To be clear, I am a 60-year Republican and 18-year Independent.

Fact: Over 3,000 people died on 911 and subsequently.

Fact: Over 2,400 people died on Pearl Harbor Day.

Fact: Approximately 360,000 people died in the U.S. Civil War.

Fact: For the Civil War, Pearl Harbor and 911, the presidents (two Republicans and one Democrat) immediately led the Federal Government and the country in a concentrated, cooperative response.

White House projection: 100,000 to 240,000 will die from the COVID-19 virus. That’s 80 times more than 911, 100 times more than Pearl Harbor and could reach the number who died in the U.S. Civil War.

Opinion: We all have one. I would hope yours is based on facts, not rhetoric, slogans and blind allegiance. The good news is that the recoveries are approximately two times the deaths. (Not a lot of comfort for those whose loved ones died.)