Ebola-Quarantine Objections Are Frivolous

The National Review ^ | November 1, 2014 | Andrew C. McCarthy

[2ndDivisionVet]

There is no “stigma,” and comparisons to criminal imprisonment are absurd.

The first responsibility of the president of the United States is national security. In the absence of presidential leadership as Ebola makes inroads in our country, state officials such as New Jersey governor Chris Christie have stepped into the security breach, taking commonsense steps to protect their citizens from the deadly virus. One of those measures is to quarantine those who have been exposed to Ebola, including health-care professionals who have risked their own lives to fight the disease.

As a public-health precaution, it is entirely reasonable for states to impose a 21-day quarantine that (a) reflects the virus’s incubation period according to scientific research and (b) applies regardless of whether the exposed person is manifesting symptoms. The objections to quarantine, rooted in a skewed construction of the Constitution and the make-it-up-as-you-go-along corpus of international “human rights” law, are frivolous. Yet, they have gotten traction, for at least three reasons....

[tophat9000]

Thanks.. excellent argument..

[Ozymandias Ghost]

“430 doctors and nurses died killed by the disease while treating Ebola patients in Africa...
_________________________

The latest figure I have seen from the WHO is 236 healthcare workers who have died while treating Ebola patients during the current West African outbreak. The 430 figure you quoted is the approximate number who were INFECTED; a little less than half of those survived. That said, it is still a very troubling and horrific statistic.

Link: http://www.inquisitr.com/1578210/ebola-has-killed-more-than-200-healthcare-worker-so-far/

[joshua c]

I read the Vet’s letter in another column. It is compelling.

People value their livestock more than Obama values the lives of American citizens.

[joshua c]

Kaci may find out that there is a stigma to telling the general public FU.

[Smokin' Joe]

Ping...

A link to this thread has been posted on the Ebola Surveillance Thread

[trebb]

As a public-health precaution, it is entirely reasonable for states to impose a 21-day quarantine that (a) reflects the virus’s incubation period according to scientific research and (b) applies regardless of whether the exposed person is manifesting symptoms.

This argument presumes exposure and that someone can come up with a "reasonable" excuse to suspend Constitutional Freedoms due to a "could possibly be" situation. How many more "reasonable and for the common good" excuses might an oppressive government be able to put out there?

I think we need to close the borders and force others to isolate before being let in - if we let our citizens in and can't fully define the threat, then use best possible caution w/o stepping on the constitution - it lays out INDIVIDUAL rights, not group or common good rights.

[null and void]

What's the standard the left uses when they're pushing their own agenda?

If a quarantine saves just one child's life, it's worth it.

Bring out your dead! The Dark Man cometh! Bring out your dead! The Dark Man cometh! Bring out your......

(Since all records of obama's past were lost in a tragic boating accident and fire, no one can be certain that the guy in the red circle isn't him...)

Post to me or FReep mail to be on/off the Bring Out Your Dead ping list.

The purpose of the “Bring Out Your Dead” ping list (formerly the “Ebola” ping list) is very early warning of emerging pandemics, as such it has a high false positive rate.

So far the false positive rate is 100%.

At some point we may well have a high mortality pandemic, and likely as not the “Bring Out Your Dead” threads will miss the beginning entirely.

*sigh* Such is life, and death...

[Patton@Bastogne]