infectiousness. We will never be free of outbreaks while Ebola is widespread in Africa. The medical personnel that go overseas to assist in controlling the disease do not need to be ostracized and denied entry based on something as cold-hearted as “they knew what they were getting into.” There actions are as heroic as anything the military does and we must not abandon these soldiers because over a hyped-up fear.

I like the idea of a reasonable quarantine, though, but the idea that no one from Africa should every be allowed in the US is absurd.

 

[987mk]

I love the Catholic Charity going on in this thread.

As an Atheist, I say we have a duty to help those who are not able to best help themselves. This means sending aid workers to West Africa, helping the ill and educating the public on how to prevent the spread of Ebola.

On a practical note, if you actually bothered to look at the science, you can’t actually prevent the spread of disease by stopping flights from West Africa. Unless of course you propose shutting Americas borders for the rest of the century and preventing anyone from ever entering again.

Just be glad there are secular groups helping in West Africa.

Whatever happened to trusting in the Lord?

 

[rossum]

I think the reason that all flights from Africa were not cancelled right away was because the Democrats were reluctant to let Africans know that Americans choose American lives over other peoples’. After all, one person less in Africa with ebola means less people die there. Am I right?

Since the USA has had cases of Ebola transmission within its borders, do you agree that all flights to North and South America to the rest of the world should be cancelled?

Hint: Africa is a continent, not a country.

rossum

 

[rossum]

Say what you will about Clinton or either of the Bushes – back then there was a surgeon general to be in charge of things like Ebola outbreaks; the post has apparently been eliminated now.

No it has not. Obama has indicated that he wants to appoint Dr. Vivek Murthy, but the NRA don’t like him so his appointment is stuck in Congress (surprise surprise). Currently Admiral Lushniak is Acting Surgeon General. The post has not been eliminated.

rossum

 

[pnewton]

Just be glad there are secular groups helping in West Africa.

The Catholic Church is very active in helping those in West Africa. I am glad they are there, as well as secular groups and government entities.

 

[987mk]

The Catholic Church is very active in helping those in West Africa. I am glad they are there, as well as secular groups and government entities.

Judging by this thread, the West Africans are lucky there are any Catholics helping.

 

[Matilda_Bennett]

Please remember that discussions of particular political figures or parties are not allowed in the Social Justice forum. Thank you for your cooperation. This thread is now closed.