On the chance that you’re getting your Coronavirus ‘information’ from rush Limbaugh, please stop taking advice from someone who’s medical knowledge is limited to being an opioid addict before all the cool kids were doing it. “But he’s a recipient of the Presidential Medal of Freedom” you might say. The following are people who have also received a Presidential Medal of Freedom:
Pablo Casals, a Spanish cellist who, while talented, holds exactly the same medical credentials as Rush, that is to say, none.
John Franklin Enders, the “father of modern vaccines” who’s work laid the foundation for Salk’s polio vaccine and might remind you that 1) we still don’t have a vaccine for COVID-19, nor any reliable treatment regime as we have for HIV/AIDS and until such time as we do, forming large crowds to, for example, protest closures done in the interest of public health and pretty fucking stupid and 2) there’s just as much medical evidence to suggest that vaccines will make your kid retarded as there is to suggest that listening to Rush Limbaugh will.
Robert Kiphuth, a swimmer, who might point out to not-a-medial-doctor Phil that the US averages about 3,500 unintentional drownings per year, not 360,000. And at the point when I’m writing this there are about 28,000 deaths from Coronavirus so far, despite the measures that have been taken.
Annie Dodge Wauneka, who headed the Navajo Nation’s Health and Welfare Committee, who might point out that it’s really easy to suggest we all wash our hands, but that’s a little less realistic when you don’t have access to clean running water or plumbing. So when you decide you don’t need to wear a mask because you feel perfectly okay, even though it’s well understood that you can be an asymptomatic carrier, you should be fine letting random people shove their fingers in your mouth because, you know, they feel fine too.
Edward R Murrow, journalist and war correspondent who might remind Rush that Joseph McCarthy and is tactics were on the wrong side of history. Just because Fox has “News” in the name, doesn’t actually make it news. Though to be fair “bullshit” doesn’t fit as neatly on the chyron.
Hellen Taussig, pediatric cardiologist, who help develop concepts and procedures that would extend the lives of children and might remind Rush that offering medical advice on anecdotal evidence and not fact based research and controlled studies isn’t just irresponsible, it may also meet some of the legal requirements of negligent homicide.
James Webb, the NASA Administrator who oversaw all of the first manned flights into space, who might remind Rush that when you don’t do proper testing people die. Also that science doesn’t isn’t just an opinion, it’s an educated opinion based on study and fact and reproduction of results, not the gut feelings and imagination of an addict.
Buzz Aldrin, who once punched a guy in the face for harassing him over the conspiracy theory that we didn’t land on the moon. More people should punch conspiracy theorists in the face when they keep peddling bullshit, but then Rush wouldn’t have a face.
Mary Lasker, who promoted the national health insurance proposal under President Harry Truman and might remind Rush that ~40% of American’s couldn’t handle a $400 emergency expense before COVID-19 hit and half of Americans put off or don’t get medical care because they cannot afford it. Fuck ton of good it’ll do to develop a treatment for COVID-19 if half the population has to defer to decline that treatment because of cost.
Whitney Young, the civil rights leader who fought to end employment discrimination, who might remind Rush that the US economy is 2/3 driven by consumer spending, so expensive as it may be, stimulus checks to people so they can pay for food and rent and medicine is both necessary and not a replacement for a living wage.
Jim Lovell, the astronaut and mechanical engineer who was portrayed by the actor Tom Hanks, who tested positive for Coronavirus and still didn’t go around telling everybody that it’s the flu because even if you should never, ever travel with Tom Hanks, he’s a pretty responsible guy.
By the way, I haven’t even gotten through the 60’s yet, so this is going to have to be continued.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Presidential_Medal_of_Freedom_recipients
If you find it necessary to take medical advice or any kind of public health recommendations from a Rush, here’s some lyrics from Limelight that pretty much sum up the current White House
“cast in this unlikely role
Ill-equipped to act
With insufficient tact
One must put up barriers
To keep oneself intact”
