NY Times Suggests Racial Profiling To Protect America From Ebola

07 Oct, 2014 by William Teach

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It’s no wonder when the Editorial Board is comprised heavily of White People and Men

Stopping Ebola in America

The widening Ebola epidemic in West Africa — combined with the fears generated by an Ebola patient who carried the virus to Dallas — have led to calls for the United States to screen travelers when they reach American airports. That is a reasonable defensive tactic if done judiciously, although it is unclear if that would have stopped the Liberian man, who carried the virus to Dallas before developing symptoms.

Thomas Eric Duncan lied when leaving West Africa, because we all know that people are honest when they’ve been exposed to something like Ebola and want to escape the country and come to the US to be saved. But, for the Times to suggest advanced and intrusive screening for certain people, most who will be Black, is racist! Remember, we aren’t allowed to do this for those traveling from the Middle East who could have links to Islamic terrorist groups.

The American health care system needs to react with greater vigilance when cases do reach this country. It is incredible that doctors in a Dallas hospital reportedly made no effort to ascertain the patient’s travel patterns, and there were delays in cleaning the Dallas apartment where he had been staying, disposing of the medical waste and moving other residents of the apartment to a safer location.

True, but what did those who work for Obama do when he arrived? By the way, that’s a word that appears nowhere within the article: “Obama”.

Top American health officials are strongly opposed, with good reason, to take the more extreme step of banning all travel to the United States from Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone, where the epidemic is concentrated, as several prominent Republicans, like Louisiana’s governor, Bobby Jindal, have recommended. That could actually hamper the battle to contain the epidemic abroad — the first line of defense against the disease — in part by leaving Americans who are risking their lives to contain the epidemic stranded in Africa with no way to return home. If volunteer workers can’t return home, they may elect not to go in the first place, thus weakening the fight against the epidemic.

No Obama, but we do get a Jindal mention. Said travel ban would not be about Americans returning, who would be required to be checked heavily, but against those who live there and simply want to get the hell out.

There is room to improve the screening in West Africa, where government officials and workers are often incompetent and in some cases unable to use the temperature devices they have been given. Still the system seems to be working. Though the epidemic has been growing since it was first identified in March, only one case, Mr. Duncan’s, has reached the United States, while scores of people have been blocked from boarding planes.

Oh, the Editorial Board wants those Black people to do most of the work. Racist!

Even so, it makes sense to add another layer of protection at airports in this country. Travelers from West Africa could be asked to fill out an additional questionnaire, on which they might be less tempted to lie since they will already have reached American soil. Verbal questioning could further probe whether a passenger is likely to be infected. Until the epidemic in West Africa is controlled, it remains possible, even likely, that another Ebola case would reach this country. The American health care system should be prepared to move quickly, treat the victim and trace and isolate all people the patient had contact with. Bungled responses like the one in Dallas are simply unacceptable.

Interrogating them here? Racist!

Interestingly, again, Obama is not mentioned. If Bush, or some Republican, was president, think on the way that paragraph, heck, the entire article, would be changed in order to say that President Republican was failing to protect the citizens of the United States. Things like

Even so, it makes sense to add another layer of protection at airports in this country, which President Republican and his/her administration seem loathe to do. Travelers from West Africa could be asked to fill out an additional questionnaire, on which they might be less tempted to lie since they will already have reached American soil, a simple method for which President Republican has been slow to act. Verbal questioning could further probe whether a passenger is likely to be infected. Until the epidemic in West Africa is controlled, it remains possible, even likely, that another Ebola case would reach this country. President Republican has promised thousands of military members to help, yet only a few hundred have been deployed. What is the Republican administration waiting for? People are dying. The American health care system should be prepared to move quickly, treat the victim and trace and isolate all people the patient had contact with. Bungled responses like the one in Dallas, with President Republican’s FEMA, CDC, and other federal agencies nowhere in sight are simply unacceptable.

Still, it’s interesting that the Times thinks more screening people who will mostly be Black is a Good Idea when it comes to Ebola, but not Middle Eastern men with possible links to terrorist groups.

Crossed at Pirate’s Cove. Follow me on Twitter @WilliamTeach.