Return America’s foundational freedoms
“Democracy should not and need not be sacrificed in the name of public health.”— Michael J. Abramowitz.
It’s essential that citizens start listening less to the alarmist Anthony Fauci and more to other experts about COVID-19. We’ve heard the old saying: “There’s two sides to every story and the truth is somewhere in the middle.” Does this adage apply to COVID-19? Yes.
“As Heritage Foundation researchers have demonstrated throughout the pandemic, the spread of COVID-19 in the U.S. has been heavily concentrated in a small number of states—and among a small number of counties within states. Even though the U.S. has seen a rapid rise in cases during the last few weeks, the overall levels of concentration have remained fairly consistent.” Visit www.heritage.org. As of July 14, 2020, 10 states accounted for 61 percent of all U.S. cases and 66 percent of all deaths (and 62 percent of the population.). Visit www.worldometers.info.
Should the entire country remain on lockdown?
I agree with Dr. Kevin Pham, medical physician. In a recent commentary for The Daily Signal, he surmised, “When the statewide lockdowns first began in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, most Americans accepted these measures in good faith as difficult, but necessary, sacrifices for the benefit of everyone. At the time, the only thing anyone truly understood about the novel coronavirus that causes the disease was its breathtaking speed and seemingly unstoppable lethality in certain cities. But lockdown measures were meant only to bridge us to a solution for dealing with COVID-19, and it should be the goal of lawmakers to return as much of American life back to normal as possible.” Visit www.dailysignal.com.
The National Coronavirus Recovery Commission, a project of The Heritage Foundation, has made 265 recommendations to return to business. “This is a plan to save both our lives and our livelihoods. It is not about choosing between protecting lives or the economy, but about achieving the prudent balance needed to protect both.” Visit www.coronaviruscommission.com.
Reopen our economy. Get Americans back to work. Lift restriction bans. Individuals with medical conditions and compromised immune systems must continue to take precautions. Encourage face coverings, but do not mandate masks. Give information and facts, but do not promote pandemic panic.
It is time to return our foundational freedom in churches, temples, synagogues, and places of worship. A return to civil liberties is imperative. And citizens must speak up and voice concern for religious freedoms. Lift restrictions on houses of worship. Pham asks, “After all, who cares more for the parishioners, the state’s governor or the pastor?”
Reopen our schools. According to the House of Freedom Caucus, “Doctors and scientists have shown the minimal risk that COVID-19 poses to children and young adults, and state and local officials are compromising our young people’s development by keeping schools closed over fear of COVID-19…Our children should not have to pay for irrational and unprecedented actions to close our schools to in-person instruction.” Visit the Official Facebook Page of the House Freedom Caucus.
Humanity has survived throughout the history of diseases. The Black Death hit Europe in 1347, and claimed 200 million lives in four years. The Great Plague of 1665 killed 100,000 Londoners in seven months. The Bubonic Plague claimed 15 million victims. In 1980, the World Health Organization announced the eradication of smallpox. Malaria, tuberculosis, leprosy, influenza—and humanity is still around. H1N1, Ebola and Zika—and humanity is still around. On March 11, 2020, the World Health Organization announced that the COVID-19 virus was officially a pandemic—and humanity is still around.
To whom do we listen? Scientists, epidemiologists, physicians, nurses, researchers, historians, politicians, prophets. We check facts and discern false news. We listen to all, but stay somewhere in the middle. We use our common sense.
Republicans vs. Democrats. Will the real motivates pertaining to the COVID-19 response, please stand up—2020 is a presidential election year.
“Give me liberty, or give me death!”—Patrick Henry
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Melissa Martin, Ph.D., is an author, columnist, educator, and therapist. She lives in southern Ohio.
Good article. It’s not really about the virus. Right now we have a 5% positive rate. That’s of those who get tested. There is 4.4million people in KY. Just divide the number of cases by 4.4 million. Do the same for the death count and positive cases. That is assuming 100% accurate reporting and we know some covid deaths were not due to covid and some false positives have to be in the mix. Is this virus bad? Yes. Should we take precautions for our health especially the most vulnerable? Yes. Should we practice social distancing etc.? Sure. Should we mask up healthy people and shut down the economy? Heck No! This country has dealt with infectious diseases before and with Cornavirsus. So what makes this one so different? 6mo ago we would have called this a bad flu and went right on. In the end it’s about control. Your seeing how tyrannical govt will control you. They will threaten business who won’t comply with mandates to put them out of business. They will force doctors to ask you questions that has nothing to do with your health. They will tax you who work to give to those who won’t. They will do away with cash so they know your every purchase/revenue so they can tax you more. If you don’t follow the rules they will show up to your home with papers to sign and if you refuse they will put you in ankle monitors. This virus is showing the govt how far we the people will let them go if they scare us enough. The Emergency powers this governor is using aren’t meant for 6+mo. We have a legislative body, let them pass laws instead of these executive mandates. The question is will you assimilate?
Well Melissa, you did a good job, except we are not a democracy, we are a constitutional republic. Let’s do some ‘what if’s’. If you are correct Covid-19 will run its course. I am a conservative republican and not attuned to scare tactics, especially from liberals. Governor Longneck is a full stock liberal, and they love control of the masses. However from a scientific standpoint, what if Covid-19 is a genetically altered bio weapon, which it could be, what if? Would it behave as contagions of the past have? It seems to be to some degree similar to the ‘common cold’, which we developed an immunity too over the centuries, but have never developed a vaccine for. When Europeans introduced it to the indigenous populations of North/South America, it killed millions. What if China developed a variation that we won’t or can’t develop a vaccine for, what if? I would err on the side of caution for a bit longer. At first they claimed children appeared immune to the virus, although their immune systems are stronger, many are still dying. If we rapidly reopen schools and we are wrong, what do we say if our own child dies? Since this BLM/ANTIFA rioting started, this virus has gotten worse (although the media will never say that). I also think it is supported by liberals for that very reason. Until recently I had known not one person with Covid-19, they buried a friend of mine yesterday who died from it! That was my wakeup call; and he was in a very rural area. What if…we are wrong? I do agree that Dr. Fauci is an alarmist but what if we need to be a bit more alarmed?
Charley you just don’t know what to think like a pin ball machine nothing but a bunch of what if’s
when your orange clown does a about turn on the virus it’s either real bad or he is more interested in his own re election
i believe the latter
This is an intelligent conversation KAG, you and LCAlltheway have no comments that rate a place here!
well Charley which one is it
real or fake not what if
but i find it odd that your orange clown after almost 3 months down playing the virus and all of a sudden does a 180 I believe he is worried about his poll numbers
Heritage Foundation is a major Trump supporter and is using all its power and persuasion to convince folks that Fauci is the “bad guy” and that Trump knows how to respond to a pandemic……
This gal doesn’t drink that koolaid but y’all go right ahead!