Ebola (or just a bunch of yipping dogs?)

When I walk my beautiful senior dog, many times we are confronted by small dogs - small yipping dogs that just don't shut up and drive you crazy.

Well, while on today's walk (and after listening to the Diane Rehm Show and On Point with Tom Ashbrook), I thought: "hmmm... they have a lot in common with conservatives". 

The only difference... you can put a dog down when it starts foaming at the mouth!

What got me on this philosophical bent? 

The so-called Ebola crisis? 

Let me explain. We have had some seriously stupid letters to the editor in my local paper. (It always surprises me that with amount of college graduates and philanthropy we have here, we have such seriously uncharitable, intolerant, and stupid people.)

One went as follows:

Having heard who Obama picked for the Ebola Czar further cements my opinion on his incompetence of his administration. He picked a man who is probably very descent, but has zero knowledge of the medical field. So what’s up with that? Does that mean I could qualify for that position? After all I was in management at the Hyatt in Waikiki for quite a number of years and I worked at Hanford. Heck, betcha I could do that job!

(Can you tell this one was written by a blood relative of Sarah Palin?)

I have some points I'd like make. 

POINT #1 - IT'S NOT OBAMA'S FAULT AND YOU KNOW IT.

Now, I'm no Obama apologist. He's done lots of things I disagree with. But this is just politics. If the conservatives actually could use critical thinking they should ask this question: "If George W Bush or Mitt Romney behaved exactly the same in response to Ebola, would you still be saying these things?"

POINT #2 - IT'S NOT EBOLA YOU'RE AFRAID OF

Now why are people so scared of this disease? After all, one person (in the US) has died from it. I can only think of a few reasons. 

One, it comes from Africa where all the black people come from. And we know how afraid conservatives are of non-whites. After all, they don't want them to vote.

Two, we have a black President. 

Three, more people might sign up for the Affordable Care Act.

POINT #3 - IT'S NOT A PUBLIC HEALTH CRISIS

Let's bring the discussion back to real health care crises:

In a recent study by the CDC for the years 1976-2007, as few as 3,349 (1986-87) and as many as 48,641 (2003-04) die from season flu.

In 2012, 40,600  people took their own lives making suicide the 10th leading cause of death for Americans.

2 million injuries and 1,300 deaths are caused each year as a result of domestic violence

On average, 32 Americans are murdered with guns every day and 140 are treated for a gun assault in an emergency room.