Not that I'd like to be downplaying the dangers of swine flu, but watching 'end-of-the-world' horror reports unveil one after another in the mass media, in particular on TV, makes me really, really 'sick'. In the light of yesterday's news when World Health Organization lowered the number of people confirmed to have died from H1N1 virus from 20 to 8, the media campaign, using such terms as pandemic or reporting fatalities without analyzing the causes, is starting to resemble paid commercial for pharmaceutical corporations rather than responsible journalism.
In Hawaii, they've gone even that far that last night, in the prime time, on the most watched local channel, they had a 1-hour round table dedicated to nothing else but a potential wipe-out and rebuilding of the Hawaiian Islands' population. I kid u not! In that discussion, the panel was presented with the following facts and scenario:
1/according to Department Of Health, there's enough antiviral drugs to save 25% of HI residents [fact]
2/should a full blown foray of the swine flu hit tomorrow, who should they be provided to [scenario]
For a full hour, the representatives of various civic groups were debating whose lives should and should not be saved, based on their importance and usefulness in a society. As a guide, they used the DOH directive that analyzes similar critical situations, categorizes people on the basis of their professions and concludes which category to save 1st, 2nd, 3rd and so on. I don't think I've heard and seen anything as morbid as this in a long, long time. Considering, there's not a single reported case of H1N1 in Hawaii, let alone a fatality, to have been told that my life was potentially 'worthless' and WOULD be sacrificed in case of a calamity, made my day! This morning, when I thought about it again, it wouldn't surprise me if gun sales went up in coming days and weeks. Especially, if the thin line between hysteria and responsibility should keep getting crossed on air over and over. For I'm sure that many of those whose day got made last night, too, simply won't give up their lives that easily.