It is to be expected that the 4th Reich would attempt to squelch Free Speech and to deny our ability to communicate with one another. Russell Brand may become a Messiah figure (including the famous crucifixion). There are many that the CIA would love to murder, like they did to JFK.
I had no idea that, while veterans may not get their checks and National Parks will be closed, the corruption/collusion between the Biden Crime Syndicate and the Zelenskii Nazis will continue. Our tax dollars will continue.
It may be that the only way free people can resist is by sabotage. Remember the acts of the Free French the last time the Nazis attempted to conquer the world.
So maybe three out of five voters want to re-up their COVID prescription (though what’s one or two people amongst friends, especially if you’re mostly calling your democrat friends), but I bet that the non-voting third of the country registers much, much closer to 0% than 60%. Which would make that weasely graphic that implies a majority actually be a minority.
SC - Great Caturday Rundown. "COVID IS BACK, EVERYBODY!... Score another one for the modern-day Winston working at the Ministry of Truth.... WILL ANYTHING ACTUALLY HAPPEN?!?!"
In order, they want to get a needle in everyone by leveraging the common cold, they always lie, and nothing ever gets done to help poor John Q. Just another Caturday...
Thanks for reporting. About Texas, if you get into the transcript aways, there are some interesting things said by Rep Brian Harris about what happened to the anti-mandate legislation that failed. I think this relates to issues with the speaker.
MAYOR JAVIER JOVEN:* We have item 14. Consider that the city of Odessa will not enforce any mandates to impose nationally or any or by the state of Texas, this provision mandates would violate any citizen rights to freedom. This item is placed on the agenda by council member Hanie, council member of District Five. Mr. Hanie, would you like to go ahead and lead the discussion?
8:38
COUNCILMAN CHRIS HANIE: I would like to read this resolution. It's kind of short, it's not anything that's overreaching or anything. So.
[reading] Whereas the citizens of the State of Texas and the city of Odessa were subject to injustices in the form of overreaching government-imposed mandates during Covid-19 era and;
whereas unquantifiable damage was done to the citizens of the city of Odessa mentally, emotionally, and financially by the imposition of such overreaching government-imposed mandates;
whereas unquantifiable damage was done to the businesses and commerce of the city of Odessa by the imposition of such overreaching government-imposed mandates during Covid-19 era;
whereas mandates such as masking mandates violate the free conduct a citizen should expect to enjoy, and;
whereas enforceable mandates such as masking mandates put law enforcement in inevitable positions enforcing pointless mandates not based in science or enacted in law;
whereas mandates such as compulsory vaccination mandates imposed by government or business violates a citizen's right to control over their own body, and;
whereas mandates such as compulsory lockdown mandates imposed by an overreaching government violates a citizen's right to freedom and liberty guaranteed by the Constitution of the United States and the state of Texas;
whereas the city council of the city of Odessa has entrusted with the protection this city's citizens' business and those that are employed or and otherwise enjoy the conveniences of the city;
therefore that the city of Odessa will not enforce any mandate that requires a person to wear a mask or any face covering that confines a citizen to their, to their homes or domicile, and that requires businesses to alter business operation including, but not limited to spacing requirements, modified hours of operation, or cessation of, of operations requiring spacing requirements, modified hours of operation, or cessation of operations;
requiring the administration of a vaccine further within the city of Odessa, a person shall not compel, compel or coerce in an individual lawfully residing or employed and otherwise enjoy the convenience of the city into obtaining a medical treatment involving the administration of a vaccine, whether or not approved or authorized by the United States Food and Drug Administration contrary to an individual's vaccination preference.
A health care provider may not provide to an individual lawfully residing in the city limits of Odessa a medical treatment involving administration of a vaccine approved or authorized by the United States Food and Drug Administration unless the provider obtains the individual's informed consent before administering this vaccine.
An individual lacks the capacity to provide informed consent for a medical treatment involving the administration of a vaccine if the individual has been compelled or coerced into a vaccinated [vaccination] contrary to the individual's vaccination preference. A person may not take an adverse action or impose a penalty of any kind against an individual lawfully residing in the city limits for the individual's refusal or failure to obtain a medical treatment involving the administration of a
vaccine. [end of reading]
This is, this is what we're going to pass tonight.
I'm asking you guys to take a hard heart, take a look at what was going on before all of this, the last time that they shut everything down. I want you to remember that oil dropped to zero because of people not being able to get to work, people not being able to do stuff. We don't want this again. We make our living here on the oil field and so, and most people are built around this. And I'm just asking tonight that you take a hard look at this. And. [nods yes]
MAYOR JAVIER JOVEN:* Thank you. City manager Beck—. Excuse my bad manners, we do have have a guest here with us that has traveled from Austin. City Manager, would you like to do the introductions?
JOHN BECKMEYER:* Sure. We have tonight with us Representative Brian Harrison* out of the Waxahachie area. He has been championing the ban on mandates in the Texas House and we're have him here as support for councilman Hanie's actions, action this evening, and to let us know a little bit more about what's happening in Austin. Thank you, Brian.
REP. BRIAN HARRISON: Absolutely. Thank you. I thank you, Mayor, thank you, members of the city council of Odessa. Thank you for your service. Thank you for your bravery. Thank you for championing medical freedom in such a bold way. And I want to say a special thank you to councilman Hanie for taking the leadership and shepherding this process, this historic process, this historic resolution that I'm proud to have partnered with you on, and to be here with you today.
Covid vaccine mandates may destroy medical freedom. They are not justified on public health grounds. They are inconsistent with informed consent. They have destroyed careers. And they have no place in the great and freedom-loving state of Texas.
Unfortunately there are entities in Texas, still, as we speak in 2023, that are still mandating covid vaccines, even though even the Biden administration's own CDC no long-, their own prevention guidelines no longer differentiate based on a person's vaccination status.
Additionally, the CDC recently extended the threat or the pressure for mandates beyond the workplace by adding covid vaccinations to their immunization schedule for all school children in the United States of America. Texas families deserve legislative protection from the efforts of these unelected bureaucrats to pressure unwanted covid vaccines on children.
And I don't have to remind everybody the complete destruction of generational learning loss that was caused not just from vaccine mandates but from school shutdowns and school closures. Never again.
15:00
Perhaps some, some personal background and context might be helpful to you here today. On December 31st, I'm sorry, December, yeah, December 31st, 2019, I was serving as Chief of Staff at the United States Department of Health and Human Services and was notified by one of our subagencies, the CDC, that they had detected 27 cases of pneumonia-like illness in Wuhan, China. That New Year's Eve I could never have imagined that the entire world was about to change. What I did know is that I was suddenly thrust into the center of helping coordinate the United States government's response to a once-in-a-generation pandemic of a virus for which there were no medical countermeasures, there were no diagnostics, there were no therapeutics, there were no vaccines, and that had to change.
On May 1st of 2020 I was one of only eight people in a room in the Pentagon along with the Secretary and Deputy Secretary of Defense, the Secretary of Health and Human Services, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs, and Senior White House officials for what would be the first principal level in-person meeting and what would become Operation Warp Speed.
And one of our main objectives was to bring vaccines to Americans in record time without compromising safety, but from that very first meeting, it was of paramount importance to me that vaccinations be voluntary. And I'm proud to say that when we left office in January of 2021, there were no, zero, federal covid vaccine mandates.
However, since then you witnessed, and I witnessed, something that's been both heartbreaking and infuriating, which is that a program that we designed to save lives be turned into a program that destroys liberty and that destroys medical freedom.
Covid vaccines should always have remained a tool available for doctors, patients, and their families to take advantage of if, and this is critically important, only if it was in the best interest of a particular patient, and if that decision was made only between a doctor and a patient.
And that's why I filed two years ago the Texas Covid Vaccine Freedom Act, to provide medical freedom all 30 million Texans. Because ladies and gentlemen, I, I, I believe, and I know, I know you believe it or you wouldn't be here today doing what you are doing, that you can't truly have freedom if you don't have medical freedom.
And while I'm here today to apologize on behalf of the Texas House of Representatives who has failed to ban covid vaccine mandates in the state of Texas, because I believe all 30 million Texans deserve the type of medical freedom that you are championing today, but they don't have it. The Texas Senate passed overwhelmingly the Texas Covid Vaccine Freedom Act, the Texas House of Representatives had more than enough votes to pass it, and the bill made its way out of the Public Health Committee ten to one, bipartisan, every single Republican supported it and every single Democrat, except for one Democrat, supported the Texas Covid Vaccine Freedom Act. But unfortunately the leadership of the Texas House of Representatives chose to allow Texans to continue being forcibly vaccinated or fired.
So while I am sorry to report that to you today, I am thankful, I am grateful for you choosing to step up and lead where the leadership of the Texas House of representatives has failed. And I hope that your courage and boldness is contagious. I can guarantee you, you're making ripples not just across the state of Texas, but already across the nation. News of what you're doing is alreadyreaching national media outlets. And I hope that every city and county, not just in Texas, but everywhere, every state that has not yet protected the medical freedom of their citizens, that their eyes are turned to Odessa, Texas tonight, and to see the brave, bold, courageous, and I would say historic action that you're taking here tonight.
So I couldn't be more proud to be here with you. I couldn't be more excited for what you are doing for your citizens. Every resident of Odessa should be proud of you here tonight, and I'm just thrilled and honored to be a small part of it. And I know that we don't do a Q and A time here, but just let me leave you with the strongest possible words of encouragement and appreciation for the vote that you're about to take. Godspeed and thank you for your defense of freedom and defense of [inaudible]
MAYOR JAVIER JOVEN: OK. Council, do we have any discussion? Any comments? Councilman Hanie, that was in the form of a motion.
COUNCILMAN CHRIS HANIE: Yes, sir.
MAYOR JAVIER JOVEN: OK. We have a motion on item 14 to consider the city of Odessa will not enforce any mandates imposed nationally or by the state of Texas. Council, do I have a second?
COUNCILMAN MARK MATTA:* I'll second.
MAYOR JAVIER JOVEN: I have a motion by a council member, a second by Council Member Matta. I'm going to change the manner in which we vote. I want to ask Council, those are in favor, by raise, ah, by a show of raising of hand, those that are in the, uh in favor of this resolution 14. All those in favor by raising your right hand.
19:59
[Council members Mark Matta, Steven Thompson, Javier Joven, Greg Connell, and Chris Hanie raise hands. Note that three other people seated at the podium, including the city manager, are not council members, therefore they do not vote.]
MAYOR JAVIER JOVEN: All those against?
COUNCILMAN GILBERT VAZQUEZ: I'm going to abstain.
MAYOR JAVIER JOVEN: We have a passing of item 14 as presented by a favorable six and one abstention. OK? Alright. Council Member Hanie, thank you for taking the lead on this.
COUNCILMAN CHRIS HANIE: Thank you.
JAVIER JOVEN: And, and also I think our state rep has had somewhere to go, so we definitely want to be able to thank him and what he's been doing at uh— there you are.
REPRESENTATIVE BRIAN HARRISON [off camera]: Right here.
JAVIER JOVEN: Thank you very much for everything that you're doing for us up there in Austin, and I hope we, we're here to support that, that fight, and I hope that this winds up taken on in other, other, other communities will take the lead. So thank you very much for everything you do. And once again, accept my apologies for not introducing you right at the beginning.
REPRESENTATIVE BRIAN HARRISON: No, no, thank you. And thank you for your leadership.
While I emotionally and heartily encourage anyone who want to and am able to, to exploit the "religious exemption" loop-hole, I intellectually and on principle loathe the fact that it exist.
Why must an adult, intellectually functioning human refer to a make-believe ghost, to get an exemption?
It all leads to arbitrariness and random endorsement/condemnation of various faiths. What would they do if an employee belonging to Scientology showed up with "a note from teacher" so to speak? Is it valid? Why - because it's a "recognised religion"?
The very concept of "recognised religion" implies that the state and the governement is the ultimate authority on whether or not your personal faith is valid and real. How is that in any way acceptable in a nation where freedom of religion (not freedom /from/ religion, it seems) is explicitly noted to be out of governemental reach?
If an employee shows up and claims to worship the Feathered Serpent, is that valid - and how would anyone ever prove it?
The idea of religious exemption is disgusting, plainly put, and needs to be excised from society. Either you have exemption simply because someone says "It's against my moral and ethical principles" or you don't have exemptions. That's equal, not discriminatory and voluntary.
I just can't stand that intelligent normal adults just have to use some god or other as an excuse, whenever it's convenient, instead of simply stating their will and being upfront about it.
Of course, that attitude, not living with some cultish belief of some kind as an excuse for privilege, is heaps more dangerous for authorities and totalists: it places the onus of power and responsibility on the individual human, not in the lap of governement, bureaucracy or any clerical caste. Christians especially should remember that their saviour got brought up on charges thanks to the co-operation of secular and religious bureaucracy -
-and that he didn't try to wriggle out of anything by claiming "religous exemption". Quite the opposite, in fact.
Employers should, therefore, ordinarily assume that an employee’s religious accommodation request is based on a sincerely held religious belief.
An exception to this assumption exists, however, if an employer is aware of objective facts that question the sincerity of an employee’s claimed belief. If those facts exist, the employer may request additional information to support the claimed exemption.
What Is Not a Sincerely Held Religious Belief?
There is no uniform definition of “religion,” but it is generally accepted that a “religion” is based on beliefs that address fundamental questions about the meaning of life, humankind’s nature and its place in the universe, and the general exercise of faith.
Personal philosophies or beliefs about vaccines do not qualify as a religion. Ways of living, such as veganism, pacifism, or minimalism, similarly do not provide a religious exemption basis.
If an employee requests a religious exemption based on a personal philosophy, the employer may legitimately ask for more information about or question the claimed religious belief. Likewise, requests that are too generalized to understand, such as the statement that “my religion” prohibits vaccination, justify a request for further information to validate the exemption.
----------
The idea that you have to grovel to some paper pusher in order to work is nuts.
By that exception, not a single religion qualifies.
None of them mentions vaccinations. All of them deal with "...fundamental questions about the meaning of life, humankind’s nature and its place in the universe, and the general exercise of faith." and it's no effort to make vegaism et c to fit the quoted part.
It really does boil down to "The state/government/bureaucracy decide for you if your faith is for real".
Just a commentary on Boston Children's Hospital being a "private company", from someone who's had an up-close look: Boston Children's is inseparable - in terms of ownership, in terms of staff, and even in terms of the buildings where those staff work - from Brigham & Women's Hospital, which is inseparable from Partners Healthcare insurance co, which is inseparable from Harvard Vanguard Medical Associates, which is inseparable from Harvard Medical School, which is inseparable from the State of Massachusetts. No, really, it's even more incestuous than you would ever imagine.
It's part of structure that merges "private" and "public", so in that sense it's like fascism, Nazism, socialism, & Communism. Beyond that, however, it's a mistake to call it fascism.
The actual for realz historical Italian Fascists were a bottom-up movement (ironically enough for people obsessed with a big leader) that was loved the working class. Whereas the Eastern Establishment, of which the Harvard Hospitals are paramount examples, is a top-down institution whose feelings toward the working class range from vague antipathy to genocidal hatred.
History tells us there was once a time when the Eastern Establishment held benevolent paternalistic views of the working class; but I certainly never saw anything like that.
A few days ago we were at my SIL’s house. Her moron neighbor strolled over to insert himself in the conversation. He said “It’s great now that COVID is over, you guys can come over and try some of this pumpkin beer I got.” My SIL politely declined, not a beer drinker. The neighbor kept on talking, and no more than a couple of minutes later asked if we knew that COVID was the #1 killer in the country again. He’s going to get the new bivalent shot. Anybody who doesn’t get it is a fool.
My husband and I both laughed. Obviously these morons don’t even listen to themselves.
I call it the performative virtue mystery cooties juice. It's the early 21st century equivalent of wearing some random amulet-- internally-- which is kerazy dangerous. Try talking someone who wears a random amulet out of wearing their amulet-- you won't get far, and they'll just get mad at you. It's like, they've decided they need it, and so they need it, so shut up.
I have a lot of compassion for the people who were fooled into taking the jabs-- they didn't know about GOF research, didn't know about gene therapy having been relabeled "vaccines" and the definition of "vaccine" changed (by the CDC and Webster's) in order to accomodate that, nor about the nature of corona viruses (constantly changing, ergo, one jab isn't going to do it), the fact that the Emergency Use Authorization specified that the jabs are experimental was quickly suppressed, all the censorship, etc etc. These people didn't know any better, their doctors didn't know any better, and they trusted their doctors who, in turn, trusted their government authorities. But, as I see it now, it's like, come on, it's the end of September 2023., way past time for adults with a dollop of common sense to have figured out that this cooties show isn't what it pretends to be.
I’m too tired and far too cranky to say anything besides “I hate all these people.” If these people with influence actually possess powers of reasoning, we are screwed. If it’s all political , we’re screwed. So, yup. Another really frightening, scary week. Ken Paxton? The Texas GOP eating their own....
I'm just happy to share that nitwit Mandy with the rest of you. NC does NOT miss her.
I like to think we libertarians are the control group in this societal "science" experiment.
"How long can normal people live in clown world without going crazy?"
Always a danger, but Screaming into the Void keeps me sane by reminding me I am not alone.
Ha! Maybe *that's* why I can't stop posting!
"A Sharp Partisan Divide..."
The biggest problem is the 39%.
Ah, the Saturday WHUT-UP column. Perfect for a Morissey Sunday morning.
Edit: Uh...afternoon.
Ok the poll says '3 in 5 voters' but what does this mean?
Is this REAL votes (like a 40% turnout of actual US Americans like it's 1940) or the 467 M-for-Biden at 3am votes?
What about non-voters like felons, MS13 members, illegals, babies, dogs (JOKES! OF COURSE THEY ALL 'VOTE').
So many questions about 'voters.'
"...M-for-Biden at 3am votes?"
Perfect description of my recurring nightmare.
(Ever since "sometime" in 2020...)
Alas, it will happen again. US has just been the last country to see that it happens to them as well.
Last country out, please turn off the lights.
Hopefully it *is* a cycle, and we were just unlucky in living on the "wrong" side of the curve...
It is to be expected that the 4th Reich would attempt to squelch Free Speech and to deny our ability to communicate with one another. Russell Brand may become a Messiah figure (including the famous crucifixion). There are many that the CIA would love to murder, like they did to JFK.
I had no idea that, while veterans may not get their checks and National Parks will be closed, the corruption/collusion between the Biden Crime Syndicate and the Zelenskii Nazis will continue. Our tax dollars will continue.
It may be that the only way free people can resist is by sabotage. Remember the acts of the Free French the last time the Nazis attempted to conquer the world.
"Remember the acts of the Free French the last time the Nazis attempted to conquer the world."
Remember, also, the acts of the Vichy. To wit, today's "Vichy" are a democratic majority.
So much for the be all and end all false messiah of democracy.
So maybe three out of five voters want to re-up their COVID prescription (though what’s one or two people amongst friends, especially if you’re mostly calling your democrat friends), but I bet that the non-voting third of the country registers much, much closer to 0% than 60%. Which would make that weasely graphic that implies a majority actually be a minority.
Yep. These are the tricks they use.......
SC - Great Caturday Rundown. "COVID IS BACK, EVERYBODY!... Score another one for the modern-day Winston working at the Ministry of Truth.... WILL ANYTHING ACTUALLY HAPPEN?!?!"
In order, they want to get a needle in everyone by leveraging the common cold, they always lie, and nothing ever gets done to help poor John Q. Just another Caturday...
https://youtu.be/5IsSpAOD6K8?
Thanks for reporting. About Texas, if you get into the transcript aways, there are some interesting things said by Rep Brian Harris about what happened to the anti-mandate legislation that failed. I think this relates to issues with the speaker.
Council Meeting September 12, 2023
CityofOdessaTX, Posted September 13, 2023
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UMUSEnjDCPc
TRANSCRIBER'S NOTE: Odessa, Texas is the first city in the United States to pass a ban on covid vaccine mandates and restrictions. See Rebecca Hardy's article at at the Texans for Vaccine Choice website at https://texansforvaccinechoice.com/odessa-becomes-the-first-city-to-ban-covid-vaccine-mandates/
TRANSCRIPT - EXCERPT
8:11
MAYOR JAVIER JOVEN:* We have item 14. Consider that the city of Odessa will not enforce any mandates to impose nationally or any or by the state of Texas, this provision mandates would violate any citizen rights to freedom. This item is placed on the agenda by council member Hanie, council member of District Five. Mr. Hanie, would you like to go ahead and lead the discussion?
8:38
COUNCILMAN CHRIS HANIE: I would like to read this resolution. It's kind of short, it's not anything that's overreaching or anything. So.
[reading] Whereas the citizens of the State of Texas and the city of Odessa were subject to injustices in the form of overreaching government-imposed mandates during Covid-19 era and;
whereas unquantifiable damage was done to the citizens of the city of Odessa mentally, emotionally, and financially by the imposition of such overreaching government-imposed mandates;
whereas unquantifiable damage was done to the businesses and commerce of the city of Odessa by the imposition of such overreaching government-imposed mandates during Covid-19 era;
whereas mandates such as masking mandates violate the free conduct a citizen should expect to enjoy, and;
whereas enforceable mandates such as masking mandates put law enforcement in inevitable positions enforcing pointless mandates not based in science or enacted in law;
whereas mandates such as compulsory vaccination mandates imposed by government or business violates a citizen's right to control over their own body, and;
whereas mandates such as compulsory lockdown mandates imposed by an overreaching government violates a citizen's right to freedom and liberty guaranteed by the Constitution of the United States and the state of Texas;
whereas the city council of the city of Odessa has entrusted with the protection this city's citizens' business and those that are employed or and otherwise enjoy the conveniences of the city;
therefore that the city of Odessa will not enforce any mandate that requires a person to wear a mask or any face covering that confines a citizen to their, to their homes or domicile, and that requires businesses to alter business operation including, but not limited to spacing requirements, modified hours of operation, or cessation of, of operations requiring spacing requirements, modified hours of operation, or cessation of operations;
requiring the administration of a vaccine further within the city of Odessa, a person shall not compel, compel or coerce in an individual lawfully residing or employed and otherwise enjoy the convenience of the city into obtaining a medical treatment involving the administration of a vaccine, whether or not approved or authorized by the United States Food and Drug Administration contrary to an individual's vaccination preference.
A health care provider may not provide to an individual lawfully residing in the city limits of Odessa a medical treatment involving administration of a vaccine approved or authorized by the United States Food and Drug Administration unless the provider obtains the individual's informed consent before administering this vaccine.
An individual lacks the capacity to provide informed consent for a medical treatment involving the administration of a vaccine if the individual has been compelled or coerced into a vaccinated [vaccination] contrary to the individual's vaccination preference. A person may not take an adverse action or impose a penalty of any kind against an individual lawfully residing in the city limits for the individual's refusal or failure to obtain a medical treatment involving the administration of a
vaccine. [end of reading]
This is, this is what we're going to pass tonight.
I'm asking you guys to take a hard heart, take a look at what was going on before all of this, the last time that they shut everything down. I want you to remember that oil dropped to zero because of people not being able to get to work, people not being able to do stuff. We don't want this again. We make our living here on the oil field and so, and most people are built around this. And I'm just asking tonight that you take a hard look at this. And. [nods yes]
...continued....
...continued...
12:51
MAYOR JAVIER JOVEN:* Thank you. City manager Beck—. Excuse my bad manners, we do have have a guest here with us that has traveled from Austin. City Manager, would you like to do the introductions?
JOHN BECKMEYER:* Sure. We have tonight with us Representative Brian Harrison* out of the Waxahachie area. He has been championing the ban on mandates in the Texas House and we're have him here as support for councilman Hanie's actions, action this evening, and to let us know a little bit more about what's happening in Austin. Thank you, Brian.
REP. BRIAN HARRISON: Absolutely. Thank you. I thank you, Mayor, thank you, members of the city council of Odessa. Thank you for your service. Thank you for your bravery. Thank you for championing medical freedom in such a bold way. And I want to say a special thank you to councilman Hanie for taking the leadership and shepherding this process, this historic process, this historic resolution that I'm proud to have partnered with you on, and to be here with you today.
Covid vaccine mandates may destroy medical freedom. They are not justified on public health grounds. They are inconsistent with informed consent. They have destroyed careers. And they have no place in the great and freedom-loving state of Texas.
Unfortunately there are entities in Texas, still, as we speak in 2023, that are still mandating covid vaccines, even though even the Biden administration's own CDC no long-, their own prevention guidelines no longer differentiate based on a person's vaccination status.
Additionally, the CDC recently extended the threat or the pressure for mandates beyond the workplace by adding covid vaccinations to their immunization schedule for all school children in the United States of America. Texas families deserve legislative protection from the efforts of these unelected bureaucrats to pressure unwanted covid vaccines on children.
And I don't have to remind everybody the complete destruction of generational learning loss that was caused not just from vaccine mandates but from school shutdowns and school closures. Never again.
15:00
Perhaps some, some personal background and context might be helpful to you here today. On December 31st, I'm sorry, December, yeah, December 31st, 2019, I was serving as Chief of Staff at the United States Department of Health and Human Services and was notified by one of our subagencies, the CDC, that they had detected 27 cases of pneumonia-like illness in Wuhan, China. That New Year's Eve I could never have imagined that the entire world was about to change. What I did know is that I was suddenly thrust into the center of helping coordinate the United States government's response to a once-in-a-generation pandemic of a virus for which there were no medical countermeasures, there were no diagnostics, there were no therapeutics, there were no vaccines, and that had to change.
On May 1st of 2020 I was one of only eight people in a room in the Pentagon along with the Secretary and Deputy Secretary of Defense, the Secretary of Health and Human Services, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs, and Senior White House officials for what would be the first principal level in-person meeting and what would become Operation Warp Speed.
And one of our main objectives was to bring vaccines to Americans in record time without compromising safety, but from that very first meeting, it was of paramount importance to me that vaccinations be voluntary. And I'm proud to say that when we left office in January of 2021, there were no, zero, federal covid vaccine mandates.
However, since then you witnessed, and I witnessed, something that's been both heartbreaking and infuriating, which is that a program that we designed to save lives be turned into a program that destroys liberty and that destroys medical freedom.
Covid vaccines should always have remained a tool available for doctors, patients, and their families to take advantage of if, and this is critically important, only if it was in the best interest of a particular patient, and if that decision was made only between a doctor and a patient.
And that's why I filed two years ago the Texas Covid Vaccine Freedom Act, to provide medical freedom all 30 million Texans. Because ladies and gentlemen, I, I, I believe, and I know, I know you believe it or you wouldn't be here today doing what you are doing, that you can't truly have freedom if you don't have medical freedom.
And while I'm here today to apologize on behalf of the Texas House of Representatives who has failed to ban covid vaccine mandates in the state of Texas, because I believe all 30 million Texans deserve the type of medical freedom that you are championing today, but they don't have it. The Texas Senate passed overwhelmingly the Texas Covid Vaccine Freedom Act, the Texas House of Representatives had more than enough votes to pass it, and the bill made its way out of the Public Health Committee ten to one, bipartisan, every single Republican supported it and every single Democrat, except for one Democrat, supported the Texas Covid Vaccine Freedom Act. But unfortunately the leadership of the Texas House of Representatives chose to allow Texans to continue being forcibly vaccinated or fired.
So while I am sorry to report that to you today, I am thankful, I am grateful for you choosing to step up and lead where the leadership of the Texas House of representatives has failed. And I hope that your courage and boldness is contagious. I can guarantee you, you're making ripples not just across the state of Texas, but already across the nation. News of what you're doing is alreadyreaching national media outlets. And I hope that every city and county, not just in Texas, but everywhere, every state that has not yet protected the medical freedom of their citizens, that their eyes are turned to Odessa, Texas tonight, and to see the brave, bold, courageous, and I would say historic action that you're taking here tonight.
So I couldn't be more proud to be here with you. I couldn't be more excited for what you are doing for your citizens. Every resident of Odessa should be proud of you here tonight, and I'm just thrilled and honored to be a small part of it. And I know that we don't do a Q and A time here, but just let me leave you with the strongest possible words of encouragement and appreciation for the vote that you're about to take. Godspeed and thank you for your defense of freedom and defense of [inaudible]
MAYOR JAVIER JOVEN: OK. Council, do we have any discussion? Any comments? Councilman Hanie, that was in the form of a motion.
COUNCILMAN CHRIS HANIE: Yes, sir.
MAYOR JAVIER JOVEN: OK. We have a motion on item 14 to consider the city of Odessa will not enforce any mandates imposed nationally or by the state of Texas. Council, do I have a second?
COUNCILMAN MARK MATTA:* I'll second.
MAYOR JAVIER JOVEN: I have a motion by a council member, a second by Council Member Matta. I'm going to change the manner in which we vote. I want to ask Council, those are in favor, by raise, ah, by a show of raising of hand, those that are in the, uh in favor of this resolution 14. All those in favor by raising your right hand.
19:59
[Council members Mark Matta, Steven Thompson, Javier Joven, Greg Connell, and Chris Hanie raise hands. Note that three other people seated at the podium, including the city manager, are not council members, therefore they do not vote.]
MAYOR JAVIER JOVEN: All those against?
COUNCILMAN GILBERT VAZQUEZ: I'm going to abstain.
MAYOR JAVIER JOVEN: We have a passing of item 14 as presented by a favorable six and one abstention. OK? Alright. Council Member Hanie, thank you for taking the lead on this.
COUNCILMAN CHRIS HANIE: Thank you.
JAVIER JOVEN: And, and also I think our state rep has had somewhere to go, so we definitely want to be able to thank him and what he's been doing at uh— there you are.
REPRESENTATIVE BRIAN HARRISON [off camera]: Right here.
JAVIER JOVEN: Thank you very much for everything that you're doing for us up there in Austin, and I hope we, we're here to support that, that fight, and I hope that this winds up taken on in other, other, other communities will take the lead. So thank you very much for everything you do. And once again, accept my apologies for not introducing you right at the beginning.
REPRESENTATIVE BRIAN HARRISON: No, no, thank you. And thank you for your leadership.
MAYOR JAVIER JOVEN: Thank you and safe travels.
20:51
[END OF EXCERPT]
# # #
TRANSCRIBER'S NOTES
*Councilman Chris Hanie
https://www.odessa-tx.gov/Directory.aspx?EID=172
*Mayor Javier Joven
https://www.odessa-tx.gov/directory.aspx?EID=112
*John Beckmeyer, City Manager
* Texas State Representative Brian Harrison
https://www.house.texas.gov/members/member-page/?district=10
* Councilman Mark Matta
https://www.odessa-tx.gov/directory.aspx?EID=113
While I emotionally and heartily encourage anyone who want to and am able to, to exploit the "religious exemption" loop-hole, I intellectually and on principle loathe the fact that it exist.
Why must an adult, intellectually functioning human refer to a make-believe ghost, to get an exemption?
It all leads to arbitrariness and random endorsement/condemnation of various faiths. What would they do if an employee belonging to Scientology showed up with "a note from teacher" so to speak? Is it valid? Why - because it's a "recognised religion"?
The very concept of "recognised religion" implies that the state and the governement is the ultimate authority on whether or not your personal faith is valid and real. How is that in any way acceptable in a nation where freedom of religion (not freedom /from/ religion, it seems) is explicitly noted to be out of governemental reach?
If an employee shows up and claims to worship the Feathered Serpent, is that valid - and how would anyone ever prove it?
The idea of religious exemption is disgusting, plainly put, and needs to be excised from society. Either you have exemption simply because someone says "It's against my moral and ethical principles" or you don't have exemptions. That's equal, not discriminatory and voluntary.
I just can't stand that intelligent normal adults just have to use some god or other as an excuse, whenever it's convenient, instead of simply stating their will and being upfront about it.
Of course, that attitude, not living with some cultish belief of some kind as an excuse for privilege, is heaps more dangerous for authorities and totalists: it places the onus of power and responsibility on the individual human, not in the lap of governement, bureaucracy or any clerical caste. Christians especially should remember that their saviour got brought up on charges thanks to the co-operation of secular and religious bureaucracy -
-and that he didn't try to wriggle out of anything by claiming "religous exemption". Quite the opposite, in fact.
You and I might find much to disagree about, but I'm pretty much all in with you on this one.
I feel a compulsion to reply: "I disagree!" just for the sheer heck of it. /smiley face-gif/
Now I have to wonder what we might disagree upon?
Don't look now, but your contrarian is showing.
The fool doth think he is wise, but the wise man knows himself to be a fool - Shakespeare
What play is this from? Why do I not know this quote? I took a full year in college....
AS YOU LIKE IT - Act 5, Scene 1.
I for one wonder what it has to do with anything.
I am extremely passive-aggressive and did not want to come out and actually call you a fool. But you have forced my hand.
Atheists, like fools, believe that the Creator is a "make believe ghost".
What makes you call me an atheist?
For added fun, prove which god or pantheon is the true one.
Good luck with that.
Yep. When poking around today, I found this, an article about how to reject exemptions:
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https://news.bloomberglaw.com/daily-labor-report/how-to-handle-religious-objections-to-a-workplace-vaccine-mandate
Employers should, therefore, ordinarily assume that an employee’s religious accommodation request is based on a sincerely held religious belief.
An exception to this assumption exists, however, if an employer is aware of objective facts that question the sincerity of an employee’s claimed belief. If those facts exist, the employer may request additional information to support the claimed exemption.
What Is Not a Sincerely Held Religious Belief?
There is no uniform definition of “religion,” but it is generally accepted that a “religion” is based on beliefs that address fundamental questions about the meaning of life, humankind’s nature and its place in the universe, and the general exercise of faith.
Personal philosophies or beliefs about vaccines do not qualify as a religion. Ways of living, such as veganism, pacifism, or minimalism, similarly do not provide a religious exemption basis.
If an employee requests a religious exemption based on a personal philosophy, the employer may legitimately ask for more information about or question the claimed religious belief. Likewise, requests that are too generalized to understand, such as the statement that “my religion” prohibits vaccination, justify a request for further information to validate the exemption.
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The idea that you have to grovel to some paper pusher in order to work is nuts.
By that exception, not a single religion qualifies.
None of them mentions vaccinations. All of them deal with "...fundamental questions about the meaning of life, humankind’s nature and its place in the universe, and the general exercise of faith." and it's no effort to make vegaism et c to fit the quoted part.
It really does boil down to "The state/government/bureaucracy decide for you if your faith is for real".
'Ego sic dico' is not a good base to build on.
I like how one NYPD sergeant put it in her testimony before the NYC Council: "It's not for you guys to decide."
Same. I did not play their reindeer games in any way. No 'exemptions' for me, thanks. I just simply did not comply.
Can someone more skilled that I adopt the Energizer Bunny from around 30 years ago to play the “keeps on going and going” theme for covid?
Just a commentary on Boston Children's Hospital being a "private company", from someone who's had an up-close look: Boston Children's is inseparable - in terms of ownership, in terms of staff, and even in terms of the buildings where those staff work - from Brigham & Women's Hospital, which is inseparable from Partners Healthcare insurance co, which is inseparable from Harvard Vanguard Medical Associates, which is inseparable from Harvard Medical School, which is inseparable from the State of Massachusetts. No, really, it's even more incestuous than you would ever imagine.
Exactly why it's in quotes.
"Joe Biden"
Ah, so fascism.
It's part of structure that merges "private" and "public", so in that sense it's like fascism, Nazism, socialism, & Communism. Beyond that, however, it's a mistake to call it fascism.
The actual for realz historical Italian Fascists were a bottom-up movement (ironically enough for people obsessed with a big leader) that was loved the working class. Whereas the Eastern Establishment, of which the Harvard Hospitals are paramount examples, is a top-down institution whose feelings toward the working class range from vague antipathy to genocidal hatred.
History tells us there was once a time when the Eastern Establishment held benevolent paternalistic views of the working class; but I certainly never saw anything like that.
I wish I could say what my brain is thinking.
A few days ago we were at my SIL’s house. Her moron neighbor strolled over to insert himself in the conversation. He said “It’s great now that COVID is over, you guys can come over and try some of this pumpkin beer I got.” My SIL politely declined, not a beer drinker. The neighbor kept on talking, and no more than a couple of minutes later asked if we knew that COVID was the #1 killer in the country again. He’s going to get the new bivalent shot. Anybody who doesn’t get it is a fool.
My husband and I both laughed. Obviously these morons don’t even listen to themselves.
I call it the performative virtue mystery cooties juice. It's the early 21st century equivalent of wearing some random amulet-- internally-- which is kerazy dangerous. Try talking someone who wears a random amulet out of wearing their amulet-- you won't get far, and they'll just get mad at you. It's like, they've decided they need it, and so they need it, so shut up.
I have a lot of compassion for the people who were fooled into taking the jabs-- they didn't know about GOF research, didn't know about gene therapy having been relabeled "vaccines" and the definition of "vaccine" changed (by the CDC and Webster's) in order to accomodate that, nor about the nature of corona viruses (constantly changing, ergo, one jab isn't going to do it), the fact that the Emergency Use Authorization specified that the jabs are experimental was quickly suppressed, all the censorship, etc etc. These people didn't know any better, their doctors didn't know any better, and they trusted their doctors who, in turn, trusted their government authorities. But, as I see it now, it's like, come on, it's the end of September 2023., way past time for adults with a dollop of common sense to have figured out that this cooties show isn't what it pretends to be.
I’m too tired and far too cranky to say anything besides “I hate all these people.” If these people with influence actually possess powers of reasoning, we are screwed. If it’s all political , we’re screwed. So, yup. Another really frightening, scary week. Ken Paxton? The Texas GOP eating their own....
...and the gubmint goes, "lie lie lie lie lie lie lie lie lie lie lie lie lie lie lie lie lie lie lie lie lie lie lie lie lie lie lie lie lie lie lie lie lie lie lie lie lie lie lie lie lie lie lie lie lie lie lie lie lie lie lie lie lie lie lie lie lie lie lie lie lie lie lie lie lie lie lie lie lie lie lie lie lie lie lie lie lie lie lie lie lie lie lie lie lie lie lie lie lie lie lie lie lie lie lie lie lie lie lie lie lie..." to the Screamers and others of discretion.