The October Surprise has arrived early this election year. A President who is personally reckless has been taken ill by a virus that is only a hoax and will go away like a miracle. Trump said early on that the virus had infected only one person and not to worry. We would say, yes, one person at a time, Mr. Trump. How is that working for you right now? Science Rules!
Mary Mallon was born in Ireland in 1869. She immigrated to the US in 1884. She worked in a variety of domestic positions for wealthy families prior to her career as a cook. Her mother had become infected with typhoid when she was pregnant, leaving Mary one of the first known asymptomatic carriers. Mary lived a healthy life, happily going from one job to another while infecting many households and contaminating everything around her with typhoid. Her numerous jobs and signature dessert of peach ice cream led to many infections and some deaths of those she had encountered and or cooked for. Some of you may recognize her as the infamous, “Typhoid Mary.”
Despite her contagious trail which caused thousands to become ill and some to die, Mary denied her disease, refused interventions, and, when tracked down, was forced into quarantine. When released from her first quarantine, she was directed to take a job as a domestic but never again as a cook. She did not abide by that agreement. After being released, she lied, changed her name, and went back to cooking in hotels, restaurants, and institutions – even at Sloane Maternity in Manhattan where she infected, in three months, at least 25 people, including doctors, nurses, and staff. Two of them died. She was placed back into quarantine where she lived for many years until her death in 1939. She will forever be remembered as “Typhoid Mary” who caused multiple typhoid outbreaks, illness, deaths, and was the first Super-Spreader.
Does any of this sound familiar? It seems that Typhoid Mary and Typhoid Trump have a lot in common. The following are their common characteristics:
-Were personally reckless
-Downplayed or denied the existence of a deadly disease
-Allowed the spread of a deadly disease
-Are known as Super-Spreaders
-Lied so people died
-Refused to cooperate or show a conscience
The Rose Garden Super-Spreader event has not deterred Republicans from conducting gatherings and choosing not to wear masks. Following Trump’s diagnosis and hospitalization, Republicans named him a “warrior” for the cause. The real warriors are those 213,000 + individuals who have died from Covid. Despite these deaths, the Trump cult followers praised the man who contributed to these deaths, and without any compassion, refused to invoke a simple mask mandate. Leading physicians have urged that if masks were mandated at this time, we could save at least 100,000 lives between now and January. Trump remains silent on this while boasting of his own Covid recovery as he continues with his tomfoolery. The truth is that every other day, 9/11 is happening over and over again in this country. Clearly, all that Trump cares about is conducting an all-about-me, narcissistic, no-rules sociopathic, lying clown show. Yes, we see many similarities between Trump and Mary Mallon!
If we do not turn this around, there is much that is threatened under an extended Trump Administration. One which is the physical and mental health of this country. Along with saving his image, Trump is obsessed with ending the ACA, potentially leaving many without insurance and left to suffer and die. Add that to the potential of a decrease in Medicare funding and a reversal in a woman’s right to choose – all the while placing no demands or restrictions on men’s reproductive rights. As an example of inequity, some insurance companies continue to fill prescriptions for Viagra and deny birth control coverage. If Trump wins again, Employment Protection and the EPA may not exist going forward and Immigration Rights will continue to be at stake. White people may be allowed to enter this country and people of color will be further denied. We have yet to see how LGBTQ rights will be affected. We have read that Trump’s Supreme Court pick, Amy Coney Barrett, has contributed to an organization that supports removing protections and the jailing of gay people. So much for Trump’s word that he is friends of gays, black, brown, and older people. This is scary stuff and scary times. As with Typhoid Mary, we are hoping that the infected Typhoid Trump, after losing the election, will spend the rest of his life in quarantine – somewhere in Russia.
We must continue to focus on the issues for the long term for these are no small potatoes. Keep moving forward even when it seems that the wind is pushing you back. Lean into it and we will remain strong together.
Dedicated to the VOTE. 25 Days to Go – We CAN Do This!
