Bird Flu – it’s all just hype

It's everywhere, it's everywhere!! New cases in Eastern Europe! Could hit Britain next! What about the US?! Pandemic! People dropping like flies!!! World population decimated!! Cockroaches take over the world!!!! Aaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhh!!!

Okay folks. Stop running around in circles and screaming. Take a deep breath. Take another one.

Let's go over a few facts.

For all that you've heard about possible mutations in the H5N1 virus – it hasn't happened yet. It may never happen. All the talk swirling around is hypotheticals. 'What ifs'.

Despite the talking heads rambling on about Tamiflu, and pandemics and death, the simple fact is, it's not something you really need to waste time worrying about. It's identical to when they start talking about the 'possibility' of meteors and asteroids striking the earth, or magnetic pole reversals, or space aliens blowing up the Empire State Building.

In other words, pretty damned unlikely.
From the US Centers for Disease Control:

Influenza A (H5N1) is an influenza A virus subtype that occurs mainly in birds, is highly contagious among birds, and can be deadly to them. Outbreaks of H5N1 among poultry are ongoing in a number of countries. While H5N1 does not usually infect people, human cases of H5N1 infection associated with these outbreaks have been reported Most of these cases have occurred from direct or close contact with infected poultry or contaminated surfaces; however, a few rare cases of human-to-human spread of H5N1 virus have occurred, though transmission has not continued beyond one person.

Nonetheless, because all influenza viruses have the ability to change, scientists are concerned that H5N1 virus one day could be able to infect humans and spread easily from one person to another.

Got that? The H5N1 virus has not mutated into a worldwide population destroyer.

Yes, 105 people have died as a result of coming into contact with diseased birds, and each death is a tragedy for the families. However, bird to human transmission is currently very rare. Very rare. So rare that only 105 people worldwide have died.

Let's compare that to some other causes of death, worldwide:

In 2005, 3.1 million people of all ages died of AIDS.
An estimated 32 million had heart attacks. 12.5 million died.
Nearly 3 million died of tuberculosis.
Approximately 4.4 million died of strokes.
An estimated 660,000 women died from pregnancy or childbirth complications.

So, before bird flu sends you into a panic, why don't you do something to actually help stop some real killers? Join the ONE campaign.

Sources: AIDS, Heart Attack, Tuberculosis, Stroke, Childbirth

500,000 Rally in LA

Update: (3.26.06 – 5:06p) Best thing I've read all day:

From the LA Times: […] The Roman Catholic Church and other religious communities have launched immigrant rights campaigns, with Los Angeles Cardinal Roger Mahony taking a leading role in speaking out against the House bill and calling on his priests to defy its provisions that would make felons of anyone who aided undocumented immigrants. In addition, several cities, including Los Angeles, have passed resolutions against the House legislation and some, such as Maywood, have declared itself a "sanctuary" for undocumented immigrants. […]

* * * *

500,000 people turned out in LA to protest the bill by Rep. James Sensenbrenner (R-Wi) that would make it a felony to immigrate illegally, and force churches and other aid groups to check the legal status of those they help, along with building a wall along the southern border.

AP Photo

From the AP story: “Those who do that are 21st-century slave masters, just like the 19th-century slave masters that we fought a civil war to get rid of,” Sensenbrenner said at the meeting. “Unless we do something about illegal immigration, we’re consigning illegal immigrants to be a permanent underclass, and I don’t think that’s moral.”

Funny, isn't it? How all this talk of 'securing our borders' and whatnot…and yet, you don't hear a single word about securing our northern border.

Why? Well, because we like the white people who live north of us. It's just the brown ones we want to keep out.

Rep. Sensenbrenner, you're an idiot.

We may not like it, but at one time or another every particular ethnic group of immigrants was considered an underclass. Irish, Chinese, Italian, Eastern European… They took the lowest, dirtiest jobs that no American would do unless they too were desperate, and they did it for slave-labor wages because they were happy to have work – any kind of work.

They worked hard, scrimped and saved to move up in the world. And guess what? As time went by, and those immigrants had children and grandchildren, they became part of the fabric of this country.

But before that – they faced overt and covert racism, just as the immigrants from south of the border are facing it now.

In the late 1800's, signs reading, 'Irish Keep Out' were common in much of the US. I pray the day comes when we look back, as we do at the Irish immigration, and wonder what all the fuss was about.

Following Julia’s lead

Update: (3.26.06) Quite a few other blogs joining in here, here, here, here, here, and here.

Julia said: When you see this, post an anti-war song in your journal.

Here's mine:

FORTUNATE SON — John. Fogerty

Some folks are born made to wave the flag,
Ooh, they're red, white and blue.
And when the band plays "Hail to the chief",
Ooh, they point the cannon at you, Lord,

It ain't me, it ain't me, I ain't no senator's son, son.
It ain't me, it ain't me; I ain't no fortunate one, no, Yeah!

Some folks are born silver spoon in hand,
Lord, don't they help themselves, oh.
But when the taxman comes to the door, Lord,
the house looks like a rummage sale, yes,

It ain't me, it ain't me, I ain't no millionaire's son, no.
It ain't me, it ain't me; I ain't no fortunate one, no.

Some folks inherit star spangled eyes,
Ooh, they send you down to war, Lord,
And when you ask them, "How much should we give?"
Ooh, they only answer More! more! more! yoh,

It ain't me, it ain't me, I ain't no military son, son.
It ain't me, it ain't me; I ain't no fortunate one, one.
It ain't me, it ain't me, I ain't no fortunate one, no no no,
It ain't me, it ain't me, I ain't no fortunate son, no no no,