On Living In An COVID Age

 

The United States dropped two atomic bombs on Japan in 1945 to bring an end to World War II (WWII).  Thus began the “Atomic Age”.  Shortly thereafter, the Union of Soviet Socialists Republic (USSR) developed atomic bombs.  And so began the “Cold War” that would go until 1989 when the USSR’s Communist Regime collapsed.

As the threat of an “Atomic War” loomed throughout the world, actions were taken to prepare for such an outcome.  The United States and the USSR (Russia) began a game of “political tit-for-tat”.  As the Cold War grew, an event occurred that escalated the tensions between the two countries.  It was the “Cuban Missile Crisis” in 1960.  With strong leadership provided by President John F. Kennedy, the United States stared down Russia and prevented a “Nuclear War”.

In 1948, a great literary author, C.S. Lewis wrote some great advice on how to live with the threat of “Nuclear War”.

On Living In An Atomic Age

“How are we to live in an atomic age?”  I am tempted to reply: Why, as you would have lived in the sixteenth century when the plague visited London almost every year, or as you would have lived in a Viking age when raiders from Scandinavia might land and cut your throat any night; or indeed, as you are already living in an age of cancer, and age of syphilis, an age of paralysis, an age of air raids, an age of railway accidents, an age of motor accidents.’

In other words, do not let us begin by exaggerating the novelty of our situation.  Believe me, dear sir or madam, you and all whom you love were already sentenced to death before the atomic bomb was invented; and quite a high percentage of us were going to die in unpleasant ways.

This is the first point to be made: and the first action to be taken is to pull ourselves together.  If we are all going to be destroyed by an atomic bomb, let that bomb when it comes finds us doing sensible and human things---praying, working, teaching, reading, listening to music, bathing the children, playing tennis, chatting to our friends over a pint or a game of darts---not huddled together like frightened sheep and thinking about bombs,  They may break our bodies (a microbe can do that) but they need not dominate our minds.”

In other words, don’t live your life in fear of what might be; live your life for what is, while preparing for a bright future.

During the Cold War, the Unites States did not cower to fear of destruction by an enemy.  The American citizens built homes, built schools, educated themselves, developed businesses, built factories, built a new road system to cover the whole country, etc.  What Americans did was to unleash the wings of the human spirit again like our Founding Fathers did after the Revolutionary War.  Americans prepared for the future with a bright hope of great things to come.

Today, we are faced with a COVID pandemic that has brought fear to many people in many countries.  Let’s not downplay the COVID.  It is real. But the biggest fear that has gripped people of the United States is the fear of federal and state governments.  This is wrong!

WE THE PEOPLE should not and cannot fear the government.  Winston Churchill said, "We have nothing to fear but fear itself."  When we let Fear replace Common Sense and Patriotism, we can start to lose hope.  And we can’t let that happen. The Citizens of the United States of America are the governments boss.  This is a Republic of the People and by the People.  And by the People, Patriotic Americans who sustain, support, and defend the U.S. Constitution, this tyranny that we call Washington, D.C. needs to stop.

by Richard Medlock