Full-Court Press
Dr. Anthony Fauci plays point while fighting Covid-19 pandemic
Anthony Fauci is a national hero. And anyone who thinks differently can kiss my ever-lovin’ grits, as my Nana would say. He’s given more to America — and Americans — than his diminutive 5'7" frame reveals.
Fauci, an ardent and well-known Washington Nationals Baseball fan, also knows how to play a mean game of basketball, despite his stature. He was the captain of his high school basketball team back in NYC. And his former teammates remember him as a player who could “dribble the ball through a brick wall”.
We’ve seen him in action, fighting for all Americans in a full-court press against the COVID-19 pandemic. He’s stepped up his game for seven presidents, and has been an adviser to every prez since Ronald Reagan. This past year he’s had to fight the misinformation coming from his own team.
President Joseph R. Biden named Fauci his Chief Medical Adviser last week. And the good doctor told the assembled White House press corps that his new role in the battle against the pandemic is “liberating”.
Things were not always so rosy for Dr. Fauci, the nation’s top infectious disease expert. He had to endure hours — no, really weeks, months— of Coronavirus Task Force briefings that were more clown show than press conference. He wasn’t there for the afternoon session when Orange Foolius beclowned himself by suggesting Americans chug bleach to rid themselves of the nasty virus, but his famous face palm after Spanky referred to the “Deep State Department” during another session was the image to launch a thousand memes.
Fauci has suffered greatly while attempting to alleviate our suffering. He’s been the subject of conspiracy theories; he’s been attacked by wing-nuts online; he’s had to hire bodyguards to protect himself and his family. Who knew that the man who is trying to literally (yes, Yuck List) heal the nation would receive death threats?
I am not much of a science nerd; I don’t really understand how most of it works, but am mighty happy scientists like Dr. Fauci exist to help the rest of us. And I sure don’t understand the science-deniers and conspiracy crazies who want to make things less-safe for this country.
While the bleach-pushing buffoon wants to take credit, I applaud Dr. Fauci and his determination to push for a COVID-19 vaccine in record time. While the Tangerine Terror tried to co-opt the experts by standing up in the James S. Brady Briefing Room to claim various conspiracy theories as truth, Dr. Fauci became known as “America’s Doctor” because of his steady approach to educating the rest of us on our options.
I may be bi-ignorant (a Texas expression) on science and the minutiae of healthcare, but I do know when things are looking up for me and for my loved ones. I received my first dose of the Pfizer Vaccine last week — at the Charlotte Motor Speedway, of all places. I had been scheduled for a first dose in March, but more spots opened up, and there I was, circling the celebrated NASCAR track, on Thursday morning — six weeks early. The drive-through event was well-organized and uneventful — nothing like the long lines and mass hysteria in many other states — and I was in and out in about an hour. Moker got his first dose Saturday morning — same location, same experience.
We both were vaccinated on different days in Garage Number 6 on the infield of the track—I take that as the universe sending us good vibes. And I don’t know the details of how this massive event to vaccinate 16,000 North Carolinians in one long weekend came to be, but I am grateful, deep down, that someone was listening to Dr. Fauci and knew what had to be done. It was truly an exercise in civic pride, with a huge dose of listening to science.
In a world of lies and damned lies, I’m grateful to Dr. Fauci for taking the side of truth. He isn’t a politician — which is beyond wonderful— and he’s clearly interested in ridding this country of a deadly pandemic that’s been around far too long. I checked the World Health Organization’s COVID Dashboard and the statistics for this country are astounding — and oh, so sad. The WHO (which the United States re-joined last week — YAY!) estimates that, as of Saturday morning, our country has borne the burden of “24,413,331 confirmed cases of COVID-19 with 406,782 deaths”. It didn’t have to be this way, but here we are.
We’ve suffered through the “happy talk” about the COVID Times from the previous administration. Now it’s time to step up and let the scientists do the talking. I’m glad President Biden has kept Dr. Fauci on our team. As the captain of the Regis High School Owls, Fauci only scored an average of 10.2 points per game. But as one of his high school teammates said, the captain doesn’t always score the most points. It was his leadership that helped the team win.
“He wasn’t a yeller, and he wasn’t a rah-rah-rah guy, but everybody looked up to him,” said former teammate Tom McCorry in this article about the future doctor who now captains his country’s fight against COVID-19. “He worked hard and he was very unselfish — kind of the way he shows now. He really is the same person.”
Thank you, Dr. Fauci, for stepping up and demonstrating how the rest of us can follow in your footsteps. Here’s hoping that you lead us out of this contaminated wilderness soon. You really are a national hero. Your country is grateful for your service.
