Are You Panicked About the Swine Flu Yet?

I wouldn't blame you if you were. Once again, the media are fanning the flames of fear. Remember the killer bees from Africa? The Y2K computer meltdown? This time it's the swine flu outbreak from Mexico.

It's true that the U.S. Government has declared an "emergency" over the swine flu outbreak. "Emergency" sounds like a scary word that's not a big step from "panic," but really it's just an appropriate step for the government in order to release federal funds and the like. There have only been 20 confirmed cases of swine flu reported thus far in the U.S. That's hardly cause for panic, and is a tiny number compared to gun shootings, car accidents, mercury-filled coal plant emissions, high fructose corn syrup, and many other things that we really should be concerned about.

Unfortunately, the media tend to blow the latest thing out of proportion prematurely. And, coincidentally, they then run advertisements for pain relievers and other drug company products. I for one trust my body's defenses to fight off the swine flu, the killer bees, the Y2K virus, and most of the other germs that have caused the human body, through thousands of years of evolution, to become the powerful fighter that it is.

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