Glenn Melancon/Contributing writer
In Matthew Chapter 13, Jesus told a parable about a sower. Since farming was a common occupation, it wasn’t hard to understand. Seeds, like words, require fertile soil to grow. Teachers can only do so much.
Anyone familiar with growing plants knows, however, that with a little work, a farmer can prepare the soil. Adding nutrients to soil can make it more productive. Adding mulch helps retain moisture.
The opposite is also true. After winning the Punic Wars against Carthage, Rome salted the defeated city’s fields. The fields became unsuitable for crops.
Words can have the same impact as salt. Words can poison a conversation and make it impossible to hear the truth. Lies make it difficult to teach the truth.
In February 2020 Donald Trump knew the truth about COVID-19. In a recorded interview with Bob Woodward, Donald admitted the truth.
“It goes through air Bob. You know, the touch, you don’t have to touch things. Right? But the air, you just breathe the air and that’s how it’s passed. And so that’s a very tricky one. That’s a very delicate one. It’s also more deadly than even your strenuous flus… This is more deadly five per, this is five percent versus one percent and less than one percent. You know so, this is deadly stuff.”
Publicaly, Donald lied. He poisoned the soil. He salted the fields making it impossible for the truth to grow in the minds of his followers.
On February 7, 2020 he said, “We’re going to be pretty soon at only five people. And we could be at just one or two people over the next short period of time. So we’ve had very good luck.”
5,701,666 Americans have died because of Covid. Were they luck? Nearly 80,000 Texans have died because of Covid. Were they lucky? Poisons spread sickness and death.
We have a tool to reduce the sickness and death: vaccinations. They are safe and effective. A large number Donald’s supporters, however, refuse to help make American life better. Their hearts and minds were poisoned.
Last December, Donald made a direct personal appeal for a Dallas audience to get the vaccine. They were his people. They booed him. They refused to hear the truth.
We, as Americans, want get on with our lives. We want to teach our classes. We want to treat our patients. We want to serve our clients. We want to live.
The poisonous lies make our desire to live more difficult. If you, like me, want a way forward, then don’t support public figures who promote lies. Prepare a field for the truth to grow.
Glenn Melancon is a professor of history at Southeastern Oklahoma State University. He can be reached at glenn@glennmelancon.com. His opinions are his own and do not reflect those of the Jefferson Jimplecute.