How did a disease become a political issue?

So here I am, quietly celebrating my 61th birthday, when all of a sudden an idea for a blog post pops into my head. With no one home, Chimi all fed, and no more trains passing by till tomorrow, conditions are right for writing about a few things that have been on my mind as of late.

By now, we're all too familiar with COVID-19, the novel coronavirus disease that's currently making the rounds. Relatively few of us are experts by any means, but apparently there are many who seem to think otherwise. We all have the misfortune of knowing at least one person who knows everything about this—and won't let you forget it.

Even worse, we've all seen a few people who think the whole thing is some kind of scam or government conspiracy to control us. [tries to stifle laughter] They're the ones who claim that being expected (or required in some businesses) to wear a face covering is somehow in violation of their inalienable rights as an Amurrrican Citizen™. Others have gone so far as to give mask wearers or opposers certain political labels, as if whether they wear a mask determines which candidate or political party they support.

It's getting deep in here, folks.

Way too many Facebook users have gotten caught up in this and the place is ablaze with discussions, arguments, insults, namecalling, misinformation, unfriending and many other things we enjoy so much. Of course, Facebook erupts anytime a political issue or personality heats up. Everyone has their take and needs to have their say. Some people make sense with their reasonable outlook on the issues.

I have my feelings about the issues of the day, but generally I keep it all bottled up. That's the result of catching all kinds of flack about my opinion. It really is better to get things out into the open, though.

How a disease became a political issue is beyond me. Some people apparently just like to stir up trouble. When you look for trouble, you'll find it. Unfortunately, you may hurt some people you love in the process. Perhaps stepping back for a moment to think about the possible consequences of your words before launching the attacks is a wise idea.