Words have meaning.
Words have power.
My mom was an English teacher and school was different. When it came to English, we learned grammar (Including diagramming), literature and composition. My saying that words have meaning is not something I throw out there to create debate. Or even to vent. It is simply to say, words used incorrectly cause issues. A lot of what is being said during this crisis has set people up for further division, continued confusion and a feeling of “loss of control” which to quote a Boston song, may in fact, “be more than a feeling”.
The number one thing I have shared with my children, my friends, and my fellowship, is to stop getting caught up in what you can’t change. You are not going to change the government today, nor do you have control or authority with what states, businesses, and others do. Focus on what you can change. Many years ago, I saw the Serenity Prayer modified to read as, God, grant me the serenity, to accept the things I cannot change(other people), the courage to change the things I can(me), and the wisdom to know the difference.
One of the hardest things going on is the decisions that all too often have been made individually and the words that are being used. “Wear a mask, don’t wear a mask” and more. Throw in the “schizophrenic narrative” being seen and it just makes my thinking of “fix what you can” all that more important.
My brother, David had this posted the other day. It is similar to my own thinking, though he may be a bit more political. (He also is what is called immune-compromised.) I realize there are lots of views on Covid-19. There are medical, political, religious, and logical. Some are based on fact, others based on ideology and well, some on fear.
I have a lot of questions. I am strategic planner and analyst. I look hard for facts, inconsistencies, and I thrive on slicing and dicing the numbers. Politics and media approach this emotionally. Medicine approaches it statistically (models), however I prefer a little logic without an agenda.
My questions and then the answers from a multitude of experts.
- Where is the test that works?
- Where is the test that will tell us if we already had it?
- Why aren’t the socialists taking over manufacturing of PPEs and medical equipment? You want healthcare for all, start there and do a good job.
- Why are we not dividing people in to high and low risk segments instead of essential and nonessential? Why is a 65-y-o working the line at the supermarket?
- How come we are screening to go into the hospital but not into many other public places like Walmart?
- Why are we inconsistent on how we count cases? Confirmed? Diagnosed? Inflated death counts for State of Emergency Aid?
- Is it constitutional to enforce stay at home orders and shelter in place?
- HOW LONG ARE YOU STAYING IN?
To the aforementioned “expert list” below.* 
Words ARE important, but so are choices about the use of the words themselves.
I was already having issues with the word choices and more, but the tipping point was the development of the thought process of “Essential vs. Nonessential”. I know what the words mean, but why such a poor choice? The end results of people wanting to develop sound bites and 140-character tweets have done nothing to remove the “division” we were already facing. First, why does everything have to be versus (vs), which means, “as opposed to; in contrast to”? And secondly, who thought a directive establishing “essential” was a good word choice when the alternative was “nonessential”?
Essential is used as an adjective, absolutely necessary; extremely important. Want to use it as a noun? A thing that is absolutely necessary. Uhhh…thing, not people! (Perhaps they wanted the adjective but well-meaning people thought what…use it as a noun? Unless it was what they wanted all along…hmmmm…)
It is a schizophrenic narrative. It set up a “war” between two factions. And it gave “titles” to people when I thought we were all in this together and want to avoid the use of titles. If I used the word, “nonessential” to describe someone, not of my race, wow! But somehow, it’s “okay” now? This is just one more example of trying to get on top of things without thinking it through.
James Freeman Clark said this over a hundred years ago. A politician thinks of the next election. A statesman, of the next generation.
It is time to think ahead.
When did anyone become “nonessential”?
Wise men had this to say over 200 years ago… We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.
It was similar to the using of the word, quarantine. The word quarantine is and always was used in this manner as a noun. A state, period, or place of isolation in which people or animals that have arrived from elsewhere or been exposed to infectious or contagious disease are placed. And if you use it as a verb, it is to quarantine someone who has been exposed “to” quarantine. You do not place healthy people in quarantine. Even the CDC says that so who let these people talk?
Before that, the phrase, social distancing. The very day, it came out, I knew it was problematic. I immediately changed it to “safely distanced, socially connected”. We did not need any more distance between folks. (While the internet keeps people “connected” it also divides them.) We learned to communicate without the person being present and our conversations became harsher and more one-sided.
To quote Jackie DeShannon, What the world needs now is love, sweet love It’s the only thing that there’s just too little of What the world needs now is love, sweet love, No not just for some but for everyone. 
If it was only our language that needed an overhaul, that would be one thing. It is a problem. The words that are chosen and used, develop from being given an inch to taking a mile. When you tell people to be socially distanced, perhaps you think people know this is only about physical space, but the mind and the subconscious do not see it that way. Socially distanced MEANS socially distanced.
The word “socially” means this. In a way that relates to society or its organization OR in the company of others, especially for pleasure; in a social manner. That means if you are socially distanced, you are to move away from society, the company of others, especially from pleasure. “This is serious! Don’t have fun! Don’t connect with others!” What a ridiculous message. (I do understand what they want to say, too bad they didn’t say that. Or again, was this the hidden objective?)
Words have power and words have meaning. The meaning is usually the first step, and over time the word(s) gain power.
My heart is not to denigrate people, but to not allow for socially divisive statements, that lead people to destructive ways. Certainly, I wish that all the executives of the government had a clarion call statement. I wish healthcare organizations would do the same. As of yet, we have not seen that.(And when you read the “expert’s list below, you will see what I mean.) Meanwhile, many in the trenches are doing what they know to be right and true in the communities where they live. While the unwieldiness of government has caused a slow-moving forward.
I do understand, that we have “never been here before”. All the more reason, not to plunge headlong into darkness and hope it works out.
I am writing this, this week, not because I think the virus is getting greater, but the society itself is fragile on so many levels. Let us bring cool-headedness, filled with compassion and stop the name-calling and divisive maneuvering. Let us bring peace to the things we have control over. (And in the words of Thumper, “If you can’t say something nice, don’t say nothing at all.”)
There are amazing people doing incredible things at this hour. Let us place our focus on the things that are going well. Collectively making better the things that need help.
Anyone can point out the dirt, but can you find the gold under it all?
We are all in this together. That means we are with or in proximity to another person or people, having companionship or close association. Even safely distanced.
*Thought I would share the latest suggestions from the powers that be and the media.
Expert List
The Rules:
1. Basically, you can’t leave the house for any reason, but if you have to, then you can.
2. Masks are useless, but maybe you have to wear one, it can save you, it is useless, but maybe it is mandatory as well.
3. Stores are closed, except those that are open.
4. You should not go to hospitals unless you have to go there. The same applies to doctors, you should only go there in case of emergency, provided you are not too sick.
5. This virus is deadly but still not too scary, except that sometimes it actually leads to a global disaster.
6. Gloves won’t help, but they can still help.
7. Everyone needs to stay HOME, but it’s important to GO OUT.
8. There is no shortage of groceries in the supermarket, but there are many things missing when you go there in the evening, but not in the morning. Sometimes.
9. The virus has no effect on children except those it affects.
10. Animals are not affected, but there is still a cat that tested positive in Belgium in February when no one had been tested, plus a few tigers here and there…
11. You will have many symptoms when you are sick, but you can also get sick without symptoms, have symptoms without being sick, or be contagious without having symptoms. Oh, my God.
12. In order not to get sick, you have to eat well and exercise, but eat whatever you have on hand and it’s better not to go out, well, but no…
13. It’s better to get some fresh air, but you get looked at very wrong when you get some fresh air, and most importantly, you don’t go to parks or walk. But don’t sit down, except that you can do that now if you are old, but not for too long or if you are pregnant (but not too old).
14. You can’t go to retirement homes, but you have to take care of the elderly and bring food and medication.
15. If you are sick, you can’t go out, but you can go to the pharmacy.
16. You can get restaurant food delivered to the house, which may have been prepared by people who didn’t wear masks or gloves. But you have to have your groceries decontaminated outside for 3 hours. Pizza too?
17. Every disturbing article or disturbing interview starts with ” I don’t want to trigger panic, but…”
18. You can’t see your older mother or grandmother, but you can take a taxi and meet an older taxi driver.
19. You can walk around with a friend but not with your family if they don’t live under the same roof.
20. You are safe if you maintain the appropriate social distance, but you can’t go out with friends or strangers at a safe social distance.
21. The virus remains active on different surfaces for two hours, no, four, no, six, no, we didn’t say hours, maybe days? But it takes a damp environment. Oh no, not necessarily.
22. The virus stays in the air – well no, or yes, maybe, especially in a closed room, in one hour a sick person can infect ten, so if it falls, all our children were already infected at school before it was closed. But remember, if you stay at the recommended social distance, however in certain circumstances you should maintain a greater distance, which, studies show, the virus can travel further, maybe.
23. We count the number of deaths but we don’t know how many people are infected as we have only tested so far those who were “almost dead” to find out if that’s what they will die of…
24. We have no treatment, except that there may be one that apparently is not dangerous unless you take too much (which is the case with all medications). Orange man bad.
25. We should stay locked up until the virus disappears, but it will only disappear if we achieve collective immunity, so when it circulates… but we must no longer be locked up for that?
