Whaever you do--don't use the P-word...You mean ...p...p...pandemic!!!

Have you noticed that all of the media 'experts', from the CDC, WHO, the White House, Etcetera, Etcetera, are using the word, concerned?

We're concerned.... The commentators are trying to get something real out of them and they all seem to have gone to the same media coaching advisors who've coached them against using strong language. I can imagine what they're being told by their bosses...Fer Chrissakes! Don't use the word 'alarmed'...don't say, epidemic...(have you noticed none of them have used that word either?) And if you're asked about a 'pandemic' --do whatever you can to change the subject..."

They don't want to panic 'the public'--like we're some imbecilic herd of bullocks who will stampede at the truth. Nevermind that the real story, which is just beginning to come out, is that the Mexican authorities have been sitting on this for nearly a month. Notice that the concentration of reports are coming from Mexico City? Well, what they're not telling us is that it's been circulating around the country for a while now. And according to a doctor of respiratory emergency medicine who's been working at the Nation Institute of Health in Mexico City, they've been forced into falsifying death certificates by not putting down "Influenza" as the cause of death and commanded not to speak to the press. Why, the mayor of Mexico City admitted to a reporter from CNN that he'd never even heard of the swine flu until last Thursday... Early in April, Oaxaca saw a slew of 'non-specific pneumonia'... and denied that it was influenza.

We're concerned...they say, the same way that parents spell out words when they're talking in front of small children.

Yet within the last 24 hours, the truth is emerging... I've been twittering, and found the one site that seems to be putting out the real-time data--a site called Biosurveillance. Do not go to this site unless you have a strong stomach... They activated a real-time posting of the medical reportage, confirmed and unconfirmed reports--(unconfirmed meaning that the swab from the patient's nose had not yet made it to the labs that are testing them, not unconfirmed--meaning rumors of...) at http://twitter.com/Veratect.

I'm not an alarmist. But I've worked in media and advertising enough years to be able to glean when media and government are tip-toeing around. And, my gut says, go dig out your own research...

Americans (those of us living in the USA, that is) are so good at denial that we've let all kinds of dangers slip under the wire. Our general attitude of, It'll never happen here, has been one of our most dangerous blind spots. A glance at our economy is enough to tell us that. And, so we let the 'authorities' treat us like little children.

However, we all remember 9/11. And the only other day I can recall that galvanized us back to reality in the same way was December 7th, 1941. I have to say that I watched as we came together as one people, woke up out of our self-indulgent little worlds, and we handled it. Not without scars. Not without tears. Not without sweat or sacrifice. But we handled it.

And we'll handle this. I just pray that the price we pay won't be too high. I've taught my children, (often to my own detriment!) to QUESTION AUTHORITY. THINK FOR YOUR SELF. TRUST NOTHING AND NO ONE 100 PERCENT. I learned those principles just being an American...

Now, everybody, here's our new mantra, WASH YOUR HANDS, WASH YOUR HANDS, WASH YOUR HANDS...

Copyright © 2009 Stephanie Ericsson All Rights Reserved