Join the discussion.

Inklings News

Join the discussion.

Inklings News

Join the discussion.

Inklings News

I Ain’t Afraid of No Swine

Graphic+by+Jake+Baron+13
Graphic by Jake Baron ’13

 

Graphic by Jake Baron '13
Graphic by Jake Baron '13

 

Eric Essagof
Staff Writer

Right now, the Swine ‘09 Panic is mostly panic and very little swine. We need some perspective, and we need to calm down.

The big news networks have been shoving swine flu coverage down our throats, between reports of deaths in Mexico, or that video of the little girl getting the vaccine over and over again on CNN. President Obama has even declared a national emergency over the matter. The real question isn’t, “How much longer do I have until H1N1 kills me?” The real question should be, “Are the news outlets making a big deal out of nothing?”

According to the Center for Disease Control, influenza kills 36,000 people a year. Do you know how many people have died from swine flu this year? Just over 1,000.

This is not the first time that the media and its health experts have tried to freak out the general public. Everybody knows SARS, West Nile, Bird Flue. How can you not? TV screens are always filled with people covering their faces with surgical masks. But not of those diseases had a major impact in the USA.

We are in a balloon boy culture. Media Inflates.

Swine flu, like every other modern “pandemic” is likely going to be like the most recent Taylor Swift song: a big deal for a little while, but not something anybody will remember in 10 years.

Sure, the media should inform the public about illnesses, but there’s no reason for them to make you shiver whenever you see a piece of bacon.

Leave a Comment
More to Discover

Comments (0)

All Inklings News Picks Reader Picks Sort: Newest

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *