March Madness has certainly arrived but not in the way that any of us could have predicted.

Due to the onset of the Wuhan Coronavirus reeking havoc around the world and here at home: Health care services are overwhelmed, schools, churches, and assembly lines are closed, and global markets are plummeting.

Many people are understandably concerned as the uncertainty about the virus grows. In addition to this, the very guidelines being implemented to curve the spread of the infection is simultaneously causing a recession, which will be felt by everyone even after the disease dissipates.

It is an unprecedented response to the ever changing situation as there is a lot we simply do not know. So we should all err on the side of caution.

However, in difficult times, such as these, it is important for us to keep things in perspective. For it was just a decade ago, between the spring of 2009 and the fall of 2010, that the pandemic known as the Swine Flu infected an estimated 700 million to 1.4 billion people around the world.

That is an astounding 11 to 21 percent of the entire global population and it included 60 million Americans.

The illness also killed somewhere between 151,700 to 575,000 people world wide and of that were 12,469 of our fellow citizens. Now that is not to down play the severity of the present crisis, as this outbreak has not fully ran its course.

But only to say that we have overcame pandemics before, as well as many other challenges throughout our history.

Remember, we defeated Hitler and Tojo, tore down the iron curtain and destroyed an Islamic caliphate. We have and continue to unlock the wonders of science and technology. Eradicating countless diseases and freeing millions of people around the world. All while sticking to our founding principles of faith, family, and freedom. So let us not ever forget who we are as we rise to this challenge together.

We will defeat this virus and we will be a better, stronger nation for it. For we are Americans.

Tommy Roberts

Fitzgerald