Joe Biden once again mocked freedom on October 21, 2021. He has repeatedly shown contempt for the concept of liberty since his inauguration. This time in replying to whether first responders should be fired for refusing the COVID-19 vaccine, he said, “I mean, so there’s — the idea is that — look, the two things that concern me, one, are those who just try to make this a political issue — freedom, ‘I have the freedom to kill you with my COVID.’ No, I mean c’mon, freedom.”
What is it about freedom that he and the left despise so much? Is it that freedom is valued more than safety by patriotic Americans? Is it that freedom is antithetical to the growth of government?
Thomas Jefferson said, “I know no safe depository of the ultimate powers of society but the people themselves; and if we think them not enlightened enough to exercise their control with a wholesome discretion, the remedy is not to take it from them, but to inform their discretion by education.”
If the president thinks that the public isn’t exercising “a wholesome discretion”, he should provide information. He should provide studies and data. He should not, however, demand that the people entrust him with the power to denounce and take away freedom.
“There is danger from all men. The only maxim of a free government ought to be to trust no man living with power to endanger the public liberty.” – John Adams
The president does not attempt to use his platform to inform. During the recent townhall, he only ridiculed, chided, and made gross allegations, such as condemning the unvaccinated of murder. That is the type of divisive and dehumanizing language used to justify every atrocity in the last century.
To claim that everyone that is not vaccinated is killing people with “their COVID” is utterly antagonistic, as well as illogical. The truth is that only people that have COVID can spread COVID and most people do not have COVID. That’s particularly true for the numerous first responders that have already beaten the virus that they contracted while serving the public and have acquired natural immunity. To equate simply being unvaccinated with being a killer is ludicrous to anyone that separates themselves from the intentionally provoked and manipulated emotion.
It is also true that vaccinated people can get COVID and spread it. We, unfortunately, do not know how many vaccinated people are being infected because the CDC stopped even trying to track breakthrough infections in May. However, we can be sure there are a lot of breakthrough cases by simply examining events. For instance, the vast majority of MLB baseball players are vaccinated, yet teams like the New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox have had major outbreaks. The vaccinated Democrat legislators that ran away from Texas to prevent a vote had an outbreak of at least 6 people. Massachusetts reported this week that 35% of the known cases in recent months are from the vaccinated. This is likely a major underrepresentation because, according to Dr. Fauci, breakthrough cases are “almost always” asymptomatic. Therefore, the vaccine is likely to prevent the very symptoms of the infection that let people know they are infected and likely spreading the virus. Without symptoms, the infected person is very unlikely to even get tested and is more likely to continue working and having close contact with others.
Unvaccinated federal employees, like myself, have been told that without the approval of an elusive accommodation, we will be terminated very soon. Biden talks about the supposed danger and deadliness of being unvaccinated but is happy to put federal employees in the very real dangers of poverty.
Poverty is destructive and it is deadly. Research funded by the National Institutes of Health (yes, the same NIH that recently admitted that it funded illegal research into gain of function virus enhancement) found that approximately 874,000 people die from poverty in a year. While I have a statically miniscule chance of getting, spreading, or dying from COVID, I now have a very real chance of losing my career of over 14 years, my house, and my means of living.
Not only are vaccine mandates an intensely personal issue, but Biden made them a political issue when he demanded that we scoff at freedom to just comply with his orders. Whether or not I believe the vaccine is safe, ethical, or effective, I will never comply because, “I mean c’mon, freedom.”
Jonathan Sheets is the Deputy Director of Restore Liberty (restore-liberty.org), an enthusiast of American history, frequent writer, and has 14 years’ experience as federal law enforcement officer. He is currently seeking funding for a Montana-based lawsuit against vaccine mandates. To learn more, go to restore-liberty.org/MTfeds. The link for donations is givesendgo.com/FedsHaveRights.