This may ruffle some feathers and at this point, I'm okay with that. Look, I don't want to just come right out and say that the media is lying to people - I'm just saying that what they're reporting is not what I'm actually seeing.
Racism - Clearly, and unfortunately, there are people with racist views still living in this country. However, based on my observation and my personal experiences, I see more and more interracial relationships & marriages; more and more blacks, whites, browns, and yellows hanging out and working together. Yes, there are still issues that we need to work on and improve, but as a whole, we are not where we were 200 years, 50 years, or even 10 years ago. And from recent meetings and conversations I've been present at in Union, we won't be where we are now in the years to come. We are having uncomfortable conversations. Comments are being received with grace and compassion from people of all colors in an effort to further unite us all as citizens. There's still work to be done, but it's begun.
Economy - I keep hearing how bad the economy is and the media keeps dropping word, "recession." The S&P 500 is down 100 points for the past 6 months and actually up about 400 from a brief dip it took 3 months ago. The Dow Jones has followed a similar pattern, down from 28,900 6 months ago to 26,075 currently. However, it's up from 23,300 3 months ago. You know, that same 3 months ago when all the coronavirus stuff hit. From my un-expert analysis, those are hardly recession numbers - a dip, but not a recession. Again, this is just someone looking at numbers with no official training in this field.
COVID-19 - I'm deeply concerned with how much more difficult it is now to locate the CDC official cause of death chart for 2020 than it was at the end of May. If you have the link, I'd love to see it. I want to look at real numbers. By last count, we were having a spectacular flu season with only 6,414 deaths (late May 2020). However, after too much time spent searching, I have been unable to locate this chart again to review the numbers for myself.
I'm not a doctor nor did I stay at a Holiday Inn Express last night, but this is my opinion (I'm entitled to mine and you are entitled to yours. We may agree, we may not). I no longer believe that there is "A" (emphasis added) virus. With the flu, you have symptoms A, B, C. With strep throat, you have symptoms D, E, F. With COVID, you have A, X, P, T, L, F, O, and ever changing list of others. I have talked with people who've had it. Some didn't even know it. Some felt like they were dying. If you've had the flu, you knew it! Some with COVID had symptoms for days, others lasted for weeks. Some followed the rules and still caught it while others broke every official guidance code there was and still haven't been infected.
I feel there are a number of viruses in Coronavirus family (note: it's not new or novel) that are being classified as COVID-19. Why? That I don't freaking know. I don't know if it's political, economic, control, fear, or what. I wish I knew the goal of those pushing the narrative.
But unfortunately, this overhyped virus is taking control. Let's look at Union for example. Per Wikipedia and 2010 census data, our population exceeded 28,000. Per DHEC, we have had 153 cumulative confirmed COVID cases. If use a population of 25,000 to be conservative, that comes out to 0.612% of the population that has contracted this virus. Do you know the percentage of our population that's diabetic, overweight, has hypertension, or some other health related issue? I'm willing to bet it greatly exceeds zero point six one two percent (0.612%) and we aren't talking much about those things.
So should we continue to trust what we're seeing on the TV and internet? That's your call.
But I'm putting more trust into how my neighbors, co-workers, and friends get along. I'm more concerned with if every kid on the ball team or in the class comes to the cookout/party and has fun regardless of race or skin color. I'm more focused on seeing an old friend from high school and talking about our kids, sports, and guns instead of being worried about if we have issues now because we're different skin colors.
I'm focusing more on my career, my income, my bank account than I am with global markets and businesses that don't directly impact me. If that is your business, you're in a different position, but for a community banker, my community is my business. Focus on your economy and quit stressing stock market numbers that aren't changing your day to day life.
I'm focusing more on keeping myself healthy by eating right, working out, and staying clean. I'm focusing on keeping my family healthy by washing our hands, staying away from sick people, getting enough rest, and just living a healthy lifestyle. We're not running scared from a virus.
A much wiser man named John wrote the following words - "And you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free (8:32)." Maybe those sharing the information feel that we can't handle the truth. Maybe we can't. But as a 37 year old grown man, I feel that I have the right to know the truth and then I am to use my wisdom to apply that truth to my life.
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