I’m beginning to feel like I’m living in a fairytale — and not in a good way. Have you ever read “The Emperor’s New Clothes” by Hans Christian Andersen or “The Sneeches” by Dr. Seuss?
They have a similar theme that is relevant to the situation we find ourselves in today with COVID-19.
The emperor is told by the persuasive tailor that the “most exquisite clothes” are available for him to purchase. He is sold and purchases the clothes, but no one has the courage to tell him that after putting on these fine garments, he is actually naked.
He “dresses” in his new, fine attire for the town parade and proudly walks down the street until a small child shouts, “The emperor is naked!”
I am that small child, the emperor is Santa Barbara and the clothes are COVID-19.
We have been told that COVID-19 is a deadly virus that has risen to the level of a global pandemic, but just because the media says this is the case, does not make it so. We need evidence.
The number of deaths in 2020 are no more than those in 2019, the only difference is that more deaths are inaccurately being attributed to COVID, when the CDC said that most deaths are only COVID-related not COVID-caused.
This means that people are dying from other illnesses. COVID has a 99.9% recovery rate in America. So guess what? Just like the emperor had no clothes, we have no pandemic.
Likewise, in the story “The Sneeches,” a charlatan comes to town to sell everyone a star printed on their belly. Word spreads that you are only accepted in the community if you wear the star, so everyone goes out to get their star, and the salesman gets very rich due to his powers of persuasion. Then he convinces everyone that it’s actually better to not have the star, and then they all pay again to have the stars removed.
What if these stars were masks? Are we so easily persuaded by the media and the charlatans around us that we jump to buy a mask even before we know if they are actually effective?
Look at the facts. Cases are not a threat. Deaths are. Even if the recovery rate was .1%, that would still not justify a lockdown of local businesses or forcing people to wear a mask.
Where is the evidence that masks slow the spread? Everywhere I look people are wearing masks, yet cases increase. Could masks actually be part of the problem? Could they be spreading the virus?
Masks are used over and over again. They go in purses, pockets, rest on countertops, etc. They prohibit us from breathing fresh air and oxygen and force us to breathe CO2 during a respiratory illness. Is that really wise? Could masks be spreading the virus?
I’m also curious about these “orders” and “mandates” coming from Gov. Gavin Newsom, which are being enforced by the Santa Barbara mayor, the county Board of Supervisors and Dr. Henning Ansorg, the county public health officer.
Why is it OK to take off your mask while seated outside at a restaurant, but you have to wear it while walking? Is COVID like Santa Claus? Does it know when you are sleeping? Does it know when you’re awake? Does it know when you sit and when you stand?
Apparently, COVID can sense your body position and will only attack under certain circumstances. We have been told that it is safe to walk on the beach, but we can’t sit on the beach.
So is COVID more dangerous while walking? While sitting? Please clarify.
Gov. Newsom’s orders feel like a game of Simon Says. Gov. Newsom says wear a mask. Gov. Newsom says eat outside. Gov. Newsom says be home by 10 p.m. Is he my governor or my mom?
Teen-age store clerks tell me to wear a mask. Again, am I in preschool? Does anyone else feel like they are in a neverending kindergarten class? Maybe it’s just me, but am I supposed to feel like I’m 5 years old as a grown adult?
We have all become star-belly Sneeches who reject those without stars, or in this case, without masks. This is prejudice. The order allows for medical exemptions, but store clerks, restaurant owners and public transportation do not.
Public hostility has increased because people think that my mask affects you and your mask affects me, but in reality, like vaccines, this is just more fairytale thinking. My mask affects me and your mask affects you. We are all walking around thinking there is a pandemic, when actually, there is no pandemic.
Going to the store has become an unsafe place. I think I’ve developed PTSD from a tyrannical governor and aggressive store clerks with an overactive need to boss people around. I’m always on guard now when entering a store. The other day a store clerk stopped me to tell me about the sale items and I tensed up.
There is nothing to fear. People recover. COVID is no more dangerous than the average flu.
The only way to end the shutdowns, save our businesses and get back to being happy and healthy where we can exercise, socialize, learn, breathe fresh air and get much needed sunshine is for each of us to reach down into our hearts and grab that buried ounce of courage, dust it off and put that on instead of our masks. Therapeutics have been very successful. There is nothing to fear but fear itself.
America is only the land of the free because she is the home of the brave. If she ever ceases to be brave, she will cease to be free. The price for freedom is courage.
So fear not, go outside, open your shops, get together with family and friends, unmask and guess what? I’ll bet the COVID case numbers go down.
We’ve tried everything else. Why not give freedom and courage a chance?
Laura Oleson
The author is a Santa Barbara resident.
