So the person who is spearheading the coronavirus response in this country is Mike Pence. You know Mike pence who singlehandedly prevented an effective response to the HIV in the state of Indiana.

 

This excerpt from NPR:

 

During Pence’s time as governor, one of Indiana’s poorest counties was hit hard with an HIV outbreak. More than 200 infections were eventually attributed to the outbreak in Scott County, Ind.

 

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention descended on the state to investigate. The outbreak was blamed on opioid addiction and needle sharing and health experts called for a needle exchange.

 

But Pence was delayed in his response, saying he was morally opposed to the state providing needles to drug users — even if those needles could effectively slow the spreading of HIV.

“I don’t believe that effective anti-drug policy involves handing out paraphernalia to drug users by government officials,” he said at the time. “I reject that.”

 

He eventually relented and signed an emergency declaration that allowed Scott County to start a needle exchange program, but he did not legalize the practice statewide.

 

A study by the Yale School of Public Health found that had Indiana acted earlier the number of people affected could have been reduced by more than 90 percent.

 

“Our findings suggest that with earlier action the actual number of infections recorded in Scott County — 215 — might have been brought down to fewer than 56, if the state had acted in 2013, or to fewer than 10 infections, if they had responded to the… outbreak in 2010-2011,” said Forrest Crawford, an associate professor of biostatistics at Yale, when the study was released.

 

I am sorry that I used such a lengthy excerpt from the NPR article; however, it was easier to do this than create a synopsis. If you wanted my opinion, you are about to get it.

 

Mike Pence is the wrong fucking person for this job. He has zero medical knowledge or respect for science, which is emphasized in how he has spoken about the disease response. Mike believes that you can pray shit away or use his “Christian” faith to dictate his response to practical problems.

 

Look if you have faith, I am happy for you. If you are using it to influence your response to people who do not follow your spirituality or ideology, you are just plain wrong. Your responsibility if you serve the general public, is to serve the general public, everyone. Yeah, I said it.

 

I provide the same level of care to someone whose life or lifestyle I can’t entirely agree with the same as someone with who I agree. I am just as aggressive in a diagnosis and treatment regardless of the person. Why has it become necessary for you, if you are in any public service to put your moral values in front of your responsibility is what is really wrong with this country.

You make cakes and take great pride in them. You make money off making them. Somehow your work is cheapened because some magical being tells you someone different is “bad.” Please. Are you so wealthy that you can afford to skip someone’s business? 

 

Are you a church or a cake company?

 

Ok, so I am an ass about your beliefs, but when your beliefs interfere with other’s lives, it is just plain wrong.

 

When your ignorance or ineffectiveness can affect thousands or millions of lives, that is irresponsible. If you are unable to provide an adequate evidenced base level of care, I suggest you do something else. Baking cakes is ok if you have issues with someone’s life.

 

I don’t want my provider to pray about illness; I want real evidence-based science. Please stop gaslighting me that Mike Pence has some idea how to deal with a pandemic properly.

 

Sure some of you are saying that HIV is different than the coronavirus, but I say no. Response with any bias or delay is no real response. While I have noted that freaking out about coronavirus is not necessary, preparing a prevention and outbreak response is essential. It is still not time to freak out yet.

 

We need better. Leave your spirituality to your personal experience, not to everyone else’s. Treat disease without bias, and for fuck’s sake, don’t let Mike fucking Pence lead the US response.

 

Be the kind of person your dog and your mom hope you are.