While perusing CNN’s website I always learn something new or find out something I really didn’t want to know but probably should know. Today I learned some selfish soul decided his own agenda was worth much more than any human life. He didn’t even know who he was putting at risk, but he knew the risk existed. So now he sits in an Atlanta hospital as the first United States citizen put in forced medical quarantine in forty years. What was this guy thinking?
According to CNN this man knew he had tuberculosis and boarded an airplane for Europe anyway. He was told he should not fly on an airplane. Forget the idea that it is some superpower strain. Tuberculosis alone is a serious problem for most human bodies. The weak strains can be beaten by most people, but they require medical attention. God forbid some soul should have additional problems weakening their immune system.
Once in Europe our government contacts him and tells him to go to a hospital. Instead, knowing our government wouldn’t let him on a plane back to the United States, he catches a plane to Canada. Why? He was afraid he wouldn’t get good medical care in Italy. What? Then why did he fly to Italy when he was ill? Because he wanted to get married. What about his fiancé? It would seem he didn’t care about her either. The story doesn’t say if she already knew about the tuberculosis. If she did then this woman seems to be desperate to find a husband. You say it was love. Love can wait for a cure. Better yet, if she didn’t care about herself then maybe she should catch a plane and come to his isolation ward in the United States for the marriage. At least they can celebrate their love without risking the health of others.
Our government found the infected individual in New York and actually flew a government jet to pick him up and take him back to Atlanta so he can be treated. Evidently the flight was gratis thanks to the United States taxpayers. He is in Grady Hospital. I bet the poor souls of Fulton County are paying that bill. Thankfully the government posted a security guard at his door to prevent another egotistic self indulgence. So now we have two very happy self-centered individuals in Atlanta while a random number of hapless human beings are wandering around the planet with a possibly incurable disease.
Personally I am a big proponent for personal freedom and minimizing government intervention into our lives. I personally don’t like seatbelt laws because the law seems to only protect the person not wearing the belt. Of course the taxpayers may have to cover the medical bills if the violator is injured. It would be easier just to tell the insurance companies they don’t have to cover someone’s medical bills if they are not wearing a seatbelt. Then we argue it is inhumane to let the poor soul suffer or die. Economics determines patrolling our streets for seatbelt violations is cheaper than paying the medical bills for individuals who don’t wear seatbelts and don’t have insurance.
The case of our world traveling disease purveyor is clear-cut. We require intervention when egocentric individuals create a serious risk to others. In that respect our government becomes our brother’s keeper. Our mere existence requires self government. Our self government is reasonable until greed intervenes, but that is another discussion about how we can never reach utopia.
Engineers tend to view the world in monochrome. Every decision is “yes or no.” Maybe my writings have taken the edge off my engineering thought patterns. Better yet, hopefully my experiences provide wisdom for sound reasoning. Either way, my opinion of the individual in question hasn’t changed. Now he is reaping the harvest of his self indulgence. Unfortunately, a lot of other people are paying the price.
