7/22/2020

My dear Friend & POTUS, DJT,

            So glad to hear that you have come around on masks. They may not offer perfect protection but they are all we have, & they do seem to make a difference.

It’s wonderful to see you sharing graphs at your press conferences! I can understand your enthusiasm for the one that shows the US has a low case fatality rate (CFR). While I appreciate your instinct to look for silver linings, that low case fatality rate isn’t very encouraging when so many people are catching CV. Italy’s CFR is over 14%, but right now they only have 12,248 cases. As you noted our CSF is 3.6%, but we have almost 2 million active cases which means that 72,000 of those infected people will die versus 1700 deaths in Italy. So, all that good news that you shared at your press conference yesterday about the advances we are making in treating CV is great, but let’s also keep working really hard to stop the spread.

            I have lots of questions about your decisions these days, especially shutting down the Chinese Embassy in Houston. I hope you aren’t considering escalating that situation.

I think you have the same instinct that we all do when things get crazy - just keep moving. It’s what sharks do to stay alive. I don’t like to think of myself as a shark, but I do see some value in looking ahead & continuing to progress. Don’t get me wrong, reflection and contemplation are important, too, but stopping in one place for too long can lead to paralysis.

            So, keep calm, carry on & please leave the Wall of Moms in PDX alone.

            HYITL,