(01:30):
Good afternoon. My friends today, let’s see what day today is. Today is July 3rd. Tomorrow is July 4th. If you are like me and live in the U S tomorrow is quote independence day. I want to talk about what freedom really means. What independence really means, what the 4th of July really means and what COVID means to you and to me and to us. So I hear people talking about they are, you know, their freedoms, their freedoms, right? I hear people talking about their rights to choose their rights, to make their own decisions their rights to not wear a mask, their rights to not socially distance, their rights to not wash their hands after they go to the bathroom. Although people have been fighting for that. Right. And winning for thousands of years. Now, here’s the thing. Okay. It’s about to be July 4th weekend. Now we know what happened after Memorial day.
(02:48):
Okay. We know what happened after Memorial day, we know that after Memorial day we saw a spike in cases. Okay. And the thing about that is that they’re going to be good. They’ll say, well, you know, that’s because of the protests, the riots alluding, everybody wants to say it’s their fault, right? It’s not me. It’s them. It’s what they did, not what I did or what I do. Okay. Let me tell you something. This is the do or die moment for the United States. And if that sounds dramatic for you, if that sounds like I’m being overly dramatic, let me tell you this.
(03:41):
It’s going to be a do or die moment for many Americans. Okay. And please don’t write to me and say that, what if you’re not in America, it’s a do or die moment for America, more so than anywhere else in the world. Okay. Let’s be real. And let’s be honest. Many, if not, most of the other countries in the world have figured out how to flatten the curve. It’s obvious. This is not something that you can write to me about. Call me about message me about and tell me that I’m wrong. This is not opinion. Okay? This is math people. This is numbers. This is statistics. It appears that most other countries have figured out and not just figure it out because we know how you do it, but have figured out and made a decision as a people to flatten the curve, okay. In America, and please don’t get me wrong.
(04:52):
And don’t write to me and say, love it or leave it. Trust me. I’m from Brooklyn. You don’t get more American than that. Okay. But the idea is that unless we make a conscious decision to work together, unless we make a decision to really get off our asses and pull our heads out as a nation. And that mean from the top down. Okay. We see what piecemeal looks like. We see like what’s zero leadership looks like it. Doesn’t look good on us and it’s not wearing well. And it’s picking up speed. We’re aging more by the moment.
(05:41):
I know I’m preaching to the choir here. I recognize that. Okay. I am proud to say that. I don’t know one single person in any of our groups that we have lost to COVID. That is a blessing. And that is something to thank God and the universe or whatever it is that you believe, or lady luck for. I don’t know, one single person in any of our groups that we have lost a coven now in my life. I know 25 people that have died personally. Okay. I know dozens who have been sick personally, probably more, but we have to get together. So now I know I’m preaching to the choir. Okay. But what I want to ask of you. Okay. And I know this is an easy ask from you guys. Okay? Because again, I say it over and over again, but I think this is the first time that the cardiopulmonary community is considered to actually have an advantage to being an advantage of some over, over everybody else.
(06:49):
Because we have been preparing for this moment for the entire lives of our illnesses. Okay. For the entire lives of our preexisting conditions, because we’ve been on the lookout for the common cold, because we know that when we get the common cold, it doesn’t affect us in the same way that affects other people. We’ve been on the lookout for the flu, because we know that when we get the flu, it doesn’t affect us in the same way as it affects other people. And we’ve been on the lookout for pneumonia, because we know that when we get pneumonia, it doesn’t affect us in the same ways that it affects other people. So yes, our community is at an advantage. And I am proud to say that I don’t know of one single person from our group that we have lost. And I hope that it’s not just that I haven’t heard of them.
(07:44):
I hope that’s the situation. Now we’ve got to get the rest of the world in line, which is a challenge in proposition. Okay? This is July 4th weekend. We know damn well that people are not going to be socially distancing. We know damn well that people are not going to be wearing a mask. And we know damn well that people are going to be congregating in large groups. Please don’t let that be. You please. Don’t let that be you. I know it’s fatiguing. I know it’s frustrating to not be able to go out of your house. I know it’s fatiguing. I know it’s not. It’s frustrating to not be able to see your family and your friends. It’s probably even frustrating not to be able to see your enemies at this point. Shit.
(08:35):
But listen to me, people now is not the time to get tired. Now as the time to double down our efforts, because now if you think it hasn’t been real yet, I can promise you, 4th of July weekend, shit is about to get real. And for all these people that say, yeah, more people are getting it, but less people are dying. Understand that it goes in this order, positive case, hospitalization, deaths, and mortality. Okay. It doesn’t all come at once. Right? So for those of you, and again, I know I’m preaching to the choir, so it’s probably not you guys, but for those people that are taking comfort in the fact that, well, yeah, there’s more cases, but there’s not as many deaths hold on. And I’m not saying that’s a scare. You know what I’m saying? That because I care about you. Okay? I care about you.
(09:34):
I want to see you do well. I want to see you healthy. I want to see you happy. I want to see you be able to leave your homes again. Okay. I want the wicked witch of the West. Actually, I take that back because if you know the story of wicked, you know that she wasn’t actually as bad as, as her reputation. Okay. Covitz worse than its reputation. Okay. Colvin is worse than its reputation. And it’s about to get worser. Yes. I know worser is not a real word, but it’s about to get worser. Okay. The virus is mutating. They believe it’s easier for people to catch and the more people that have it, okay. It’s like I tried this shampoo and I loved it so much that I told two friends and they told two friends and they told two friends and so on and so on and so on and so on. But imagine if the rate at which you were telling friends, and they were telling friends and they were telling friends and they were telling friends is just exponentially increasing in time. So I hate to say it. There are some people that aren’t going to listen, no matter what, but let me put something in perspective for you. Okay? I respect freedom too. I respect freedom too. But if you’re on a ventilator, you have no freedom.
(10:59):
If you can’t breathe, as many of you know, you have no freedom. If you’re dead, depending upon what you believe, you either have no freedom or all the freedom in the world. Okay? At this moment, I want to keep you all amongst the living. And I want to stay amongst the living. I’ll find out what that freedom looks like later. But for those of you that think that your freedom or your right, not to wear a mask or your right to fire a gun into a crowd on fifth Avenue or your right to go to a bar while doctors and nurses and other healthcare professionals and other essential workers are fighting a war.
(11:57):
Well, I got news for you. People that’s not very American. That’s not the American ideal. The America that I know and love was built on shared sacrifice and shit. What are we asking you to do? Stay home and watch Netflix. It’s not even like there’s a world war going on. And the people that are at risk the most are those of our nation’s greatest generation. And they deserve our respect and they deserve our gratitude. And the way that we show them the gratitude and respect and the way that we show doctors, nurses, healthcare professionals, and all essential workers, our gratitude and respect is first and foremost. If you don’t really have something important to do or essential to do or urgent or critical to do stay home. And if you do go out for God’s sake, wear a mask and don’t publicly gather and social distance and wash your hands a whole lot.
(13:07):
Okay? Cause trust me people you don’t want COVID you don’t want COVID no matter who you are Sunday night, I’m going to be giving a talk to 60,000 plus people who are what they call COVID long haulers. Okay. And if you don’t think this is real, trust me, you’re going to hear some stories about what it means to be real. And listen again. You are my friends. You’re my group. You’re my people. You’re my brethren and sistren. Okay. If I sound pissed, trust me. It’s not at you because I know that you guys are following the rules. I know that you guys are following the rules. So here we go. 4Th of July independence day. Pep-Talk okay. The way that you remain independent is by staying safe, the way that you remain independent and by staying healthy, the way that you stay safe and stay healthy is by staying home. And if you do go out by taking precautions every time, masking, social distancing, frequent hand, washing, you know, the drill, okay. And hopefully we can educate others. But my fear is that so many people only believe in the strength of a hammer. When they get hit in the head with it, my friends, I hope you have a wonderful weekend. Please stay safe, please. You know what to do. You know what to do? You’ve been well trained. This army, right?
(14:54):
Are the experts. This army right here are the elite. When it comes to prevention of infection and staying safe in the face of viruses and bacteria stay strong. Don’t be persuaded by people who have other interests other than your health and wellbeing. Have a great weekend. My friends.