“The price of apathy towards public affairs is to be ruled by evil men. – Plato”
Everybody knows the story of 2020. Entire countries under house arrest, hundreds of millions of us unable to leave our homes, everyday life, suspended. Overnight, our global village became a worldwide quarantine and curfew zone. It was the shutdown of everything – it was the end of life as we knew it.
Fast-forward to late 2021, and lockdowns remain a feature of global life. Alongside them, a new range of unsettling restrictions is appearing, that we separate people based upon their medical status.
News emerging from various countries in the last few weeks suggests these restrictions will have profound implications. For millions of people unable or unwilling to take these trial vaccinations, life will soon look very different.
In Germany, people will be prevented from attending Berlin’s open-air Christmas markets, even if they can produce proof of a negative Covid test result.
Austria has announced its intention to restrict the movements of people who do not comply with mandates.
Similar rhetoric has surfaced here in Australia, where in my home state of Victoria, Premier Daniel Andrews, has referred to large-scale restrictions against the unvaccinated as “not a lockdown anymore, but a lockout.” With further unprecedented rules, restrictions and potential legislation being pushed through parliament as we speak.
Our political leaders are known for dispensing their rhetorical flourishes about freedom and fairness. Yet They now believe it is fair and reasonable to create two classes of people. They now believe Segregation is justified.
Have we not learned from our history?
Their drive for compliance is so strong; that they will divide the western world to enforce it. In the process, our leaders ask that we be willing to dispense with the skills and talents of the unvaccinated, shame and abuse anyone who asks questions or cannot fall in line.
Will the years of training and service of our incredible police officers, doctors, nurses, teacher’s, firefighter’s, soldiers, or care workers become void simply because they refuse a trial vaccine that even when taken does not stop the spread or likely hood of you catching the virus.
Are we willing to deprive millions of their livelihoods with a single tyrannical stroke of a politician’s pen?
This is not about health anymore. It’s about politics, especially when there is no scientific data proving that the unvaccinated contract & spread any more than the vaccinated do. So where is the common sense in all this?
Receiving two doses will not secure our right to operate without restriction. Participation in the new ‘vaccinated economy’ is to be conditional upon our continued open-ended involvement. Given that the vaccine’s effectiveness is believed to wane after 12 weeks, this could involve four booster shots each calendar year, with no end in sight.
Why when there are other solutions, inclusive and safer solutions do they persist to enforce this one size fits all approach. The principle here is not whether you should take the vaccine; that is an entirely personal decision. Many have done so, and that is their right. Others who are hesitant feel they should ask more questions on this new type of MRNA science and conduct further studies in line with agreed upon medical and scientific standards we have used for all other vaccines. Does that seem unreasonable?
The greatest concern is not the choices people make, but what happens if we begin to compel people to make medical decisions involuntarily? What kind of a society do we become, if we allow our governments to act as abusive bullies on our behalf? What kind of society do we become when we make it socially acceptable for ourselves to become abusive bullies, shamming others in the name of ‘health’, Snitching on neighbours & family for not wearing masks or meeting with friends?
Yes, some people plainly support the path of mandate and compulsion. But is it the best way forward? Do we believe that Covid represents such a truly grave danger that all measures taken to eradicate it are justified? Are we ok with disenfranchising members of our communities or even our own families to fight this virus with a 99.7% survival rate?
What about the doctor who saved your daughter’s life last year, or the nurse who gave care to your confused and dying mother? Should they lose their jobs? Your brother-in-law, cousin, friend, or that friendly lady who works in the local shop. Are we going to deny them the very liberties our ancestors fought to preserve?
Because let’s be clear, this will create fundamental divisions within our societies forever and once legislated we won’t be turning back. We are upending our social structure and rewriting our moral laws, all while ignoring history. This policy defines worth based upon your willingness to comply with a government-enforced medical mandate. Is this the will of the people? Is it yours?
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For a great many people the answer is no. Over the past few months, anyone paying attention will have seen the astronomical numbers of people protesting Covid restrictions. Almost every European & Western country has seen wave after wave of almost entirely peaceful demonstrations. Across South America and Latin America, similar scenes have repeated themselves.
Here the Australian people have taken to the streets for days on end, highlighting significant opposition to measures being enforced here. The level of dissatisfaction being felt is vastly higher than that credited by the mainstream media while censorship and Spin are at an all-time high and of course weapon of choice.
Yet, given all the coercion, all the dissatisfaction, all the anger, why hasn’t there been more active resistance from the millions of ordinary people Those who rarely involve themselves in politics.
As a generation raised in an era of instant gratification, millions of us were not ready for a prolonged period of lockdown. We were used to getting what we wanted and getting it quickly. As the weeks became months, we were presented with an increasing loss of control. We lost our freedom of movement, our social contacts, and our relationships with the outside world. We were deprived of many of our coping mechanisms and forced inward. Self-harm, substance misuse, depression, anxiety, and domestic and child abuse spiralled.
Our economies contracted and the prices of essential goods and services skyrocketed. Our children saw severe disruptions to their social and educational wellbeing and even when lockdowns eased, many people are struggling to re-adjust.
For almost two years the media has subjected us to a relentless barrage of fear. It continues to this day. In such circumstances, is it any wonder that people are in a frightened and confused state?
Nevertheless, there is a clear resistance. While many shrink back in the face of a media consensus aggressively enforcing orthodoxy, millions around the world have responded by gathering to protest in different forms. Whether vaccinated or unvaccinated, there is a clear and growing sense that something terrible is happening and that we must look for solutions to change the direction of the current wayward agenda.
My main personal concern and issue is not about whether we should or should not take a vaccine. It’s about the future of our country, the liberties we wish to have and the world we will leave for our future children.
Each of us must decide what kind of future that is – one of segregation, division, lockdowns & censorship or one where we embrace our diversity and preserve our freedoms.
Freedom cannot be a monolith. It cannot exist in a world without risk. We have been raised to be a risk-averse generation who seek approval like a drug and fear being criticised, judged, shamed, or cancelled. Censorship and the gaslighting of dissenting voices are difficult for us to associate with. They can lead to the loss of those comforts and securities upon which we have been told our happiness rests.
It is a crucial time in our history. If the last 18 months has not been enough to open your eyes and show you that then I don’t know what will. I believe it is imperative no matter what medical choice you have made that we unite & cooperate to find solutions that supports our freedoms and makes it possible to build the resilience & mental fortitude required to resist what may become a prolonged contraction of the rights you were born with. We must listen to others, see their perspective, hear their stories and defend their right’s. To do otherwise, will deprive us of our own and lessen all our collective and individual liberties.
This may sound confronting, and it won’t be easy, nobody said it would be. Preserving freedom isn’t. We have never had to fight for ours like our great grandparents and the many souls before them but whether we like it or not it is our turn to fight. The good news is we don’t have to shoot or kill. We simply need to have the courage to use our voice, use out vote, use our pen. It involves thinking and taking massive action and setting aside comfort and complacency. It Involves asking questions, comparing data, and taking a step back to see the bigger picture. What we have is worth fighting for, its worth spending time defending, it is worth the conflict and criticism you will face protecting it. We must allow our innovation, ingenuity, and uniqueness to flourish and support acts of courage and solidarity. That’s the way forward.
There may be challenging days ahead, but we cannot give up on our most valued principles, beliefs & morals and most importantly our hope of finding the good in each other. We all have a civic duty we just have never had to really step up into it. Well guess what, now we do. I hope you find the passion and courage to dig deep and protect what is rightfully yours.