On Friday, New York State Supreme Court Judge Gerard Neri held that the COVID vax mandate for healthcare workers was immediately “null, void, and of no effect.” The court found that the mandate was “arbitrary and capricious” since the shots don’t stop transmission, destroying any rational basis for a mandate in the first place.
In fact, the judge underlined, italicized, and boldfaced the words in his order:
This happened almost exactly a year after the worst newspaper in the world, the Salt Lake Tribune, called for martial law against the unvaxxed.
If you want to see yet another example of crazy COVID hysteria in action, you only have to look as far as Utah’s largest newspaper, the increasingly out of control Salt Lake Tribune. There, we find an editorial with this paragraph:
“Were Utah a truly civilized place, the governor’s next move would be to find a way to mandate the kind of mass vaccination campaign we should have launched a year ago, going as far as to deploy the National Guard to ensure that people without proof of vaccination would not be allowed, well, anywhere.”
Civilized? Only if you consider Nazi Germany, the Soviet Union and Cambodia under Pol Pot civilized.
A year later, I will note that the SL Tribune is no longer calling for people to be starved to death if they don’t get the jab. So, perhaps there is some progress. Will the SL Tribune ever apologize for its tyrannical and unscientific opinions on the COVID vax? I am not holding my breath.
In case you need a reminder why this is important: the worst things in society happen during times of pressure and fear. This is when people are tested to see whether they will keep their principles, whether they will uphold the liberty and dignity of others, whether they will engage in true tolerance. During the pandemic M* remained virtually alone in the LDS intellectual space in calling for people to avoid being motivated by fear, to avoid government mandates, to avoid destroying the liberty of others.
For this, we were insulted and pilloried endlessly, including by many former writers for this blog. It turns out we were right and they were wrong. I have gotten a few apologies, but there are literally hundreds of people who should be writing or calling to apologize. This is not a personal thing, although that of course would be nice. It is really about learning from our mistakes and from history. There will be another pandemic again someday, or there will be other international crises. How will you react when those crises happen? Will you act rationally or will you let your fear cause panic?
The SLTrib will never apologize. It is not in the nature of that organization.
They were created for one purpose.
I have seen no evidence that they will ever truly focus on anything that detracts from that mission. They will use some fluff in an attempt to not appear as brazen in their goals, that they might remain palatable in Utah. But they are who they have always been.
Don’t hold your unvaxed breath. The I15 freeway is still full of signs telling people to get boosted.
I have no problem with people voluntarily deciding to get the vax (although of course it is not a vax, it is an experimental gene therapy, but…anyway). I am against public money being used encouraging people to make a private medical decision. And I am against mandates, which is what the SL Tribune was calling for.
(Anne, I know you know this, but for other readers….)
Note to readers: there is significant evidence that the experimental COVID gene therapy jab is killing more people than it is helping, just as I predicted more than a year ago. Here is one thing to read:
https://boriquagato.substack.com/p/if-covid-vaccines-stop-covid-deaths?utm_source=substack&utm_medium=email
Of course this is something that an actual health agency (not one that was bought and paid for by pharmaceutical companies, but an actual health agency that cared about health) would study, but remarkably no real studies.
I encourage you to go on Twitter and look at all of the sudden deaths of young vaxxed people under the “Died Suddenly” account. @DiedSuddenly_ Very, very sad.
Everytime I’m in the car, without fail, at least once a commercial break on any radio station that we’re listening to, there will be an ad to get vaccinated or boosted. The vaccine is strong here in New Mexico.
The problem I see is that those who still think the vax works and are pushing it and those who disagree with that view live in two totally different worlds when it comes to the information they get. I have not seen that change much. Some of the “real” data is starting to bleed through into the main stream media sources because it is becoming too hard to ignore the reality of how this has all played out. Even one of the most obnoxious shamers from the CDC, Leana Wen is now saying the number of Covid deaths was severely over-counted and the effects of lockdowns on her own kids were not worth the cost. I’m fine with people getting things wrong, we all do, but what is inexcusable is the way those who dared to disagree were shamed and silenced as if we live in a totalitarian country where propaganda pushed by those in power is the rule. We are seeing the same kind of fear-mongering and attempt to control with climate change. When will we learn?
Anne, you hit the nail on the head. The problem is not people disagreeing about stuff, and people getting something wrong. This always happens. The problem is people disagreeing and then attacking you personally (happened to all “dissenters” throughout the pandemic) or trying to take money from your bank account (Canada), trying to put you in a concentration camp (Australia and China) and otherwise trying to restrict your freedom if you disagree. As I say, the key test of integrity is promoting other peoples’ freedom even during difficult times. And in my opinion, 90-plus percent of on-line LDS people failed that test during the pandemic, and they are still failing today because they refuse to admit they were wrong, even though in their hearts they know they were wrong! Notice that the Brethren never did this — they called for *voluntary* measures always and never supported government mandates. And, yes, you are correct, the next attempt will be with climate change, but watch out, there will be another pandemic someday soon. Look at what they tried to do with Monkey Pox, which was never a threat to the general population.
Geoff, here’s an article about a dad bribed by the gov’t to change the cause of death after his son died after getting the clot-shot;
https://www.wnd.com/2023/01/dad-says-fema-tried-bribe-teen-sons-post-vaccine-death-refused-went-public/
And here’s one where an oncology professor linked it to increased cancer;
https://www.naturalhealth365.com/oncology-professor-links-covid-boosters-to-aggressive-metastatic-cancers.html
You’re absolutely right about the ‘fear’ aspect of this pandemic. It boggles the mind how the forces of evil could conspire to cancel the effectiveness of the good drugs (ie. ivermectin and hydroxy…((you can finish spelling)) ) and force something with no clinical trial or proof of effectiveness on us with the ‘fear’ aspect. Truly, there are many who don’t ascribe to the Lord’s admonition of “do not fear”. How incredibly sad to live in such a state of mind.
Both my wife and I have co-morbidities and we decided long ago, before the pandemic, to take certain vitamins and minerals. Since then, we have been exposed to the virus many times since all of our six children contracted it and the worst was a very minor cold.
Sometimes I wonder what it will be like when we all have to answer for our sins.
“Wow, that was some movie, wasn’t it dear”?
Look at the level of tyranny that was possible with a mild flu-like virus and a marginally-possibly-entirely ineffective (even marginally dangerous) vaccine.
Imagine what would happen if our physical safety really was under threat.
This is NOT good. The public reaction and subsequent further retrenchment in support of their overreaction is giving the tyrants exactly what they want — a way to more power.
The next pandemic will be more deadly. The controls will be even tighter.
And the people will be grateful for it.
My stance this entire time has been that even if it’s the most deadly disease ever, and even if masking is all we need to do — personal liberty can not be violated because that gives the key to violating liberty to tyrants.
We have checks and balances for a reason. If you allow the government to ignore those checks and balances in the case of an emergency, should anyone be surprised that we suddenly live in a world of frequent emergencies?
The pandemic was a test that the Modern World failed. Leaders and people put their trust in the Arm of Flesh and have been rewarded with death, fear and despair. All as has been prophesied.
Fortunately, God is merciful and His Arm is outstretched to reclaim us, but we must hear his voice, humble ourselves and repent. These words of Jesus are perpetually True:
“O all ye that are spared because ye were more righteous than they, will ye not now return unto me, and repent of your sins, and be converted, that I may heal you?” ~ 3Nephi 9:13
Recall the words of Spencer W. Kimball given to us at America’s Bicentennial:
“What are we to fear when the Lord is with us? Can we not take the Lord at his word and exercise a particle of faith in him? Our assignment is affirmative: to forsake the things of the world as ends in themselves; to leave off idolatry and press forward in faith; to carry the gospel to our enemies, that they might no longer be our enemies.
We must leave off the worship of modern-day idols and a reliance on the “arm of flesh,” for the Lord has said to all the world in our day, “I will not spare any that remain in Babylon.” (D&C 64:24.)” ~ The False Gods We Worship
Amen
Disciple, this is one of the best responses I have ever read on any forum concerning the pandemic and the response. We all trusted collectively in the arm of the flesh and look at what it has done. For me, I have been estranged from family, friends and fellow LDS. I have trust issues with all people in authority, especially police, medical and government. Yes, you are right, we failed the test.
Another reason we won’t be getting apologies is that a huge portion of people who supported the vax still refuse to even consider that it might cause problems. I know people who have lost a loved one or know someone who has had a stroke or heart problem directly connected to the vax but who choose to attribute it to the effects of them having had Covid or long Covid. I’ve heard them say things like,”We didn’t know Covid can cause blood clots.” It doesn’t seem to even occur to them there may be a correlation with the vaccine. This kind of denial is problematic if we want to truly “follow the science.”
Anne, what is surprising to me is that it is not just the experimental gene therapy that is the issue. That is what everybody is talking about now, but let’s go back almost three years to what happened.
–Lockdowns — businesses closed, churches closed and schools closed. None of this had ever been done on a national basis before. It was unprecedented, and I warned repeatedly that this would cost people jobs and lives and that children especially would be hurt. In many locations liquor stores, cannabis stores and strip clubs remained open while churches were forced closed (in my town by health authorities in hazmat suits visiting our stake). Kids lost at least two years of their lives, and some are still suffering today. All of the evidence now shows that the lockdowns killed many more people than COVID did. And all of this was completely unprecedented and unnecessary, and if you spoke out about it like I did, you were accused of wanting to kill grandma. People on-line, including the vast majority of LDS people, completely accepted the fear porn, and they know they were wrong, but of course no apologies.
–Masks and double masks. Masks became a symbol of virtue signaling, and if you wore a useless piece of paper on your face that did absolutely nothing to stop viruses, you were somehow considered a “good person,” and if you followed the ridiculous advice to double mask (as some former bloggers on this blog bragged that they did), you were double virtuous. Given the amount of fear and the desire to get things back to normal, of course the Church advised people to wear masks where laws required it, but as soon as the laws changed, suddenly no GAs wore masks anymore, which should be a sign to even the most hysterical pro-masker that nobody ever believed the masks stopped viruses. (Yes, there is some evidence that N95 masks are a little effective, but almost nobody wore N95s). When I simply pointed out the scientific evidence that a piece of paper will not stop a virus, I was accused by many people on-line of being an apostate, and wanting to kill grandma, etc, etc. No apologies for that.
–We continually warned about the dangers of being motivated by fear, which is what governments have always used to get mobs to oppress minority groups. Here is a post I wrote in 2020 warning about fear. You should have seen the hate mail I got from that from deranged people addicted to fear porn. (I deleted the comments, but there were dozens of nasty messages).
https://www.millennialstar.org/ye-shall-not-fear/
–I continually emphasized voluntary actions, not government force and mandates. Of course the deranged insisted I wanted people to die, etc, etc, and of course no apologies.
–Which brings us to the experimental gene therapy. Yes, the Brethren encouraged people to be immunized, which means getting natural immunity by getting the disease, and, yes, getting the gene therapy, which was called “safe and effective.” I am immunized, so I followed the Brethren’s advice, but I don’t take experimental drugs of any kind. We are now learning that the gene therapy is killing hundreds of thousands of people, and perhaps millions, worldwide. Young people who got “vaccinated” are dying from heart attacks apparently on a daily basis. I have written extensively on this issue. I don’t think the Brethren make mistakes when speaking as Church leaders, and I will not criticize them. I think it is easy to understand why the Brethren spoke out on this issue. They have always supported vaccines, and they wanted the temples and chapels and church administration buildings to reopen. They did not want us to be known as the “anti-vax church.” There are two separate issues here: 1)should you take the gene therapy? and 2)should governments force you to take the gene therapy. I have always said that some people should consider taking it, especially older people with co-morbitities. That advice may now be wrong, and we will continue to watch. Regarding 2)obviously governments should not force you to take any drug, and returning to the OP, I hope people can see how evil the SL Tribune is to push for such tyranny. But of course no apologies on any of this.
So well said. Thank you for having had the courage to write the truth early on. It meant a lot to many of us! And it still does. My DIL was almost run out of town for appearing at a county commissioners meeting to express some very serous concerns about masking kids.
Thanks Anne!
Claims like ‘we got it wrong’, and ‘we didn’t know’ are really frustrating, and a cover-up for the real issue. Because it didn’t need to be gotten wrong, and information was always there to be known. What actually happened is that those claiming this didn’t want to know, and were absolutely convinced that they were right. Those are the problems, not mistakes made *innocently* in the living of messy reality. And they’re the problems which still exist and will return to cause more harm in future ‘crises’. I see the period of SARS-CoV-2 policies and general reactions in the public as an intensified example of what’s happening generally: socialist/progressivist control over culture, speech, institutions, law, and so on. Absolute fear and repression of anything contrary to it, enforcement of its ideas on everyone (in the way that the Muslim invaders of Spain – and other groups in other places – forced conversions and penalised those who didn’t convert with reduced freedoms) and horror at anyone who actually considers or believes anything to the contrary. Namely, a repression of ideas and conversation and exactly what democracy is supposed to consist of – the only reason it works. The voice of the people can’t be coerced, because then it no longer is the voice of the people – where ideas are tested and figured out until only the best remain and are chosen, and bad decisions can be fixed upon reflection.
It feels similar to what people who abuse or psychologically manipulate others do: never apologise, never admit what actually happened. That would mean re-thinking their whole approach and selves, and that’s huge. They’d have to completely change as people to do it. If they did apologise (genuinely and fully) or admit their real wrong, they wouldn’t be what they are. To admit you’ve been or done wrong requires some humility, and those who try to force their ideas on others aren’t strongest in that. The only reason you’d force ideas – ideas not based upon good evidence – on others is because of fear, or anger, or a lack of desire to really look at yourself. And I think a lot of people get on the wagon with such ideas because it makes them feel powerful, part of a group, holier and better, etc. Not because they like looking carefully at things. Those who do (like to look carefully) would be the first to realise problems and admit them. This is where you get ‘cancelling’ of people who are ostensibly ‘on the same side’. And the more they get ejected and shouted down, the more the un-thinking ones make up more of the group that’s left, and the more crazy and controlling and dangerous it gets.
Tamara, basically what you are saying is that our entire society is now afflicted with narcissistic personality disorder, and when you read the symptoms, you are probably correct:
https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/narcissistic-personality-disorder/symptoms-causes/syc-20366662
Quick story: I was a huge supporter of US involvement in the Iraq war from 2003 to 2007. And then I saw what a disaster the invasion had been, and I quickly did a complete 180 degree turn and became a huge opponent of the war. I even wrote about it on BCC:
https://bycommonconsent.com/2011/08/25/the-mormon-conservative-anti-war-movement/
The point I am trying to make is that when new information becomes available, there is no shame in changing your mind. New information has become available on the pandemic, the lockdowns, the mandates, the “vaccine.” There is no shame in people publicly admitting they were wrong.