LETTERS

Giving up our liberties bit by bit

Posted 12/22/21

To the Editor, Responding to announcements by his challengers for the Democrat nomination for governor in 2022, Governor McKee issued a new "masks in public places" mandate on December15th. Despite the apparent urgency of the "crisis' the mandate goes

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LETTERS

Giving up our liberties bit by bit

Posted

To the Editor,

Responding to announcements by his challengers for the Democrat nomination for governor in 2022, Governor McKee issued a new “masks in public places” mandate on December15th. Despite the apparent urgency of the “crisis’ the mandate goes into effect five days later.

How effective are masks in controlling the spread of the COVID virus? I recall the elfin, gravelly-voiced guru Dr. Anthony Fauci telling us in the spring of 2020 that masks were useless. Later on he admitted his pronouncement was due to concern that there would be a rush for masks which would deprive hospital workers. So much for concern for the public.

Then we were told that masks did not protect the wearer from others but should be worn to protect others from us.

A study by Duke University showed that bandanas, gaiters, also called neck fleeces, and cotton masks “ranked poorly”. Compare them to putting chain link fencing over your windows to keep out mosquitoes. Wearing any protective covering below the nose is completely useless.

From a study reported in the May 2013 Journal of Hospital Infection, “the protection afforded to the wearer by a surgical mask against infectious aerosols is not well understood.” So the researchers attached a dummy test head to a breathing simulator to test the performance of surgical masks against a viral challenge. Their conclusion: “The results demonstrated limitations of surgical masks in this context, although they are to some extent protective.” Note the words “surgical masks” and “to some extent”.

A Duke University study found “medical grade N95 masks performed best, meaning that the fewest number of droplets got through. They were followed by surgical masks. Several masks made of polypropylene, a cotton/propylene blend, and 2-layer cotton masks sewn in different styles also performed well.” What was “best” and “performed well” were not quantified.

In April 2021 the FDA “found that the effectiveness of the masks varied widely: a three-layer knitted cotton mask blocked an average of 26.5 percent of particles in the chamber.” Note that it species ‘in the chamber” meaning keeping germs in –not keeping then out.

Emory University reported, “Polyester or other less breathable fabric will not work as well, due to moisture produced when breathing.” In other words, the common blue masks most of us wear are practically useless in protecting us or preventing the spread of the “Wuhan flu”.

The capriciousness of the McKee Mandate is evidenced by allowing maskless, catered events of 250 or fewer attendees. Am I to infer that the dreaded virus is lurking at catered events ready to spring when the 251st guest arrives?

Businesses are authorized to ask for proof of vaccination from customers. What happened to HIPAA?

Hats off to Bishop Tobin for announcing that maskless worshippers will not be turned away from Catholic churches at Christmas.

This is all about control and trying to show the sheep (people) that elected officials and bureaucrats are “doing something” about a virus that is still not well understood (except that it was developed and escaped from a laboratory in Wuhan, China).

Bit by bit, the American public is willing to give up liberty and personal freedoms that many who came before sacrificed and died for.

Richard J. August

North Kingstown

liberties, civil liberties

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  • The Berg

    Trumpism.

    Wednesday, December 22, 2021 Report this