“The Great Influenza”

[Miss Bea]

I’m in the process of finishing up a book that is about the Spanish flu. If you think what happened with the previous president was not something you’d expect, you are not familiar with Woodrow Wilson. He was president during this time, plus there was a war going on, about to finish up, but what happened during that period was astounding. 
This book is 15 hours long. I have 47 minutes and 47 seconds of it, yet not heard. 
The war hysteria was over and beyond. If you even said something that could be construed as, “supporting the Germans”, off to jail. The telephone operators would listen in on calls, and report any suspicious ones. They had war bonds. If you did not buy them, and your were rumored to have the ability to do so, you were ostracized. 
If you drove on, “Gasless Sunday”, that’s was bad. If you had any written material that did not support the war effort, off to prison. It was hysterical. 
The flu. Insane. They did not know what a virus was. They really tried to figure out how to address the flu, and just got desperate. Any and all suggestions, just about we’re used. From Vicks Vapo Rub, to blood letting. 
Things that went on were ghastly.  They believe that flu started in the military, here in this country. It was called, “Spanish Flu”, because the Spaniards were the first to publicly acknowledge it. 
The president was intent on the war that this country was involved in. And, it moved around in the military circles, before it hit the public. The conditions that existed because of the war just made it worse. They would leave with a shipload of soldiers, and have to stop in Nova Scotia to let off sick ones. After they went to sea, they were, “buried at sea”, as they died. At first they were recognized as individuals as they were, “buried”. It got so bad that they just put them to sea, nameless. 
The president never once even mentioned the, “flu”. He was advised to stop sending men over there to the war, because the trip alone proved to be deadly for so many soldiers. But, “it wouldn’t look good for this country if the soldiers weren’t regularly sent off to war”. So…Eventually they did stop the draft. But, I think the war was almost over. 
(I put it here, because, I thought,”our life as a Christian”. If you want to put it elsewhere, please do)

The flu eventually got weaker and weaker, and stopped killing people.  How ever many they say died is grossly under-numbered. 
This book made me think about so very many things. The war-hysteria had to be terrible for Jehovah’s people. And, I can understand with all that went on, how our brothers ended up in prison. It was madness. Add the flu. Then they kept widening the draft age. They mentioned one person who did not buy war bonds, “because of religious convictions”. I don’t remember what happened to him, but they said he was fortunate, because the next one they got after for not buying war bonds was burned in effigy. 
I don’t know why this book effected me so much. It was a combination of what has been going on with this flu.  And, the government’s response to it. 
And It dawned on me, Jeremiah 10:23 is right on. 
And, this flu was ghastly, what people went through. We do have science and medicine, but with the one that is in charge now, (unseen ruler) nothing would surprise me. 
Sorry if I have rambled. But, it was like living through it. I had to wait to listen to it. I had to know I could take it. It does have lots and lots of medical history in it. 
I don’t know if there is a comment to be made, but, here it is. 

Edited July 29, 2021 by Miss Bea
Befuddled?

[Shawnster]

Since this really does not have anything to do with our daily lives as a Christian, I've moved it to a more appropriate forum