Or maybe this post should be entitled, “Nurse Kaci Hickox – 2, two clueless Governors – 0. Last evening I heard the news that court in Maine had denied that state government’s request to force Kaci Hickox into quarantine. Paul LePage of Maine became the second Governor to take on the formable nurse and suffer a publicly humiliating defeat. Chris Christi, still blustery, claims that he did not back down after initially quarantining Kaci in a tent with no running water, but everyone knows he let her travel to Maine to be with her boyfriend because he knew he had bitten off more than he could chew. Kaci Hickox is a very brave woman not only because she put her life on the line to care for Ebola victims in Africa She also was fearless in taking on two big political bullies to represent the other brave healthcare workers in Africa who must still return to this country and others who are now more likely to make a decision to go because of Kaci’s efforts on their behalf.

Ultimately Kaci’s is victory of science and commonsense sense over fear politics. I applaud Kaci’s victory not only because rational thinking overcame hysteria, but also because fear politics ultimately doesn’t make us safer, but it makes us all the more fearful because it leads us to believe there is actually something to fear. Most importantly, fear politics breaks down the fabric of who we are as Americans because it encouraging us to offer up our rights at the alter of fear in exchange for security. The fact that fear politics is often effective in our country today is a major embarrassment. Thank heavens our founding fathers weren’t such gutless wonders.

Kaci Hikkox is my kind of hero.

Cajun   11/1/14