The Second Pademic

 

If you were wondering how the Second Pandemic (Stupidity) is doing, you need look no further than the Great State of Alabama.

How do I know this? I was driving to an appointment this morning, and was listening to NPR on the radio. The reporter was interviewing 3 Infection Control physicians who worked in hospitals in Alabama. While describing the overwhelming task of trying to cope with the influx huge of people who were sick and dying from COVID-19, it was mentioned that there were many of these sick and dying patients (and there families) who were insisting that COVID-19 did not exist. 

While there is a huge controversy in this country about getting vaccinated and wearing masks,  I am not seeing any reports in the news (interviews, people carrying signs, etc.) who are saying it is because COVID-19 does not exist; the main reason seems to revolve around  perceived freedom of choice.

In Alabama, though, people are laying in hospital beds dying from COVID-19, and many of them (and their family members) are insisting it is not from COVID. The fact that 600,000+ people in the US and well over a million people worldwide have died from this does nothing to sway them from their belief. It is a worldview that is, well, a bit out there.

If you remember a few years back, the Darwin Awards were quite popular. The award was "presented" to an individual who did something to remove himself from the gene pool in a spectacular way. Perhaps dying from a somewhat preventable disease because of denying it exists may not rise to the level of "spectacular" but, if we are a little less fussy about this, the Darwin Awards have the potential to make a comeback in Alabama. Sad, but it appears that there is no end in sight for this particular pandemic

My Mayflower Ancestor

My oldest daughter, Sarah, has been researching the genealogy of our family for years. During the course of this journey, she discovered that one of my paternal grandmother's ancestors came to America on the Mayflower in 1620.

His name was Edward Doty and he was, by all accounts, a  colorful character. He made the voyage as an indentured servant. After landing in Massachusetts (instead of the intended destination of Virginia), Doty and the other indentured servants argued that their contracts for indentured servitude were void since their contract was to serve in Virginia. As a compromise the Pilgrim leaders created a set of laws which became the Mayflower Compact. Doty was one of the signers.

Doty had a reputation for being argumentative and having a quick temper. As a result, he ended up appearing in Plymouth court numerous times over the years. Many of his business dealings were alleged to be fraudulent.

Doty was also one of the combatants in the first duel fought in New England on June 18, 1621 (fought with a sword and a dagger). The duel ended with both participants being wounded.

Records show Doty received one acre of land and was later granted twenty additional acres. There were additional land transactions over the years which apparently made him fairly prosperous.

As for his life of crime, court records exist from 1632 onward, and document 23 cases involving Doty between 1632 and 1651. There were suits and countersuits, accusations of fraud, slander, fighting, assault, debt, trespass, and theft. Amazingly, he was never jailed for anything, paying an occasional fine instead.

Among Doty's ancestors were at least one lawyer, a playwright, a territorial governor, a state legislator and an outlaw. There is also an Edward Doty society which his descendants can join (I have no plans to apply).

As far as I know, my daughter has not found any other ancestors as interesting as Doty, but the search is not over. How about your family?