Dexter Iowa Community Site

Consider this quote from Abe Lincoln

"America will never be destroyed from the outside. If we falter and lose our freedoms, it will be because we destroyed ourselves."

Again this week I am determined to keep politics out of this column. unfortunately the world we live in doesn't always allow us the opportunity to solve problems without the use of some politics.

I've been watching the news today and along with it the discussion. about the Ebola scare that is starting to sweep the world. Although it is highly unlikely that Iowa will become the hotbed of the outbreak in the United States, we should still take precautions to stop the spread of this disease.

Our first objective should be to close the boarders of those countries in western Africa to where the virus is most active. By doing so you may not stop the spread but you can slow it and quite possibly contain its most violent strains. While closing the boarders is a start our next step should be fully funding and sending adequate supplies and medical expertice to nip this in the bud unlike the way the world handled the HIV outbreak.

The United States certainly is no stranger to outbreaks over its history. From diphtheria to polio to the flu epidemic of the early part of the 1900s, we are used to dealing with epidemics.

We certainly don't need to take to the streets in panic but certainly should prepare for whatever may come. Part of that also needs to be full honest disclosure from our leaders at all levels. The threat of a worldwide epidemic is certainly real and we should prepare ourselves for it.

It isn't time for us to panic as I have stated earlier but we do need to give it more thought and attention than the zombie apocalypse. Then again maybe it is better to be safe than sorry.

See you next week. Remember, we’re all in this together.