“Oh, Canada…”
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Give me Liberty
Rodger Williamson
James Madison, “The essence of government is power; and power, lodged as it must be in human hands, will ever be liable to abuse.”
The first confirmed human infections of COVID-19 were in Wuhan, China, with a reported earliest date of onset symptoms as December 1, 2019. The virus spread around the world via human-to-human contact by both business and vacationing travelers. The first confirmed case in the United States occurred on January 21, 2020, in Washington state in a man who had just returned home from a visit to China, and COVID-19 was confirmed to have reached our State of Alabama on March 13, 2020.
Since then, the virus has traveled around the world, infecting millions and causing the deaths of hundreds of thousands. Fortunately for us who reside in Coosa County, we rank among the lowest rates of infection in our state, with only 2,864 positive cases and only 53 deaths attributed to the virus, which statistically equates to a 98.14% survival rate.
In response to the spread of the COVID-19 virus, leaders around the world began to issue mandates upon “We the People” restricting our liberties and freedoms. You must social distance; you must wear a dust mask (that any virus will pass directly through without hindrance). If you cannot wear a dust mask, you must wear a face shield. “Two weeks to flatten the curve.” Small businesses must close, and large businesses must reduce their hours.
You must show a negative test in order to travel. You must get a vaccination in order to travel. You must get a vaccination in order to work for the government. If you are a business with 100 or more employees, all personnel must be vaccinated. The vaccines are not 100% effective, so you must get a booster. The booster is not 100% effective, so you must get another booster. All of this paid for by we the taxpayers directly to “big pharma.”
Anthony Fauci as the face of the federal government would give out conflicting advice as he guessed his way through the pandemic and double-down whenever anyone questioned the effectiveness of his advice. Even Alabama’s own governor, Kay Ivey, would issue her own mandates that are in many states across this nation, as well as in federal courts, being ruled as unconstitutional.
“Liberty once lost is lost forever. When the people once surrender their share in the legislature and their right of defending the limitations upon the government and of resisting every encroachment upon them, they can never regain it.” (John Adams)
Meanwhile, up in Canada, their prime minister, Mr. Justin Trudeau, has taken it upon himself to usurp the liberties and freedoms of all Canadians, as well as all who may have reason to travel to Canada, including all U.S. citizens. Beginning on January 15, Canada began enforcement of its vaccination requirement for all truckers who enter Canada at international border crossings.
In addition, all unvaccinated American cross-border truckers are denied entry into Canada. Canadian truckers who are not fully vaccinated “have to show proof of a negative test collected within 72 hours of arriving at the border;” and also “need to quarantine after arrival.”
A reciprocal vaccination requirement for the cross-border trucking industry has been in place since January 22, when the United States began to deny unvaccinated Canadian truckers entry into the United States.
Of the approximate 160,000 truck drivers who serve cross-border routes along the U.S./Canadian border, about 120,000 are Canadian and 40,000 are American. The Canadian Trucking Alliance estimates that at least 85% of all cross-border truckers are already vaccinated against COVID-19 and that “as many as 16,000” unvaccinated Canadian truckers may not be able to continue to work their cross-border routes. In total, including the American cross-border truckers, these mandates will result in up to 26,000 drivers losing their right to regularly run cross-border routes.
“Where the people fear the government you have tyranny. Where the government fears the people you have liberty.” (John Basil Barnhill)
The first protest convoy began on January 22, with several other convoys starting at different locations across Canada, with the intent to rendezvous in the Canadian capitol of Ottawa. In the end, there were thousands of big-rig trucks in the protest convoys. Prime Minister Trudeau at first went into hiding. Police attempted to call in tow-trucks to clear rigs off of the “Ambassador Bridge,” and the tow truck drivers refused to do the job and instead joined in the protest.
Prime Minister Trudeau later asked the Canadian Army to step up and deal with the protests, and the Canadian Army replied that the Canadian government would have to find some other agency to do that job. Eventually, Canadian farmers joined in on the protests with their large farm tractors, and in at least one case, sprayed manure on Canadian police officers.
It appears that the trucker led anti-mandate protests have now gone viral around the world, with truckers in France, the U.K., Belgium, Germany, and the Netherlands each having convoys of tractor-trailer drivers forming convoys in either protest of local mandates, or in support of the Canadian truckers.
“Those who would give up essential liberty, to purchase a little temporary safety, deserve neither liberty nor safety.” (Benjamin Franklin)
My question is, and has been, ever since those in power first began issuing unconstitutional mandates, when will “We the People” say that enough is enough and begin to push back?
“The smallest minority on earth is the individual. Those who deny individual rights cannot claim to be defenders of minorities.” (Ayn Rand)