Does the Center for Disease Control scare us on purpose? I read a fascinating article in a magazine that said that people have to have a crisis to worry about, like global warming, or we're not happy. It went on to say that even though the problems seem insurmountable, there really isn't anything to worry about since subsequent generations can and usually do figure out an invention or a solution that will take care of it.
For instance, before cars were invented, the fine citizens of New York City rode around on horses which apparently created quite an issue because of the large amount of manure they were “depositing” on the streets. Sort of like the garbage strike a few years back only not quite as smelly. Anyway, the New Yorkers didn’t know what to do with all of the manure and it created quite an epidemic, which people worried about. So you would think that the solution was that the automobile was invented, right? Nope, that wasn’t for a few years yet. Instead, they incorporated New Jersey and shipped everything South. See how things take care of themselves?
So why do we always have to have a disease or crisis to worry about? A few years back it was West Nile Virus and I think a total of 8 people died in New York City. But it was all the media ever talked about.
And in 2009, you couldn't turn on the radio or TV without hearing about the Swine Flu. The population of New Jersey was 8,791,894 and in 8 months that year less than 50 people had died from Swine Flu. Less than 50 people out of 8,791,894! And we were supposed to be upset about this? I don’t know about you, but I think my odds are pretty good. You know when I’ll worry? When the death toll hits 4,372,739. And even then there will be so much less traffic, that even if I do catch it, I’ll die happily speeding down the Garden State Parkway at 5 pm on a Friday afternoon during the summer on my way to the beach.
Until then, I’m not going to wash my hands and I’m going to touch my face.
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