Outdoor columnist not telling the whole story

We all know Warren Illi to be a science-denier since a previous column made clear he thinks that releasing a monster Northern Pike into Swan Lake is not detrimental to endangered native west-slope trout species. Now, in his March 25, 2021, “Flathead Outdoors” column, Mr. Illi attempted to justify his mistrust in the science of wildlife biology by regurgitating the half-truths and outright lies of political right-wing media. Specifically, Illi attacks statements made in early 2020 by “our country’s leading scientific pandemic expert,” Dr. Anthony Fauci.

Yes, Fauci did state in two separate interviews in January 2020 that Americans don’t “need to be worried or frightened about” Covid-19. However, Illi omitted practically all other material facts about those interviews. The starkest omissions follow:

1) On Jan. 21, 2020, the date of the first Fauci interview, was the day the very first case of Covid was confirmed in the U.S;

2) On Jan. 26, 2020, the date of the second Fauci interview, there were nine confirmed Covid cases in the U.S.;

3) Fauci qualified each of his statements with the proviso that Americans need not be worried “right now,” and said Covid should be taken seriously;

4) In those January 2020 interviews Fauci twice described the virus as “an evolving situation,” and said, “Every day, we have to look at it very carefully;”

5) In January 2020 Fauci also said that Americans need to keep up with advice issued by the CDC and follow it.

Illi also asserts that Fauci, in February 2020, said there was no need to wear masks. Although it was actually March 8, 2020, when Fauci made that statement, the more important errors were, again, errors of omission. Illi fails to mention the following pertinent circumstances as of that date:

1) On March 8, 2020, there were 217 confirmed U.S. cases of Covid, and 21 cumulative Covid deaths;

2) It was not until April 3, 2020, that the CDC recommended mask use, at which point the cumulative total U.S. cases had risen to 213, 600, and cumulative Covid deaths reached 7,406;

3) On April 3, 2020, Dr, Fauci called for a federal stay-at-home order.

Interestingly, Illi makes no mention of the Trump administration’s abject failure to follow the advice of Fauci and the CDC. That, coupled with his referring to Covid as the “Chinese” virus, makes clear that his “common sense” is based more on political biases than any rational thought.

Illi should be ashamed of himself for the misinformation conveyed by his omissions. At best it is shoddy journalism, but Illi’s selective omissions smack of right-wing propaganda tactics. Even worse, to insinuate that Fauci is to blame for the 500,000+ deaths in the U.S. without regard to the WHOLE truth, or even acknowledging it, is reprehensible. If Illi wishes to spout his anti-science, partisan political views he should confine his comments to the opinion page.

—Al Weed, Kalispell