Thoughts of a retired physician

  There has never been a war on Christmas. This should be the season of peace and harmony. There are NO concentration camps for prisoners… Multiple religions celebrate around the winter solstice. Nonbelievers join in. Saying Happy Holidays! Is not a slur on Christians.  So, Happy Holidays to all of you, whatever your beliefs are. Peace should be everyone’s goal.

  I remember in early January 2020 when the first reports appeared in the news about an outbreak of disease in Wuhan, China that had similarities to SARS. Margan and I thought here we go again with memories of the response that was mounted in 2003 for SARS. It quickly became apparent this was SARS on steroids with the added problem of infected people being infectious before they were symptomatic. We all remember what happened. The president, Trump, declared repeatedly this was not a problem and would be gone by Easter. It wasn’t. Covid-19 spread like wildfire with huge morbidity and mortality. Public health authorities responded with their playbook for pandemic respiratory disease because that is what we had on the shelf. Unfortunately, Covid-19 did not play by that book’s rules. It took time to fully understand that SARS-CoV-2 spread by aerosols, just like measles, rather than by respiratory droplets and contaminated surfaces. By the time it was realized that what was needed was the

  Below is the oath of office for a Naval officer . I took this office when I entered Naval service and each time I was promoted. The oath is the same as the one taken by elected officials of the federal government, judges, and federal employees. The President also affirms that they will faithfully execute the laws of the United States. I have been accused of having “ Trump Derangement Syndrome ” by others because of my vehement dislike of Donald John Trump. DJT faces prosecution for his role in the 6 January 2021 insurrection and storming of the Capitol Building as well as feloniously retaining classified documents that belong to the American people. In both of these cases, Trump did not uphold his oath. In her Substack for 3 December, Heather Cox Richardson includes his comment from “Truth Social” (I have to put it into quotation marks because truth and social it isn’t) calling for the termination of the U.S. Constitution.  I will say this to Trump supporters. You may call me wha