I was in a conversation with a conservative-leaning loved one recently and they (we'll call them "X") made a claim that has troubled me badly enough to leave me sleepless last night.
The subject was the pandemic death toll, and after X finally conceded that the US pandemic death toll really is north of 700,000, (and the mortality rate jumped 16% in a single year!) X minimized it with "I don't want to sound callous, but humanity is a virus anyway".
Keep in mind that I have known X for many years and know them to be good, compassionate, caring... what any of us would call a fine human being.
What kept me awake all night was wrestling with how we've gotten to a place where good people believe human beings are "a virus", with their suffering, misery, and early death of no more consequence than the destruction of microbes when we disinfect a countertop.
A century ago, 1000 of every 100,000 pregnant women in the US died of pregnancy or in childbirth. That number now stands at 17 per 100,000. Every one of those deaths represents a heart-broken family, motherless children, lives cut short, and misery. Every life we saved was (and is) a redemption from that fate, an affirmation that human beings have value.
For a thousand years we have pushed back at the scourge of disease and the suffering and misery that it causes... and in so many cases we're winning that fight. Think upon the misery and suffering that didn't happen because we've all but eradicated smallpox and polio. Think on the thousands of women aren't being sickened and dying from the cervical cancer that two decades ago would have damaged their bodies and/or killed them. Think of the lives no longer lost to kidney disease, or HIV, or breast cancer because so many human beings have put their efforts to fighting against suffering, misery, and the destruction of lives and families.
We are unlikely to ever eliminate death, but history shows us that humanity is capable of dramatically reducing the suffering and human misery that are brought by disease and early death.
For what it's worth, I appreciate X's larger point that the sheer scale of humanity comes with trade-offs for the rest of the species on this planet. The solution is not to grow callous to human misery and suffering, but to continue to raise the global standard of living and to enhance access to birth control. (Both of which are major contributors to the rapidly declining global birth-rate)
I'm begging you, no matter what your political philosophy or policy preferences, don't join the death cult.
(And I suspect X will eventually change their mind. I still have some faith in the goodness of humanity, and a great deal of faith in X’s goodness)
I just wish that the fate of unborn children could be considered. The more "improved" we become it seems the more infants are sacrifice d to the throne of convenience and medicine. No discussion about compassion for others should omit the crisis of abortion. God values each and every human life without respect of persons. In the end, we all will account for our sin and choices Thankfully, mercy is available for all who will call upon the name of Jesus to forgive their sins.
The climate alarmists should definitely kill themselves to bring down Co2, if just the people who attend the rallies that Greta Thunburg killed themselves, their large numbers would have a huge impact on the Bill Gates carbon equation, so the rest of us could go on with our lives if they would just practice what they preech.
The Georgia Guide stones should be pulverized to sands of grain. Bill gates for his T.E.D. talk on lowering the global population should take his family and his self out of the picture if he truly believes in Global population reduction, but he only believes in it if him and his family and their friends are exempt from it. He is the kind of person the world does not need, unfortunately he has as much right to live as everyone else has a right to live, he just does not recognize other peoples right to live.
The US mortality rate did not just 16% in a single year!
The overall mortality rates on average annualised bases have barely changed in any country, including the US. Some months were high but then following months were low.
The average age of death of COVID victims is MORE than the average life expectancy.
The COVID mortality curve is the same as the general mortality curve for life in general.
These are the facts.