Dear Friends and Virginians:
On Thursday, July 30, Dr. Anthony Fauci, the former head of National Institute of Infectious Disease, was invited to testify before Congress regarding the origins of COVID19 and the nation’s response.
During his testimony, Dr. Fauci asserted the Fifth Amendment at least 111 times, which enabled him to avoid making any explanation for the COVID19 reactive policies. Notably he already holds a Presidential pardon issued by the outgoing President Biden, so the assertion of “Fifth Amendment” was pure politics.
Fauci’s performance (or lack thereof) elicited negative comments from across the political spectrum. Even liberal voices were muted in his defense, acting more based on anti-Republican muscle memory than actual conviction.
The tragedy of Fauci, of course, was that he could have actually been a leader who saved lives …
When the pandemic came ashore in March 2020, there was mass confusion and ignorance. Instead of waiting for more information, states like California, New York and Virginia instituted mass shutdowns in blatant violation of the U.S. Constitution.
Fauci could have been a voice of reason, but instead chose to burnish his celebrity on media programs while thousands of small businesses failed, millions of children missed school, and senior citizens were neglected.
By the fall of 2020, it was obvious that states that stayed open — Georgia, Florida, Ohio — were achieving the same health outcomes as “shutdown” states. Again, Fauci could have advocated for reopening schools, supporting small business and ending the forced masking of children, which was simply child abuse. Again he failed. These policies continued for years, until angry parents finally said — we’re ending this on our own. (I was one of those parents).
Invited by Congress to share his opinions, Fauci could have admitted that he got it wrong — it happens. Instead, he chose not to talk at all.
The COVID19 debacle remains the most significant event of the 21st century and it’s not close (One day, the Smithsonian may step out of its left-wing comfort zone and examine this abuse of power). It altered the lives of a generation of children who lost years of school, athletic and social opportunities based on a disease that held minimal threat. It radically shifted the wealth in the USA, away from Main Street small business and towards digital Leviathans like Amazon and Google.
Politically, it created a climate of radicalism on the right and the left, as ordinary citizens were left powerless. It gave credence to the belief that most “experts,” including doctors, were full of sh!t.
Fauci is not responsible for all of this; he is merely a symbol of the official deception and arrogance. But he could still apologize.
And for that matter, the shutdown advocates at the state level could also apologize: to the students who missed school, the small business owners who lost everything, the elderly who were left to die alone (Ironically, in Virginia, there has been no political accountability for the shutdown — that will eventually change).
That apology should be as follows:
“We, the legislature of [state], hereby issue an apology to the citizens of our state who were adversely impacted by “shutdown” policies and other public acts between 2020-2022 which took away peoples’ rights, closed small businesses, and denied education to children without a sufficient scientific basis or health benefit. That will not be allowed to happen again.”
We always hear from our progressive friends that Americans must be prepared to have “uncomfortable” conversations.
I couldn’t agree more. Let’s have it.
JCP Notes: On Wednesday, August 12, I will be in the U.S. District Court in Roanoke for one of the more interesting cases of my career: representing Virginia hemp growers and processors seeking to enjoin a new law, which effectively bans 90% of hemp currently sold for human consumption. The problem with the new law, passed without debate in late June as part of the “Budget conference report,” is both its dramatic sweep and the fact that it takes effect on August 15th, which means that farmers that have already planted and harvested crops based on the existing law are suddenly stuck with an “illegal” product. Same with wholesalers and retailers. That’s called a “regulatory taking.” (If you took my Con Law class, you already knew that). We are seeking to stay the new law until that factor can be addressed. (Ideally, the General Assembly can address it during a special session).
Enjoy the summer!
Peace,
Chap