As we head into winter, and the renewed media frenzy over Covid cases reaches a literal fever pitch, it’s time there was some clarity given and a reality check regarding the state of the state of this pandemic.

First, some clarity. There have been almost 14,000 diagnosed cases of COVID in Alaska to date. Around 400 have gone to the hospital and 70 have died, though many tested positive here and died elsewhere in other states. Likely counted twice. Most of the COVID deaths here were COVID contributed, not COVID caused. And that is an important nuance, because if you were dying of heart disease or diabetes or some other comorbidity and a COVID respiratory infection pushed you over the edge, likely so too would have the flu and the pneumonia that often follows.

COVID will NOT be contained. Nor will it be eliminated.

So, less than 2% of the state has been confirmed having COVID so far and those who have died represent a number so small your calculator will switch to scientific notation when you divide 70 deaths by 731000 people and give you 9.57e-5, .009 percent. Less than one in one ten thousand, and you better believe those that ARE dying were likely already dying when they got sick.

Since barely 2% of the state has been exposed in this year of lockdowns, masks and fear-mongering, we should only have to do this for a few more decades… no thanks.

So now the reality check. COVID will NOT be contained. Nor will it be eliminated. Coronaviruses have been a part of mankind since long before Jesus walked the earth. Even when we do have a vaccine, it will not destroy the virus nor permanently arm you against it. Just like the flu. That’s reality.

The media is now laser focused on the case counts, because that’s what keeps people properly afraid and tuning in each day. Willing to quickly transform our society into one of isolation and anonymity. You notice the media totally shifted away from the mortality rate because it is plummeting over time and reveals the “response” to COVID for the ridiculous overreaction that it is.

But the good news, is that we can safely return to normal based on actual case data! As stated and exhaustively sourced in the Great Barrington Declaration.

Here at home, if you live in Alaska, you were more likely to die in your car this year than you were of COVID. There were more traffic accident fatalities in Alaska in 2018 (80) and in 2019 (79) than there have been COVID deaths in 2020. Yet we all hop in our cars to go about our lives with nary a second thought. Why? Because you are being conditioned by the media to be afraid and compliant… You are being conditioned to let government tell you how many people you can have to your Thanksgiving dinner, whether you can go to church on Sunday, that you need government’s permission in virtually all aspects of your life AND business, and the constitution which is supposed to limit government power be damned.

What is most frightening is how many people do not recognize this encroachment for what it is and will blindly goose-step into the kind of society they THINK will make them safe. It is shocking, but it is all about the media.

The national media is in the tank to see this country burn, and the local media follow their lead in lockstep.

Imagine if the mainstream media reported the time and location of every single fender bender, every traffic accident, every associated injury and fatality, the brand of tires on each vehicle, what was on the radio, reminding you how many there were yesterday, today and might be tomorrow and the next day and the next, ALL year long. Daily Traffic Risk becomes a permanent news segment, and everyone’s website had a new ticker proclaiming what they’re doing to combat traffic risk, because when you get into your car there’s a very real risk that YOU COULD DIE! Imagine that.

The position this puts our government in is that they have to legitimize the frothing fear shaken up by the media OR ELSE be crucified by that same media when someone does dies for not having done more. Even when Alaska is lowest in the nation for COVID mortality. Stay afraid. I can understand why they might do this, the media is almost entirely secular and if deep down you believe this life is all there is, you might let your heart be troubled… continually.

But that doesn’t fully peel the onion, because the media want the ratings that fear and mayhem deliver. The national media is in the tank to see this country burn, and the local media follow their lead in lockstep. As they say in news “If it bleeds it leads. Front page news!” Thanks to them, and the endless fearmongering there are now two solidifying camps of people out there: One says cower in your mask for your own sake and to protect others, stay away from me! avoid large gatherings, crowds, events and do this until government gives us permission to go back to living our lives. Alaskans can’t be trusted with normal freedoms!

I choose to live my life fully alive and unafraid, and I don’t yet need the government’s permission to do so.

The other (my side) says let not your heart be troubled. COVID is a part of life now and washing your hands and respecting someone’s personal space was always a good idea. If you or a family member are immunocompromised then by all means protect yourself but after weighing the risks, those on our side recognize this con for what it is. Never in the history of man have we quarantined and isolated the healthy for the sake of the vulnerable. What we are doing now is creating an hysteria-based lifestyle of isolation, depression and fear that comes with its own high price tag and yes… even death toll.

But sure, let’s embrace the fear and shut down our schools and athletic programs, everything that enriches the lives of young people, when not ONE PERSON under 20 in Alaska has ever died of COVID and we have DATA that proves beyond doubt there is a higher risk of death riding to school than in getting COVID from a classmate or teacher. I come back to the Great Barrington Declaration which is being actively suppressed by google and social media because it is spearheaded by THOUSANDS of honest doctors and scientists, MD’s and PhD’s who recognize this mask-wearing hysteria for what it is and the very real damage it’s doing in our communities. Read it. Go on, I dare you.

We have to change the narrative when we encounter a person who’s been brainwashed and claims to be woke, but in truth is fast asleep. We tell them, the data gets better literally by the day, I know the risks, and I choose to live my life fully alive and unafraid, and I don’t yet need your or the government’s permission to do so.

Establishing a formal criteria for a formal end to the COVID response is long overdue but they can’t have those conversations or the media will call them murderers each time someone dies from COVID and they’ll do it with delight, just for the ratings. Anyone who says it’s better to live in fear until people in government circles feel safe enough from the media to declare it is finally safe for the rest of us… can go fly a communist kite. This conversation needs to happen now. We have the data, we know the risk of death is already infinitesimal and going DOWN. So protect yourself if you need to, but Alaskans can and should manage our own affairs and fully return to normal.