To the editor:
When can we all be free and normal again?
Not any “ New Normal. “ Not anything created by those who have used fear and misunderstanding to create division and brokenness. Illegal, unconstitutional mandates used by Governor Scott and enforced by AG Donovan to crush Vermont Businesses and families. Interrogating children to punish their families. Who you can have in your home and when. How to run your Business. Who is essential and who doesn’t matter. Not one State employee has missed a paycheck, no matter if they worked or not. But you have, your friends and family have and businesses have been damaged or destroyed because of it.
Some very brave people have stood up and made themselves targets. Michael Desautels [Newport Store owner] is in the fight of his life against Donovan and Scott’s illegal mandates. Donovan couldn’t charge Michael with a crime because he hasn’t broken any law. So Donovan has charged Michael with Civil Violations. Despite the fact that not one employee, any family member, customer or vendor that has been to Mr. Desautels shop has tested positive for Covid – none – Donovan has charged Michael with endangering the public.
Michael had placed a sign in his store to inform the public the employees were not wearing masks. If they were uncomfortable with that please don’t come in. Pretty clear Michael was looking out for the public. Despite this being obvious to anyone capable of thought, a judge ruled against Michael and agreed with Donovan that Michael was endangering the public. Trying to force him and his employees to wear a mask.
The Northern State Correctional facility just a few miles away has forced every staff member and inmate to wear a mask for months now, in total lockdown. No exposure to the public. And they just had a massive outbreak of Covid positive tests. All of them wearing masks and they had a massive outbreak. How did that happen? At least 18 States have ended the lockdowns and mandates. NH state legislators have introduced a Bill protecting business owners from any government overreach. At what point will Scott and Donovan stop attacking Vermonters?
If you feel the need to wear a mask and stand on a dot, feel free to do so. Those of us who know you quarantine sick and vulnerable people, and don’t punish healthy people, want our lives back. That’s the definition of Normal.
Jim Sexton, Essex Junction
Categories: Opinion
I do not wear a mask nor will I do so.. I totally agree with this commentary. Michael Desautels is to be applauded… the state should be condemned for their actions.
You’re lucky though as apparently you live in the northeast kingdom, a largely politically sane locale, as opposed to the, say, Burlington area where Bernie Sander’s groupies run amuck. I’d personally fear doing this myself despite the fact I chose to be and am fully vaccinated as I’m betting some “peaceful” Vermonter (remember when Vermonters actually WERE about peace!) would knock my teeth out….again despite the fact I endanger NO ONE.
Vermont has LOST its identity as an independent, free, safe state.
Thanks, democRATS!!!!!!!!!
Mr. Sexton, since it has been relentlessly well-established by virtue-signaling “journalists” at at the Governor’s press conferences that People of Color are statistically more vulnerable to COVID, by poo-pooing prevention measures you are opening yourself up to accusations of being a racist.
Just a warning, that you may come home and find 50 antifaBLM thugs in your yard terrorizing your family. You do however pose a very good question…even AFTER this virus is relegated to the ashbin of history, with all the leftist, totalitarian measures we have unfortunately gotten quite used to, will Vermont ever again be “free and normal”?
Vermont is the beta-test for the rest of the country. All the more reason to fight, right?! Now that the weather is improving, we will need to organize. I moved here from NYC @ 30 years ago. The Socialist ‘creep’ became apparent to myself when the leveling of funding in schools happened @ late 90’s. It was an awful experience for my children/family. We thought we had moved to a beautific small, Vermont town only to find Big Bro staring nipping at our heels.
Take back Vermont!
Stand up a d fight back. Phil Scott and the rest of his “family” have allowed vermonters to suffer far to long. Our children have suffered families have suffered our vt businesses have suffered black yellow green white or orang . We have all suffere . ENOUGH IS ENOUGH now you want us to not go anywher . Refuse us food in the grocery stor . How about just throwing a Mark on us so everyone knows were not compliant with Scott’s rules. Oh wait you did the downcast have to wear mask . Lol. Good luck with that. If people actually all gathered togeather to fight this once and for all it would be ove . Theres many more of us than them. But we need to stand togeathe . One nation under God……unity
Why would blm congregate around a mans house because he chooses to run his own company his way.
Just sayin
Take back Vermont…….. from seriously crazed leftists who can’t appear to be able to discern reality from pure fantasy!
Changing gender? NO.
VT is racist? NO.
124 genders? NO.
Letting males use designated female spaces & play on women’s sports teams? NO.
Reparations? NO.
Legalized Prostitution? NO.
(You get the picture).
VT VOTERS: JUST SAY “NO”!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I disagree completely Mr. LaChapelle. No part of my comment is directed at any person of color. I actually think it’s very disrespectful to imply this. Everything about the ” virtue signaling ” just like the fear mongering by scott and donovan to imply that not wearing a mask will protect anyone is virtue signaling. Despite the fact that all those at the Newport Correctional Center have been wearing masks for months, there has been an outbreak of positive test’s for covid.
I have never poo pooed anything about this. I flat out call it what it is, a lie. Everyone alive has been exposed to the virus by now. If you haven’t gotten sick it is because your healthy body has defeated it. To the tune of more than 99%. As far as anyone being a threat to me or my family, I am the one responsible for their protection. And any threat will be met with devastating force.
Sorry that you dont recognize my sarcasm…I am on your side on this issue.
Jim Sexton is a very great and committed citizen and patriot !He speaks the truth against tyranny until he hurts inside himself!! The Word of God says we are to obey our government,yet what is missed in other parts of the Word of God is the Government is to be obeying God,and of coarse they are not!That is why this new normal hurts everyone,so much!God and our Constitution is what makes us free,and this takes precedent over tyranny!!
excellent, excellent, excellent article I agree with every point raised, each person is responsible for their own health, let the ones afraid or vulnerable stay home, mask up, let the healthy peop!e get on with life. if masks prevent covid, there would be no lockdown at Newport correctional facility!
The facts are disturbing.
COMMISSAR Scott appears to be Leaning on US the citizens of Vermont TOO heavily. Let us make our OWN decisions as to our health and Lives,
Jim Sexton is right on! Scott Administration is effectively holding Vermont hostage in opening up the economy with the “Vermont Forward Plan”. It requires 70-85% of Vermonters ages 16+ to have taken the first dose of the shot by June 1st before opening the economy more. Even then there is discrimination between “vaccinated” and “unvaccinated” people within the rules of this plan, and the issuance of masks are still encouraged under “Universal Guidance”.
The Scott Administration is wrong to coerce people into thinking they need to take an unapproved experimental shot in order to participate in commerce, attend venues or participate in social activities, etc.
It is also wrong to persuade businesses, venues, schools, colleges, etc. to promote discrimination against “unvaccinated” people, these shots are unapproved and experimental. They are Not mandated as they are under the Emergency Use Authorization and no one can force anyone to take unapproved experimental shots.
This administration is creating division amongst it’s own citizens. These people are adults and are acting negligent in their behaviors as leaders in government, as they all must be informed that this is an Emergency Use Authorization and there are Rules that must be followed. No one can coerce or mandate that you take these experimental shots. Businesses cannot force you to take these unapproved experimental shots in order to shop at their stores, or go to venues or attend a school or college, etc.
While the Pharmaceutical Companies are shielded from liability under the 2005 PREP Act for any injuries or damages to you caused from these experimental shots, that is not the case for businesses, colleges, schools or entities or persons who mandate these experimental shots.
21 U.S. Code Section 360 (e) 1 (A) “Conditions of Authorization of Unapproved Product”; Title 21 Section 360bbb-3 of the Federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act (FD&C Act); Nuremberg Code of 1947, which was ratified in 1964 by the Declaration of Helsinki and codified in U.S. Code of Federal Regulations.
CENSORED FOR MY OPINION. TRUTH HAS NO PLACE HERE.
Don, your comment was never censored – it’s published.
Jim, you’ve got it exactly right in your article, and your comparison of the store with no mask requirement vs the prison with full mask requirement shows just how much of a dog and pony show this has been. Our children are required to wear masks day in and day out at school, and yet we have actual studies, studies plural,that show children are at no risk and are not “super spreaders”. We need more people to stand up, politely refuse to wear masks, and back those businesses that have let people have what we should have had all along: the freedoms of choice and one’s body.
“Take Back Vermont” comment by VTINDEPENDENT received the most (5) “likes”. But what does that phrase mean anyway? I too would like to take back VT but it would be to return to former times when we were good neighbors that looked out after one another. Perhaps what some here would call “socialism” even. My family was fortunate to have good neighbors. We pooled financial resources to pump our water and plow our driveways, dug each other out of snowbanks, had other moms looking out for us sometimes by driving us to the bus stop on sub-zero mornings, shared meals and mittens, and families watched other’s children to ease the burden from parents who needed support. One memorable Christmas Eve, a neighbor “called in” the fire at our house that had ignited when we were’t home and the volunteer firefighters put their lives on the line to put out the fire knowing that , should the fire spread to other houses or the surrounding woods more things of value and even lives could have perished. We arrived home hours later to a thoroughly drenched, charred few rooms but the majority of the house was intact because of good fire management and oversight. 57 years later I still feel grateful that those around me cared for me. So now I’m a healthcare worker who is in constant physical contact with patients so I wear a good mask properly, respect common sense distancing, and practice hand washing to protect others in the best way that the unfolding data suggests . I believe I am part of putting out the fire. And notably, my patients and I share a common fear ( a “common enemy”, if you will) and we bolster each other up in what has been a very sad and difficult year. Yes, we protect each other from the virus but I believe we also express caring and respect which is a very important component of becoming healthy again. Ironically, it feels patriotic: doing something not just for myself but for the benefit of the group. Among the comments I’ve read here are those about protecting individual rights, distrust of data, untrustworthy government that wants to control the individual for the sake of control, taking back individual rights as a patriotic act, restoring commerce, dangers of vaccination, and socializing without masks. I sense that you have community around this and that its a relief to know others view things similarly. I can’t fully disagree with these sentiments- they fall in that difficult gray area- but in the balance of things, benefit of clearing us of this health burden ( death, disability, “mild” cases prolonged for who knows how long, tremendous healthcare dollars) outweighs temporary deferral of my right to move about freely so I will endure the temporary burden of all these things. And yes, I felt I was doing my part by getting vaccinated. I wasn’t duped. I read (with skepticism) the available data, weighed the risk against the benefit, then took the best action I could given the current information. And it has been ok thus far. Noone knows for certain about the vaccine’s future effect but I’ve experienced the effects of Covid personally within my family and I view the uncertainty of the vaccine comparable to seeing that my family and I get out of a burning building: Even with chance that in the jump, injury or even death could happen the risk of serious injury and death are higher if we don’t act. Deny it all you want but there is a correlation between the advent of the vaccine combined with distancing and the virus fire coming under control. That said, it still smolders . VT government is doing a good job- like my old neighbors- of working together to extinguish erupting hotspots that are now waning in number. It’s been tough finding one but a silver lining in this pandemic is a return of my old Vermont.
Caring for neighbors is not something that is/was exclusive to VT albeit so many seem, for whatever the reason, to believe it was. Decades ago a neighborhood was a true community – derived from the word “commune” but over the course of decades, such cultural & social values have eroded due to, IMO, the loss of faith & religion that inevitably leaves younger generations with less of a moralistic foundation to build upon & the onslaught of the drug abuse, addiction, & dependent culture we instead created in a false & dangerous attempt to replace the former values of God, religion, family structure, & community we once lived for.
As far as your willingness to wear a mask for near eternity, that is your choice as a, thus far, “free” American but your reasons for doing so are NOT based in science (neither are 124 genders, a fetus isn’t a baby, you can alter your gender, etc. etc. but those are for another time & perhaps place) For those who have assumed some level of risk by choosing to be vaccinated I should no longer be MANDATED to cover most of my face as according to research conducted worldwide – those who are vaccinated rarely spread this virus & if they were to do so – it amounts to spreading a MUCH less virulent version of it so as to convey, with much certainty, a mild to asymptomatic case which, in effect, would actually enhance herd immunity in those who CHOOSE to not be vaccinated. Therefore, no, I am not willing or able to wear a mask for perpetuity for those who choose to not be vaccinated nor for children under 16 for whom time & time again with very rare exceptions (less than the severe illness & deaths in this age group we see annually with influenza) that Covid19 does NOT affect them in a serious or deleterious manner.
Further, if your unscientific premise of wearing masks until the cows come home here in VT were based in reality – states that have lifted these mandates now would be OVERFLOWING with Covid positive cases filling hospitals & morgues. They are NOT. Instead? The only hot-spot in the USA now re: continued elevations of Covid illnesses is: MICHIGAN….a state with the most rigid lock downs & mask mandates in the nation. Our entire PURPOSE for President Trump’s Operation Warp speed to vaccinate against this CHINESE virus was to bring back normalcy & lessen (not necessarily obliterate) the death toll from this disease – as we are a free nation & NOT ALL people choose to utilize the same health care methodologies as others.
In the SAME manner, I shall refuse to begin to wear a mask at flu season (though I personally choose to have that vaccine as well) for the people who choose not to be vaccinated and/or not to have their children vaccinated. This is all, at this point in time, near insanity that has zero basis in science & is very obviously instead being used as a manner under which to control the masses as the socialist (democrat) party gains more & more traction in our secular, crime-ridden culture & society. Masks are a part of the madness that we are forced to endure just as we are being forced to accept that males can “turn into” females or vice-versa or that biological men should play on women’s athletic teams or that men can become pregnant or that God & religion are archaic notions akin to fairy tales, that openly celebrating Christmas is “offensive” to others, etc. etc. History and science both lead to God in so many ways – yet our children are indoctrinated with the polar opposite untruths.
I will REFUSE to wear a mask forever – not normal, not science.
to Kathy Henry-
A few clarifications needed. I would never claim that good neighbor behavior is exclusive to VT. I grew up here and was responding to the confusion that the application of the “Take Back Vermont” statement for so many things that don’t feel neighborly triggers in me. * I won’t have to wear a mask for eternity. * I don’t understand how wearing a mask impacts transgender issues and “socialism” when wearing a mask is simply for public health. Two family members had a mild version of Covid and are now in the long-hauler population that is a challenge. Because vaccinations do not ENSURE immunity and negative transmission- that’s what the data scientists and epidemiologists are saying anyway- we need more time with the “safe practice” guidelines. Rake the coals til they are out, so to speak.
I respect other’s spiritual beliefs pretty much as they respect others’, mine included. I view any form of Christianity that is divisive and conflated with politics as a twisted version of Jesus’ behavior. The need to completely Christianize this country to the exclusion of other belief systems – that was anglicized by those seeking freedom of religion for heavens sake- doesn’t make sense.That our government should incorporate a single religious beliefs at the expense of others’ (non-christian) beliefs doesn’t jibe with freedom to behave any way one sees fit when it comes to public health that saves lives. Look at the facts: Michigan had to lock down after a resurgence triggered by having stepped away from safe practice so your weird conflation of Covid hotspot in a population using safe practice just isn’t accurate. Finally, your use of term CHINESE virus is a nationalist dog whistle term that has given permission for vicious assaults on Asian Americans that you perpetuate so perhaps you better include yourself in that “crime ridden society”. I’m surprised it passed this editor’s filter. And as for the next generation: I know many in the next generation who are not Christian and are wonderful, productive, “good” people. They were brought up to respect and help their neighbor , expect to be respected, and give thanks when given help. Christians don’t have the market on that.
First of all, I know of NO mainstream Christian faith that seeks to create a “Christian USA” as you imply, (conflated & divisive and…to the exclusion of other’s beliefs). if you know of some, please list those one by one in your next comment. Other than that, Christians have every right to minister of their faith as this was a nation wherein Freedom OF Religion was imperative, but never Freedom FROM religion. With that, I will continue to minister vocally & in writing & say “Merry Christmas” in December. I NEVER even mentioned Christianity once in my posting, yet you mentioned it a # of times, somehow, someway connecting the belief in Jesus to wrong-doing & malice. No what is wrong-doing & malicious today is rioting in cities across the USA, espousing violence, randomly MURDERING police officers, legally permitting abortion up to the point of birth – otherwise known as: MURDER, and VIOLATING federal law by not securing our borders to ALTER voting trends…..malicious, wrong, & simply: EVIL.
HOWEVER – if you want to be made aware of a nation that does to the religious & faithful EXACTLY as you describe above – that would be your CHINA: the Communist Nation who is currently engaged in human rights atrocities and GENOCIDE against millions of CHINESE Uighuers in Communist China being “re-educated” in forced labor concentration camps, tortured, having their organs sold on the black market, forcing abortions, etc. And you have the Colossal gall to claim that I am somehow encouraging violence against Chinese Americans??? Looks like perhaps YOU ought to be under a watch for “censorship” as opposed to me, though I would never condone such – as unlike you, I don’t condone censorship or ANY freedom of speech as socialist espousing & BLM-fawning Facebook, Twitter, VTDigger, Bennington Banner, Yahoo, etc. etc. all do.
Even your OWN Secretary of State under Biden, Anthony Blinken, just stated: “Under growing international condemnation – China continues to commit genocide and crimes against humanity…..including mass imprisonment, propaganda, forced labor, sterilization, etc. Bet your CNN or MSNBC didn’t mention that, huh? Perhaps if you (presumably) didn’t essentially “take a knee” to China in avoiding blaming them for the Covid 19 outbreak & continue to purchase their imported goods, YOU might help to disable that corrupt & murderous governmental regime from further evils.
Are you equally “offended” by Lyme Disease having been discovered there in CT? How about Ebola, aptly named from that region of Africa where it ORIGINATED. What about West Nile Virus or German Measles? Oh, my – the horrors of naming a disease from WHENCE IT CAME. Do you recall anyone beating people up on the streets when they announced they happened to be from Lyme? How about fisticuffs toward the people of color who reside near the Ebola River? No? That’s because Chinese people thus far have been attacked physically for the most part by African-Americans & you can CHECK that REALITY by looking at the FBI’s DOJ statistics. Why? You would have to ask THOSE individuals and I recommend you do so if you can secure their names & addresses through any police reports on file. My guess? They are mentally ill and/or drug dependent or addicted as is the case with most violent criminals, as is the case as to the primary causes of homelessness. Again, FBI DOJ government statistics easily located on line.
Covid19 IS otherwise known as the Chinese Virus, or more specifically: the Wuhan Virus…..btw, a terminology utilized by CNN early last year until they were PROHIBITED by using it in the hopes of damaging President Trump by placing blame on him(????) for a WORLDWIDE virus that originated in CHINA that has KILLED over THREE MILLION people WORLDWIDE!
So please use your CNN & MSNBC twisted propagandized notions, fake news, & expressions such as “white nationalist” (for I am white & I do place the USA’s priorities ABOVE other nations as I am NOT & NEVER shall be a “globalist”) and “dog whistle” to sites where they happily trigger your comrades to fall in step!
They don’t here. And they don’t with at least 50% of this nation thankfully according to recent elections & polls. So continue to preach to the choir……but they don’t sing here!
So many CAPS and !!!!!s MUST make you right.
Mr. Sexton asked in the article above, “At what point will Scott and Donovan stop attacking Vermonters?” I believe the answer is, when Vermonters finally stand up for Liberty, unified and together, rightfully taking back their Freedom which is given by God not men. For far too long Vermont has been ransacked and dominated by socialist ideologies and it must stop before it gets worse. The writing is on the wall.
2 Chronicles 7:14 – if My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land.
Lawless Legislators, lawless GoverNOT, these mandates are not laws. I do not follow these mandates made by frightened and/or greedy and/or uneducated people whom I did not elect. We all must ignore these ______(fill in the blank) together, because the VT Constitution and Declaration of Rights is the LAW OF THIS LAND. These elected people have forgotten their Oath and what their jobs are. They have strayed from protecting our rights and they think they are our Doctors and Mothers.
Susan Bowen
Ever hear of being emphatic? Ever hear that using CAPS and what are termed “punctuation marks” in the written word aren’t illegal????? And I am right(!!!) So thanks!
So right