Wise words.
"The welfare of the people…has always been the alibi of tyrants…giving the servants of tyranny a good conscience." --Albert Camus (1913-1960)
Last night, Governor Gary Herbert once again issued executive orders to extend the state of emergency in Utah. He has done this multiple times this year. I'm no lawyer, but I can read...and this executive order seems to be a violation of State Code 53-2a-206 (3); to wit:
"A state of emergency may not continue for longer than 30 days unless extended by joint resolution of the Legislature..."
The governor clearly has no authority to do this, as the Legislature has already (in August) rejected his previous extension, though he went ahead with it anyway, and now has done this.
The governor's illegal order includes a statewide mask mandate and a violation of the freedom of association (limiting private gatherings to ten people and not allowing people of multiple households to mix). He'll punish you for exercising your rights by assigning a $10,000 fine for non-compliance.
As I've stated before elsewhere, these illegal edicts are clear violations of our natural rights, and are also a poor approach to dealing with the Wuhan Flu (that's one name for it; others call it COVID-19, but I'm just so tired of hearing that name). He claims "we cannot afford to debate this issue any longer." Sorry, governor, but no. We will not sit down, shut up, and do what we're told. He also said, "Individual freedom is certainly important, and it is our rule of law that protects that freedom." Then why don't you follow the law and protect our individual freedom, Governor? You are not empowered or authorized to act unilaterally on this. With only 0.00019% of Utahans killed from the Wuhan Flu, this Draconian action must NOT be allowed to stand. (For you math folks, that means 99.99981% of Utahans have not died of this disease.)
There is ample scientific evidence that cloth face masks are useless (if not worse than useless) in preventing viral spread. There is additional science that indicates we'll all be better off if we let the Wuhan Flu spread through the community among the relatively healthy population, to produce herd immunity. Yes, if the vulnerable (the elderly, immunocompromised, those with severe chronic illness) wish to isolate themselves, that's their business (just as it always has been in any flu season). But this government response is unconscionable, considering how much damage it is doing. It's time to back off!
I can only assume the governor is trying to do what's right. But he is wrong. And not only is his approach wrong, but he's abusing his power in his pursuit of a wrong approach. The 5th and 14th Amendments of the United States Constitution prohibit governments at all levels from depriving individuals of any constitutionally-protected liberty without due process of law. In the current environment, government executives such as Mr. Herbert have been issuing orders that deprive citizens of their constitutionally-protected liberties without due process, and without any public input or debate among legislative representatives.
In his September ruling to roll back gubernatorial overreach in Pennsylvania, Judge William Stickman IV stated,
"Even in an emergency, the authority of government is not unfettered."
He's right. No one should comply with these illegal mandates. Please know your rights...and if you care about them, fight for them.
How do you do that? The most effective way we can resist is to work with our local leaders to help them understand how and why it is critical to protect their local constituents from this abuse from the state. That means talking to our representatives in the state legislature, our county commissioners, county sheriff, and city leaders. In my experience, they are good people, and they will listen. They serve us and love our community. Don't be afraid to talk to them about what troubles you. And don't let fear be the governing philosophy.
My first line of defense was to speak with my state house rep, Karianne Lisonbee (District 14). She is always accessible and helpful, and is a reliable champion of liberty. I'm pleased to have helped re-elect her last week. Rep. Lisonbee has expressed some similar concerns to mine, and has indicated she is far from alone in the Utah Legislature with regard to the governor's handling of this issue.
My next step was to contact our Davis County Sheriff, Kelly V. Sparks. I expressed my concerns to the sheriff as follows:
Dear Sheriff Sparks,
I'm writing to find out what the Davis County Sheriff's position is on the enforcement of the governor's illegal COVID mandates. Does our Sheriff answer to the Constitution and the people, or to the governor? What can citizens expect regarding protection of our civil liberties? Is Davis County to be a sanctuary of freedom or another place under the thumb of the governor's oppression? The governor's rules prohibit gatherings of more than 10 people. This is a violation of the 1st, 5th, and 14th Amendments of the United States Constitution. (First for right of assembly and freedom of association, Fifth and Fourteenth for due process.) I'm not a lawyer, but I understand my rights. I realize this may seem like a strange question, but I think it's important, and I hope your office chooses to make a public statement regarding your stance and intentions regarding loyalty to upholding the highest law of the land (and the state), or your willingness to support these unjust executive actions that are contrary to the will of the people as represented by the legislature. Thank you for your time, Sheriff Sparks.
The sheriff responded with some good news:
Good morning...Thank you for your email. There will not be active enforcement of either the mask requirement or restrictions on the size of gatherings. We recognize this virus has caused a tremendous upheaval in our social interactions, economic growth, and emotional wellbeing. For the health of the entire community, we appeal to everyone to be reasonable and responsible in their interactions to help slow the spread of this virus. It is our fundamental duty to serve the community and improve the quality of life for everyone in Davis County. We respect the rights of our citizens and we hope the residents of Davis County will join us in achieving our mission. — Kelly V. Sparks, Sheriff
So, there will be no enforcement of the governor's illegal edicts. You need not fear reprisal. I'm talking to you, Davis County businesses. You can relax. Our sheriff respects all of our rights! If people feel it's reasonable to wear masks, stand on floor stickers, and adhere to other rules, they're free to do so. If people don't believe that's reasonable, they're free to NOT do so while still participating in normal everyday life in Davis County. Let's get back to freedom and sanity now.
It's worth noting how welcome our input is. The sheriff's admin followed up with, "Thank you for your active participation in the community!"
The next step was to contact our county commissioners. I wrote the following (fairly long) note to them via email:
Dear County Commissioners,
I write to implore you to immediately lift any and all COVID-19 related restrictions from individual citizens and businesses within Davis County.
I strongly urge you to refuse to comply with Governor Herbert's illegal mandates. His executive overreach can only be ended by our own willingness to push back in smaller jurisdictions. His decisions violate the Constitution, run contrary to the will of the people as expressed by our representatives in the state legislature, and are not based in sound science or rationality. His continued bullying of the state in contravention of our system of checks and balances is unconscionable and must be remedied by swift and legal reprisal.
Please, please don't let fear drive your decisions any longer. The data (let alone the law) does not support these lockdowns and mask mandates.
In Davis County, we have over 355,000 residents, and according to the Davis County Health Department, only 40 total deaths for the year attributed to the virus. That's only about one in nine thousand people! The government response has been drastically out of proportion to any supposed danger, and continues to cause a host of negative repercussions that far outweigh any possible good, including job loss and underemployment, families losing their businesses, unwarranted fear, anxiety, depression, suicide, social maldevelopment in children, disruptions to education and worship and weddings and funerals, and untreated non-COVID health conditions. The facts are readily available to anyone willing to set aside their fear, dig a little beyond the news soundbites, and recognize the big picture.
The erosion of natural rights over the past few months has been a shocking result of the relentless narrative of fear. The fear is the result of people who don't understand science being bamboozled into believing that: A) healthy people should be tested, B) PCR tests that run 40 cycles deep can return reliable results without an abundance of false positives, C) positive results with mostly asymptomatic or mildly-symptomatic cases carry any significant meaning, D) quarantining the healthy makes any sense, E) the demographic actually in the workforce (let alone in school) is at any significant risk, and F) the 2020 Gompertz curve is anything but normal (when carryover from the soft 2019 season is taken into account).
In the face of this misinformation campaign, and armed with facts, you have a duty, a sacred trust, as elected officials, to draw the line and protect your constituents from this truly disturbing march toward totalitarianism and a relinquishing of our God-given liberty.
If you believe this sounds overwrought, I recommend you check out what's already happening in Victoria, Australia; Ireland; England; Canada; or even closer to home in California. And now here in Utah. (Be sure to dig into the actual numbers in those other locations before dismissing their actions as reasonable. You'll be surprised.)
Businesses should not be extorted into compliance by their local or state governments, whose only legitimate function is to protect rights. Citizens should not, in turn, be forced to conform by businesses who are scared of being shut down. Even if you believe the inflated data regarding the severity of the virus, there is ample scientific evidence that masking is not only unhelpful, but causes other physical and mental health problems. Look to Sweden for evidence of how refusing to lockdown works. Look to South Dakota for a principled approach. People everywhere are waking up to the reality that this pandemic is scarcely worse than a typical flu season, yet the government is destroying lives over it.
Once again, I ask you to please end this now, via the following meaningful steps:
1) Refuse to comply with the governor's mandates. Send him written notice that Davis County is a sanctuary county that will not be held captive by the Governor's Office.
2) Take no actions to enforce physical distancing or mask wearing. Allow all businesses of all types to open with zero restrictions.
3) Broadly and repeatedly communicate to the residents and businesses of Davis County that all restrictions are ended and full freedom is reinstated.
Be courageous. Do the right thing. Don't let fear control you. Understand the data. Respect your constituents. Be remembered as heroes, rather than cogs in the great wheel of collectivist hegemony.
Thank you. In anticipation of your appropriate, immediate, and righteous action in this crucial matter...
I was then treated to a pleasant exchange with commission chair Lorene Kamalu, that went as follows:
Dear Michael,
Thank you for writing in. Sorry it's taken me a while to respond. Busy busy times.
There are a wide range of opinions and even some scientists weighing in differently on masks. Here in Davis County, our Health Department Director is an epidemiologist, trained in the study of disease. We have followed his specific guidance as the county's public health officer. He/We are striving to be data driven for our OWN population, as you have suggested. We are quite proud of NEVER having listed essential and non-essential businesses and only having 1 month of closure for the salons and the entertainment gathering businesses in April. Some businesses had already closed themselves, as a number of businesses chose to do.
We have encouraged businesses to follow the guidelines and stay open! 75% of Davis people surveyed have complied with guidelines with no enforcement. That was BEFORE the recent surge; it may be even higher compliance now.
However, the spike that started early September and continues is something that is nearly reaching the capacity of Davis County Health Department to keep up with investigation and contact tracing. Also, at least one large hospital system is very concerned about the drain on healthcare staffing in an early stage of surge capacity.
We'll see how this continues to go. We have had quite a lot of success in our county and we give our citizens and businesses a lot of credit. Yes we are spiking, but we are also living our lives and everything is open. It is quite a small needle to thread, but the pandemic won't last forever and we expect the first vaccines available by the end of the year and that it will roll out in this order through Spring if things continue to move along with the science and government function:
-Healthcare workers
-Longterm care patients
-General population
Very best wishes,
Lorene Kamalu
P.S. Feel free to follow Davis County Health Department specifically at: https://www.daviscountyutah.gov/health/covid-19/dashboard
I responded:
Hello Commissioner,
Thank you for your response. I appreciate that you're very busy, and it's great that you have taken the time to correspond with me on this important issue.
I'd like to dig a little deeper into the topic...not as some sort of debate, but merely as constituent feedback and out of genuine concern for our county. I'll directly address a few of your remarks, below:
There are a wide range of opinions and even some scientists weighing in differently on masks.
This is absolutely true...there is indeed a great deal of varying data on masks. This is precisely why we should err on the side of caution, which means not recommending a course of action that is not scientifically proven, at the expense of the damage done by masking which has been scientifically proven. This is not a tin-foil hat position; the evidence is abundant, and it's really worth reading outside of the common narrative to gain a better understanding.
- For example, this article at the American Institute for Economic Research, in which an experienced organic chemistry professional explains the relationship between the viral molecule itself and cloth face coverings. It's a bit sciencey, but it's worth the read.
- Meanwhile, you've probably seen the Great Barrington Declaration, in which nearly 50,000 medical experts and over 600,000 concerned citizens (myself included) have signed their name in an effort to bring some sanity back to the government response to the virus; including rejecting masking, isolation, and other harmful measures.
- Further, the site Collateral Global aggregates dozens of studies documenting the awful negative impacts of the government response, including physical health studies (such as delayed cancer detection), mental health studies (increases in addictions and eating disorders), and social health studies (domestic violence, poverty, reduced student engagement, and more). It's a pretty comprehensive and eye-opening site.
I understand that there's a tendency to view opinions that are contrary to the prevailing paradigm as "kooky" or "conspiracy theories," but it's dangerous to dismiss this information and forego any kind of robust discussion among all affected stakeholders (the citizens). Saying "opinions vary" and then saying, "but we're going to just do it this way" is not fair to anyone, and is the kind of thinking that led to the unsinkable Titanic winding up at the bottom of the ocean.
Here in Davis County, our Health Department Director is an epidemiologist, trained in the study of disease.
Thank you, I am aware of Mr. Hatch's background and in no way mean to disparage him or his experience. But in the end, it's just one man's opinion. Same can be said of me, of course, and I'm hardly qualified to dispute an epidemiologist. But my peers in the community know that I'm a fairly smart fellow, and actively strive to learn through research. With so much on the line, it's hard to put all of our futures in the hands of a single expert, and as you said, expert opinions contradict each other on these issues. Meanwhile, we consider the pros and cons, each day that we put a young child in a mask, we're harming her psychologically (fear/isolation/impaired social cues), and perhaps physically (bacterial accrual and reduced oxygen). And children are not even at risk, nor are they spreaders — making their masking all the more inhumane. Yes, I know there are varying opinions on that, too, but there is strong enough dissent that adopting policy based on one side of the issue seems problematic at best.
We have encouraged businesses to follow the guidelines and stay open! 75% of Davis people surveyed have complied with guidelines with no enforcement.
Of course businesses should remain open, but not under the requirement that they submit to the government guidelines. Voluntarily doing something when you have a metaphorical gun to your head is not really voluntary. The subtle threat of enforcement is enforcement itself. These businesses need to be clearly told that they are 100% free to follow the guidelines or not follow the guidelines — it's up to them, because the science is not settled.
That was BEFORE the recent surge; it may be even higher compliance now.
The "surge" is a big issue. A rise in positive test results is a very poor source of direction for policy. There are several reasons for this. First, never before have we tested healthy people. It's not a scientific practice; it's a fear-based practice. Second, the tests are very inaccurate due to the PCR cycle depth being greater than 35, which finds fragments of dead virus (including non-COVID fragments) and mis-identifies them as infectious. Third, many confirmed cases are simply not very severe. In a lot of ways, this pandemic is similar to the annual flu pandemic (even with a similar Gompertz curve) — except in the way we are responding to it (including the misguided furlough of healthcare professionals last spring).
People complying with ineffective and/or unnecessary mitigation efforts simply because higher positive test results are being reported is not proof that the policies are good, or that the population is responsible and obedient. It's evidence only that people are easily scared and largely either don't understand the science or are too busy to really dig into it. They trust our public officials to do that "thinking" for them, and I don't blame them in the least.
...we expect the first vaccines available by the end of the year...
Unfortunately, too many seem to be hinging all their hopes on a vaccine, but we've had a flu vaccine that with 75 years of development has only managed to provide a less-than-50% aggregate efficacy rate each year. Some years have worse efficacy rates than others. Many people do not trust a vaccine that has been so rushed, and it's simply not reasonable to believe that a vaccine is just going to make the virus go away. The truth is, it will be with us forever, just like the flu, and there will always be casualties among the most vulnerable population (elderly people, people with severe comorbidities). What we need to do is learn to live with it, not stop and alter our lives so that we can pretend to be living, but really only be surviving.
Feel free to follow Davis County Health Department specifically at: https://www.daviscountyutah.gov/health/covid-19/dashboard
Yes, thank you, I've been following the data there for months now. I have a serious request regarding the data provided there. What is shown is, frankly, pretty dumbed-down, and is lacking extremely important data that gives meaning and value and context to the data that is presented. Specifically, we need to see the following essential data reported:
1) FP (false positive) rate
2) FN (false negative) rate
3) Percentage of tests performed on healthy (i.e., asymptomatic) individuals
4) Death rate (by population and by case - CFR and IFR)
5) Case severity:
a) Viral load
b) How many positives have no symptoms?
c) How many are just mildly sick with sniffles and low-grade fever?
d) How many were sick a week ago but all better now?
e) How many are in the hospital?
f) How many died? -- I know there's a death total, but we need a graph against time for that one.
6) How many are being treated with HCQ? What is the recovery rate by treatment type?
7) How many already have T-cell cross-immunity (current research study estimates are about 80% — that means that 4 out of 5 previously-unexposed people are already immune to COVID because our T-cells mistake it for the common cold due to its similarity at the cell level).
The big numbers and graphs are ultimately meaningless and do nothing but stoke fear if we don't get regularly-reported answers to the above. Without that, we're just operating on fear.
Again, thank you so much for your time and patience. I'm obviously passionate about this. I care because I see a very worrisome trend over the past few months, where good citizens are relinquishing their rights and freedoms out of fear, and liberty does not simply "come back on its own" once it's gone. We have to actively protect it. Freedom should always be the default. There's no asterisk in the Constitution that says, "all bets are off is there's a virus," and for good reason. It's so sad to see what's happening to people emotionally because of this. By "this," I do not mean "the virus," with its 99.75% recovery rate, I mean "this" the government response.
I hope my concerns are taken in the right spirit. My views are shared by a LOT of my friends, neighbors, work associates, and community allies. I don't presume to speak for any of them, but I can tell you I am not alone in feeling this way.
Thank you for your continued service to our wonderful county.
Best,
—Michael
The commissioner responded again:
Thanks, Michael — So you advocate no masks and no precautions? The authority for public health is in the state constitution; I'm sure you know. We have had meetings with all the hospital CEOs in Davis and Weber from the beginning; they all agree with Davis and Weber health officers and the local policy thus far. The Davis Board of Health has professionals from several disciplines; they all agree with Brian's direction throughout pandemic. FYI, I appreciate your thoughtful sharing. I know there is a wide range of perspective regarding policy and response.
Aaaaaand I responded back:
Yes, I advocate for no mask mandates and no mandated physical distancing. That doesn't mean I think people should behave irresponsibly; rather, we should behave with the same prudence we do at any other time: not coughing or sneezing directly in other people's faces, washing our hands when we get home, not licking shopping carts...the usual rational behaviors. ;)
Individuals are free to take precautions they feel are necessary for their own comfort and safety. If vulnerable people (elderly, immunocompromised, severely/chronically ill) wish to wear a mask (an effective one designed as a barrier to viral-sized matter, not a cloth placebo) then they are free to do so. I mean, they can wear the cloth placebos if they want, too, but that does more harm than good. They may also decide to isolate themselves of their own accord. That's what normal people normally do when they're sick (or vulnerable), and they do it without being told or forced. Healthy people (which is most of us) should be out and about living our lives, interacting, smiling at one another, conducting business, and doing so with the confidence that most of us are immune (80%+), and if we're not, practically ALL of us who do get sick will be just fine (99.75%+). The data confirms it, even if the propaganda drives a different narrative.
I have keyword-searched the entire Utah state constitution and do not see any references to public health or the authority to implement these mandates. A direct citation would be very helpful.
Meanwhile, it behooves us to look at the big picture and ask questions: How does the COVID rate compare to the flu rate (are flu cases being counted as COVID)? Are healthcare facilities financially incentivized to report COVID cases? What are the costs to businesses, families, students, children's mental health — costs directly attributable to the response, rather than the virus? The governor has extended the state of emergency multiple times, against the will of the legislature (and thus against the will of the people they represent) — so, what are the actual limits to government power? What is the responsibility of smaller jurisdictions (counties, cities) to safeguard their citizens' rights against an overreaching governor?
Indeed, I am not an epidemiologist nor a public health specialist. I've done a million times more research on this than I would have ever dreamed — this is not a "hobby" I had ever hoped to take up. :) I know that there is much — MUCH — that I do not know or do not understand. I'm just a concerned citizen who has a 15-year-old son whose anxiety and depression has been extremely exacerbated by this — not by the virus, which has had literally zero impact on his life, but by the out-of-proportion response which has disrupted his education, isolated him from his friends, forced him to wear a suffocating mask all day on the days when he is in school, canceled many planned events, and generally pushed him to the very brink of the unthinkable. I fear for him and all the kids like him, and I fear for our freedom, which, as I said, must be vigilantly guarded because freedom lost does not easily return like magic as soon as everyone gets a vaccine jab.
Thank you again...it is comforting to know that our leaders (you) are listening and responding to our concerns.
Lorene got right back to me:
https://le.utah.gov/xcode/Title26/26.html
Yes, this virus and response is incredibly stressful for ALL, in myriad ways. Nearly all the people we hear from want the County Health to do MORE than we have done. And some ask for enforcement, which is not something any law enforcement agencies in the county have wanted to do when we have compliance and choice going so well in Davis County overall.
My heart goes out to your son and family.
Many who don't like the guidelines are arranging their lives so they don't have to wear the masks. However, that is not the case with schools. DSD is not a county department, I'm sure you know. They are in a very difficult situation.
I have also noticed that the quantity of info from all around the world has increased lots of people's anxiety, so THAT is why, from the very beginning, I have encouraged all Davis Co citizens and businesses to follow our own department and data. It is perhaps "dumbed down" for a reason, but know that our policy committee has met from the beginning to weigh the County's policy, plus the Board of Health through all of this, plus the hospital and other healthcare systems. Every Monday the Brian the health officer has an online meeting together with every city mayor and manager, and I have NEVER seen such a big, consistent attendance over a long period of time for anything in my life. They are there with questions and comments and there are even a couple challenges to policy from time to time. Then when the data moves, they no longer challenge. Brian's expertise has been lauded in the entire state. I don't think anyone has communicated, supported, helped navigate quite as well as he has, and thank goodness he is not extreme in his recommendations. He is a practical man and regularly recognizes the efforts and sacrifices of people and businesses getting through this together.
I'm glad there is an online option for school: I've heard a lot of the pros and cons to every scenario. If folks don't want to wear masks, there are many options to conduct their lives in a way they don't need to. I hear from folks who have major health problems in their family and they have been staying at home and struggle, struggle, struggle with that. The downside is as you know -- a feeling and perception of isolation taking a toll on mental health.
I studied policy and I see it in action. There is often a tradeoff or policy dilemma. Even if the government did nothing -- there would be some businesses shutting down and some people suffering from anxiety and stress. Maybe many. The pandemic is hard, no matter what.
I do have a lot of other meetings so I'll leave you with this for now -- but you can make an appointment with me at the number below to meet in person if you wish.
Very best wishes,
Lorene
P.S. I just read this... gives good evidence of how Brian works in a helpful, practical way to all in County:
https://www.fox13now.com/news/local-news/fox-13-investigates-which-davis-county-businesses-are-fighting-covid-19-outbreaks
Back to me:
Thank you again for continuing the conversation.
The article you linked actually highlights the problem I've been indicating: publicizing "case counts" with no context (e.g., case severity) unnecessarily feeds fear, and that leads to harsher controls on people's lives, and people are more willing to comply because they're scared. Can you imagine what life would have been like in past years if we reported, by company(!) how many people got the flu, each day, and each week, each month? Why would we ever do such a thing? There's a fine line between being informative and inciting panic. When the COVID survival rate is greater than 99.75%, there is no good reason to be stirring up fear with this kind of reporting. As we move toward greater community immunity, high "case counts" for a generally mild (but yes, sometimes deadly) illness are not even a bad thing, as long as the most vulnerable self-isolate or take other precautions. Our children, especially, need to be building their immune systems, not degrading them.
I appreciate the link to Utah Code; you had mentioned public health being in the Constitution, so that's where I was looking. Utah Code is indeed the law, even though it must be informed by and comport with the state's constitution. Where it does not, it requires remedy by the legislature and/or the courts — and that's a whole other ball of wax! :)
With regard to "dumbed-down" data, I might was well cite Utah Code 26-1-30 (8):
"...[the department shall] collect, prepare, publish, and disseminate information to inform the public concerning the health and wellness of the population, specific hazards, and risks that may affect the health and wellness of the population and specific activities which may promote and protect the health and wellness of the population;"
I imagine this section of the code is what directs county health departments to do the same, in service of the state-level department...and that's why Davis Co. publishes the data it does. While the data I requested in my previous email seems to me like a fair minimum threshold for meeting the above requirement, the very least that should be made publicly available is the FP and FN figures. Publishing positive case numbers without the false positive rate has real costs to individuals and society (that's according to epidemiologists, not me). Even the CDC recommends reporting the FP and FN as a best practice. Publishing positive case numbers without mentioning that most people are just fine (asymptomatic or very mild symptoms) is misleading.
As the CFO of Bailey's Moving and Storage stated in the article you shared, "Most people didn't have any symptoms at all, or very very minor symptoms." This is true across the board, and it should be the HEADLINE, not a quote buried in the story behind scary "case number" statistics that most people don't even understand. The fault for this lies with the news reporters...unfortunately, "nothing to worry about" doesn't draw clicks. I'm not blaming Brian, here, I'm just pointing out that it can be easy to unintentionally create a panic where one is not warranted.
While I have strong opinions on this stuff, I want you to know that I absolutely do not ascribe bad intentions to anybody involved (okay, maybe the news folks, but I feel entitled to criticize them because back in the 1990s, I was one of them). I know we're all just doing our best. I'm just hoping to make our best even better. :)
Lorene's last note to me in response was:
Good points. Gosh, yes, State Code, not Constitution. I can share your input with with Brian regarding other data made publicly available. The media is not always our friend. Controversy and finger pointing are focuses.
Then I had to add:
Just wanted to correct myself...the CDC link I provided was regarding reporting false positives/false negatives to the FDA and the test manufacturer, not to the public. So, the link doesn't support my point, but my point is still valid for other reasons. :)
I then asked permission to share our exchange, since it was a private conversation. I wanted to share this because I want my friends here to understand that our leaders are accessible and that we can have productive communication and be active participants in our community.
Now, all those communications happened prior to last night's latest crack down from the governor. As I've stated elsewhere, a responsible governor who valued liberty over fear and power would actually make the effort to understand the testing data, and require that every so-called positive case transparently disclose PCR cycle thresholds, specifically to determine the actual viral load and whether or not those "cases" are truly infectious. Instead, we get more fearmongering in the form of "Amber Alert" style push notifications with dumbed-down scare tactics and tyrannical edicts that our county sheriff knows better than to enforce. Governor Herbert should be held accountable via whatever legal means are appropriate (impeachment? prosecution?), and governor-elect Cox should not be taking his place.
Folks, it is critical that we make sure our local leaders are our allies, and that they will stand up and protect our rights. I really fear that this is a bad slippery slope from which there will be a very hard-fought recovery, if there is one (see the opening image).
Last night, Govnernor Herbert proclaimed that this latest rights infringement will last "only two weeks." Does anyone else remember "two weeks to flatten the curve" back in early March? There is no excuse for letting fear ruin our lives. We must wake up. We must stand up. How long is it going to take to flatten the fear curve? To flatten the tyranny curve?
"[O]ur rights come from God, but the care of those rights is up to us. This divine origin is important, because if rights become simply what the majority of people want, then they are nothing more than a power play or mere opinion. But time, wisdom and practice show that they are grounded much more deeply." -- Elder Ulisses Soares 10/28/2020
Get that? Only WE can care for our rights.
WE must resist.
Maybe you don't feel this has gone too far. Maybe you're okay with this slippery slope into tyranny. But, as I asked before on social media: What are your specific plans for pushing back on government overreach when they finally DO cross YOUR personal "bridge too far"? Will you wait until it's too late? Or will you start NOW to work with your local leaders to save us from a fate far worse than the 99.75% survivable Wuhan Flu that 80% of us can't even get?
Asking for our children.
____________________________________
Additional resources, below:
Some very basic and IMPORTANT facts about the Wuhan Flu (with linked citations).
"Many powerful institutions have too much political capital invested in the mask narrative at this point, so the dogma is perpetuated." Despite the science that proves masks don't help. This is worth the read, folks.
Lockdowns are 7 to 90 TIMES more deadly than the Wuhan Flu.
81% of people who have *never* been exposed to the Wuhan Flu ALREADY have immunity. It's called cross-reactivity, and it happens because your body has produced T-cells that work against SARS-CoV-2 because it's so similar to the common cold, which you've already had. EIGHTY-ONE PERCENT! Most people are not even going to get it. Sadly, most people also don't "get it."
Want to understand false positive rates? Watch this.
From September 4: According to CDC data, if you exclude trauma & poisoning as "comorbidities" (because including trauma & poisoning as comorbidities is asinine), there have only been 1,411 under-35-year-old deaths from the Wuhan Flu nationwide. In 2018, we lost 14,628 under-35s to suicide. Studies published in Psychiatry Research and World Psychiatry project 2,470 ADDITIONAL under-35 suicides this year as a direct result of the RESPONSE to the Wuhan Flu (primarily the government imposition of mass unemployment, but also forced isolation). That's nearly double the deaths attributed to the Wuhan Flu.
Absolutely worth watching this 10:42 video from July for some straightforward common sense and facts. Dr. Atlas has since been named to the White House COVID-19 Task Force (thank goodness!).
Historian Tara Ross has a nice summary of the importance of proper governance regarding the Wuhan Flu.
Another perspective (this one from England) on the mask issue.
A well-researched take on masking and psychology.
If you have 20 minutes today...please watch this common sense, data-driven presentation. Life is too important to let fear and disinformation force you to abandon it for mere survival. This guy has been consistently saying these things for months now, and the facts keep supporting him more and more. Really, if you don't have time to explore all the other useful links above, just watch this video.
[UPDATE 1:] More data...25% more people have died due to COVID responses, than have died from COVID itself in Utah.
[UPDATE 2:] More data...Utah hospital utilization is currently at 56.3%, which is DOWN 2.6% from previous years (you know, years in which there wasn't a "pandemic"). The state is deceiving you.
[UPDATE 3:] Another good source of information (news items, data charts, commentary).
[UPDATE 4:] This article about the so-called "mutated strain" and how it relates to lockdowns, is critical reading. [SUB-UPDATE: The link became broken some time in the past several weeks, and many links to the same article hosted elsewhere are broken, but I found another version with the authorship altered and fixed the link.]
[UPDATE 5:] We are living in an outdoor insane asylum...suffering mass delusional psychosis.
