Recent news reports show that COVID cases are surging. Although much less deadly, this surge reminds us of the so-called gift that keeps on giving, causing us to wonder, “How did all this start?”
Millions still suffer (or will suffer) the effects of “long COVID” or a “vaccine injury” that can affect any organ system. Indeed, COVID and the COVID shot have left a wake of people killed or permanently injured, churches closed (some permanently), businesses ruined, child education stunted, and a plethora of other problems. But at least we aren’t currently forced to wear mouth diapers, practice anti-social distancing, or inject unproven foreign substances into our bodies.
An honest COVID review is past due, and there is no guarantee we can get one from the public health system. Unexpected emergencies usually lead to bad policies and worse legislation. It is past the time to correct mistakes and plan for any future pandemics the powers that be may throw our way. Does anyone believe this is really the last pandemic?
Despite the current flare of COVID cases, COVID deaths abated since the arrival of the Omicron variant in the winter of 2021-2022. Yet the public health system doesn’t always admit this, a fact evidenced by Alabama State Health Officer Dr. Scott Harris, who absurdly claimed in January 2022 that Omicron was 10 times more dangerous than the flu.
While the lethality of the current variant is much lower than the original (which had an Infectious Fatality Rate for people under 60 of 0.003%), U.S. excess deaths remain historically high. Abundant worldwide evidence shows the injurious COVID shots wreaking astounding levels of deaths, but the willingness of the public health apparatus to address this is absent.
Despite their control, they must answer many questions, including, "How did the benign nature of a coronavirus turn so potentially dangerous?"
A young reporter once asked President Donald Trump, “Why do you keep calling COVID the ‘China virus?’” Trump’s measured response was priceless: “Because it comes from China.”
That’s true, but there’s much more. Substantial evidence shows that COVID was somehow leaked from a Wuhan laboratory that used gain-of-function research. Just a few months ago, a top National Institutes of Health (NIH) official admitted in sworn testimony that we paid for the Wuhan gain-of-function research through Dr. Ralph Baric of EcoHealth Alliance. Following this belated admission, Baric was blocked from receiving any more funding by the U.S. government.
Most of us have heard of gain-of-function, but only have a vague idea of its meaning. It is essentially research and experimentation that enables a virus or other organism to perform functions it could not ordinarily perform. For example, scientists may take an influenza virus that can be transmitted only by physical contact and enable it to be transmitted airborne. Or they may take a virus transmitted only among raccoons and enable its transmission to dogs and cats.
Patents come with such research allowing scientists and governmental entities to reap huge funding (mostly from taxpayers). Not only is the money received from the absurd ethical compromise of the creation of the pathogens, but this then guarantees more money for the subsequent development of the cure, such as “vaccines.”
Gain-of-function enabled the virus to infect humans and to make it more infectious and lethal. Somehow, the virus “escaped” from the Wuhan lab, spreading through China and across the world. To protect its citizens, China stopped all flights from Wuhan to other cities in China, but callously allowed flights from Wuhan to other parts of the globe to continue.
The COVID pandemic has been and continues to be the worst crime against humanity in history. As such, do the results of gain-of-function research justify the risks? Former CDC director Dr. Robert Redfield says no.
Redfield, who was at odds with Dr. Anthony Fauci for decades, but was unsuccessful in curbing this research, has repeatedly called for a moratorium on such evil (including in congressional hearings). Expecting the Communist Chinese Party to behave responsibly is a tragic miscalculation given their persistent patterns of abuse toward their own citizens, but it is past time for our government to abandon such lunacy.
It is increasingly clear that safer alternatives exist, alternatives that some experts say are also more likely to generate results that can be readily translated into public health benefits.
One thing is clear: we must not risk precious Alabama lives to gain-of-function research. We therefore urge our legislators to consider a bill prohibiting gain-of-function research in all facilities in Alabama: local, state and federal.
Wait a minute. Because of the Constitution’s Supremacy Clause, which puts federal laws above state laws, Alabama can’t prohibit gain-of-function research on federal facilities, can it?
It’s not that simple. The Constitution includes the 10th Amendment, reserving powers not delegated to the federal government to the states.
When the Constitution delegates powers to the federal government, that is the supreme law of the land. And when the Constitution reserves powers to the states, that is equally the supreme law of the land. Unless some provision of the Constitution delegates this power to the federal government or prohibits it to the states, the power is reserved to the states, and that is the supreme law of the land.
Furthermore, a major responsibility of state governments is to protect the lives and welfare of their people. Texas has heroically defended its people from an invasion of illegal immigrants, so our beloved state must protect its people from what we hope will never be called the “Alabama virus.”
Dr. Stewart Tankersley is a medical doctor who practices in Montgomery, Ala., a retired colonel in the Alabama National Guard, and a former member of the Alabama State Ethics Commission.
Col. John Eidsmoe serves as Professor of Constitutional Law for the Oak Brook College of Law & Government Policy (obcl.edu) and Senior Counsel for the Foundation for Moral Law (morallaw.org). He may be reached for speaking engagements at eidsmoeja@juno.com.
The views and opinions expressed here are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the policy or position of 1819 News. To comment, please send an email with your name and contact information to Commentary@1819News.com.
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