And the media wonders why we don't listen....

I punched up my computer at work today, and hit the AT&T/Yahoo home page I use to read news, check sports scores, etc. One of the things I use on this page is the customization that allows me to get news headlines from multiple sources, like AP and Reuters, and that I can have different types of headlines. I have 3 main news groupings: "Top Stories," "Top Stories from Reuters" and Yahoo's "Today's Highlights."

Now, naturally, one of the things I'm keeping up with is the swine, I mean H1N1, flu outbreak. So, First, a story caught my eye that headlined "UN Sees no need to raise outbreak warning level." That wasn't the headline on the actual article once I clicked the link, that headline was "Mexico says flu ebbing, lowers alert level."

Then, 2 boxes down, I find a headline that says "WHO head indicates full flu pandemic to be declared."

Now, understand this: The World Health Organization uses a 6 level coding system to warn on infectious diseases. Level 6 being the highest warning, and 1 being, well, the warning for "there is no disease of this type." Currently the WHO has the H1N1 Influenza warned at level 5. (As of right now.) Another important fact: the WHO is connected to the UN. The UN doesn't warn on diseases, the WHO does, through the UN. Ok, now, look at the headlines again. Scroll up, I'll wait.

Now, do you see the problem? If you go read the articles, you'll see it even better. One news agency is reporting the UN/WHO is not going raise the alert level. The other one is reporting that the alert level will be raised. In other words---The news media has no idea what they're talking about. And apparently, the UN can't figure out what they're doing either.

And this agency is about to report, based on a disease that fewer than 1/1000th of a percent of the world population. That's right. And this is to be considered by world governments to activate crisis plans. What are these crisis plans?

Well, Egypt is using the opportunity to kill off the pigs that the minority Christian population raises for food. It's one of the few things the Christians can farm that the Muslims will leave alone. Now, they get the excuse to take away the food of a religious group they don't like.

China has simply locked up Mexican travelers in hospitals, even those with no symptoms.

Mexico shut down all the businesses they could.

Alabama and Texas canceled high school athletics.

Detroit closed a school over one case of a student with possible symptoms. (maybe confirmed by now)

California has closed all prison visitations over one prisoner with swine flu.

The Vice-President of the United States told his family not to fly, ride subways, trains, buses or be in confined public spaces.

What will be the next step? Banning all public gatherings? Based on what? The WHO? They can't even get their own public stories straight.

Every year there is a warning that a new flu 'pandemic' will kill millions, as 'pandemics' have in the past. Now, they are going ahead and using the word 'pandemic' even though there are fewer than 2,000 cases of this disease. What level of freedom are we going to surrender to the scare tactics? What injustices will be covered up in the name of "Preventing a Pandemic?"

After all, if people are so confused and scared by what they hear from the WHO that the Baghdad Zoo killed the 3 Wild Boars in their display, what else will they do?

Stop the madness. Wash your hands, cover your mouth and nose when you sneeze, and if you have a high fever, see a doctor! If you're sick, stay home from work! Bosses, let people take the day off when they are sick, rather than finding that infecting the whole workplace is a sign of dedication! Use your heads folks, and some basic sanitation.

And don't believe everything you read on the internet.
Doug