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Letter-writer channels Stalin

I read the letter Maurice Emmer penned with his statistical analysis on the death rate of COVID-19 (“More COVID-19 math,” July 23, The Aspen Times).

It brought to mind a quote attributed to Joseph Stalin, “If only one man dies of hunger, that is a tragedy. If millions die, that’s only statistics.” (Washington Post, Jan. 20, 1947)

It’s been paraphrased down to one death is a tragedy, a million deaths a statistic. I’m just curious, Maurice, are the 115,000 deaths (now increased to 146,143 as of 3:30 p.m. July 25, 2020) a tragedy or just a statistic, because from the cavalier attitude of all your letters to the editor, it certainly seems like your treating it as just a statistic.



Chip Nealy

New Castle