{"id":3550,"date":"2020-09-04T22:40:00","date_gmt":"2020-09-05T08:40:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/thefilipinochronicle.com\/backup\/?p=3550"},"modified":"2020-09-01T20:53:19","modified_gmt":"2020-09-02T06:53:19","slug":"return-americas-foundational-freedoms","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/thefilipinochronicle.com\/backup\/2020\/09\/04\/return-americas-foundational-freedoms\/","title":{"rendered":"Return America\u2019s Foundational Freedoms"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

By Melissa Martin, PhD

\u201cDemocracy should not and need not be sacrificed in the name of public health.\u201d<\/em>\u2014 Michael J. Abramowitz.

It\u2019s essential that citizens start listening less to the alarmist Anthony Fauci and more to other experts about COVID-19. We\u2019ve heard the old saying: \u201cThere\u2019s two sides to every story and the truth is somewhere in the middle.\u201d Does this adage apply to COVID-19? Yes. 

\u201cAs 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\u2014and 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.\u201d Visit www.heritage.org<\/a>. 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<\/a>.

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, \u201cWhen 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.\u201d Visit www.dailysignal.com<\/a>.

The National Coronavirus Recovery Commission, a project of The Heritage Foundation, has made 265 recommendations to return to business. \u201cThis 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.\u201d Visit www.coronaviruscommission.com<\/a>.

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, \u201cAfter all, who cares more for the parishioners, the state\u2019s governor or the pastor?\u201d

Reopen our schools. According to the House of Freedom Caucus, \u201cDoctors 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\u2019s development by keeping schools closed over fear of COVID-19\u2026Our children should not have to pay for irrational and unprecedented actions to close our schools to in-person instruction.\u201d 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\u2014and humanity is still around. H1N1, Ebola and Zika\u2014and humanity is still around. On March 11, 2020, the World Health Organization announced that the COVID-19 virus was officially a pandemic\u2014and 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\u20142020 is a presidential election year.

\u201cGive me liberty, or give me death!\u201d<\/em>\u2014Patrick Henry
<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n\n\n\n

MELISSA MARTIN, PH.D. <\/strong>is an author, columnist, educator, and therapist. She lives in Ohio.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

By Melissa Martin, PhD \u201cDemocracy should not and need not be sacrificed in the name of public health.\u201d\u2014…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":3555,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"spay_email":"","_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"categories":[30],"tags":[],"featured_image_urls":{"full":["https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/thefilipinochronicle.com\/backup\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/Opinion-color.jpg?fit=1200%2C450&ssl=1",1200,450,false],"thumbnail":["https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/thefilipinochronicle.com\/backup\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/Opinion-color.jpg?resize=150%2C150&ssl=1",150,150,true],"medium":["https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/thefilipinochronicle.com\/backup\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/Opinion-color.jpg?fit=300%2C113&ssl=1",300,113,true],"medium_large":["https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/thefilipinochronicle.com\/backup\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/Opinion-color.jpg?fit=640%2C240&ssl=1",640,240,true],"large":["https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/thefilipinochronicle.com\/backup\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/Opinion-color.jpg?fit=640%2C240&ssl=1",640,240,true],"1536x1536":["https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/thefilipinochronicle.com\/backup\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/Opinion-color.jpg?fit=1200%2C450&ssl=1",1200,450,true],"2048x2048":["https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/thefilipinochronicle.com\/backup\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/Opinion-color.jpg?fit=1200%2C450&ssl=1",1200,450,true],"ultp_layout_landscape_large":["https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/thefilipinochronicle.com\/backup\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/Opinion-color.jpg?resize=1200%2C450&ssl=1",1200,450,true],"ultp_layout_landscape":["https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/thefilipinochronicle.com\/backup\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/Opinion-color.jpg?resize=870%2C450&ssl=1",870,450,true],"ultp_layout_portrait":["https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/thefilipinochronicle.com\/backup\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/Opinion-color.jpg?resize=600%2C450&ssl=1",600,450,true],"ultp_layout_square":["https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/thefilipinochronicle.com\/backup\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/Opinion-color.jpg?resize=600%2C450&ssl=1",600,450,true],"covernews-slider-full":["https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/thefilipinochronicle.com\/backup\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/Opinion-color.jpg?resize=1115%2C450&ssl=1",1115,450,true],"covernews-slider-center":["https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/thefilipinochronicle.com\/backup\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/Opinion-color.jpg?resize=800%2C385&ssl=1",800,385,true],"covernews-featured":["https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/thefilipinochronicle.com\/backup\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/Opinion-color.jpg?fit=1024%2C384&ssl=1",1024,384,true],"covernews-medium":["https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/thefilipinochronicle.com\/backup\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/Opinion-color.jpg?resize=540%2C285&ssl=1",540,285,true],"covernews-medium-square":["https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/thefilipinochronicle.com\/backup\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/Opinion-color.jpg?resize=375%2C250&ssl=1",375,250,true]},"author_info":{"info":["admin"]},"category_info":"Opinion<\/a>","tag_info":"Opinion","comment_count":"0","jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/thefilipinochronicle.com\/backup\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/Opinion-color.jpg?fit=1200%2C450&ssl=1","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/thefilipinochronicle.com\/backup\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3550"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/thefilipinochronicle.com\/backup\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/thefilipinochronicle.com\/backup\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thefilipinochronicle.com\/backup\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thefilipinochronicle.com\/backup\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3550"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/thefilipinochronicle.com\/backup\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3550\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":3551,"href":"https:\/\/thefilipinochronicle.com\/backup\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3550\/revisions\/3551"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thefilipinochronicle.com\/backup\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/3555"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/thefilipinochronicle.com\/backup\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3550"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thefilipinochronicle.com\/backup\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=3550"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thefilipinochronicle.com\/backup\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=3550"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}