Nothing to fear but fear itself

Franklin Roosevelt became president in 1933 in the midst of the Great Depression. The highlight of his inaugural address was, “We have nothing to fear but fear itself.” The same is true today. Panic has disrupted more lives than the virus, and the statewide edict to wear masks in all public places adds to the panic.

The governor stated the wearing of masks was, “imperative as economic activity increases.” Wearing of masks, however, will be a detriment to economic activity. My wife and I went to the movie last week in Newport. When Pend Oreille County went to Phase Three, our local theater was allowed to reopen, but film distribution was disrupted, so they only had old movies. We decided to help the owners with their mortgage and utilities by paying full fare and buying more popcorn and drinks than we could reasonably consume. It was almost life as normal. Wearing a mask will destroy the experience, and fewer people will attend. Thus, our local theater is in grave danger of joining the growing list of casualties due to the lockdown.

Dr. Wiesman, the State Secretary of Health, joined the governor to announce the mask policy. In an interview following the announcement, he stated that opposition to wearing a mask would fade, and compared the opposition to the requirement to wear seatbelts. As a general rule I object to government programs designed to save me from myself. I wore a seat belt voluntarily long before it became law. The mask directive, however, is much different. Seatbelt laws were debated and enacted by our representatives in the legislature. Masks are required by executive fiat. Seatbelt laws didn’t change the way I interact with my fellow man. I may question my neighbor’s wisdom if he or she decides not to wear a seatbelt, but I don’t cower in fear as they drive by. Seatbelts are a permanent requirement to counter the never-ending threat of traffic accidents. I would hope that we are not expected to cover our faces forever.

Dr. Lutz, the Spokane Public Health Director, said we would most likely be required to wear masks until a vaccine is available to the public. Our history of flu vaccines isn’t very good. The vaccine for the 1918 Spanish flu was a disaster and killed more people than the original disease. To my knowledge an effective vaccine for the Spanish flu was never developed. The disease simply ran its course and went away. The vaccine for today’s seasonal flu is only about 50% effective. Dr. Fauci made the news recently by predicting a COVID-19 vaccine by the end of this year. Dr. Fauci might be wrong; it wouldn’t be the first time. At one time, he didn’t recommend masks. What if there is no vaccine? There are some experts who believe the coronavirus will become endemic like the common cold, and we will just have to learn to live with it.

We have granted Governor Inslee and his medical advisors an inordinate amount of power. He has far exceeded the 30 days of emergency power prescribed by our state Constitution. Yet, he refuses to convene the legislature. We have allowed him the power to do almost anything he wants in the name of pandemic response. FDR was granted similar power after Pearl Harbor was attacked. FDR used his unchecked power to intern thousands of American citizens whose only crime was having Japanese ancestors. FDR thought he knew what was best in 1942, just as Governor Inslee thinks he knows what is best today.

How long will I be required to avoid normal human interaction? How long will I be required to live in fear of my neighbors? How long until I can get my life back?

(Frank Watson is a retired Air Force Colonel and long-time resident of Eastern Washington. He has been a free-lance columnist for over 20 years.)