On June 12, 2020 we published in our montly print edition an abbreviated version of the apolitical analysis regarding scientific studies on masks' and respirators' effectiveness by Denis G. Rancourt, PhD. His full white paper, "Masks Don't Work: A Review of Science Relevant to COVID-19 Social Policy" is available at our website. (As of June 5, the site ResearchGate.net had censored Rancourt's paper that had been published there since April, 2020.)
I am well aware of the stigma associated with questioning the status quo when it comes to matters of health and well being. You may have noticed the Reader has not had any local health-care advertisers for many years. Nor have we ever had any pharmaceutical advertisers, something all mainstream media rely heavily on to stay afloat.
Longtime readers of this publication are well aware that one of the Reader's primary directives is to question authority. There are troves of documentation worldwide that prove our leaders got COVID-19 deadly wrong in numerous areas. If you have not read Reader editor Kathleen McCarthy's extensive analysis of the COVID-19 science and punditry over the last three months, you can get caught up at the following short links: RCReader.com/y/covid19 and RCReader.com/y/covidmay.
Like sheep, a majority of Americans went along with the national COVID-19 response, deficient in reliable science and protocols. Even those who knew the response was not only extreme, but unjustified, complied with “I guess sometimes you gotta just wear the stupid,” as they scrambled for a mask to go grocery shopping. And even though the relief is starting to sink in that a contagious apocalypse is not upon us, many still suffer needlessly from Corona-phobia.
NOTE: Del Bigtree's video below is a superb rundown of the top ten reasons to not have Corona-phobia.
Even if the heretofore unauthenticated virus was as contagious and deadly as the “trusted voices” wanted us all to believe, the masks we've all donned would not save us. As Rancourt's white paper linked below shows, these masks are not even effective in stopping the spread of influenza. Wait for it … and we don't shut down a global economy and shutter hundreds of millions of people, causing incalculable harm to those who can least defend themselves, with vast financial, bodily, and psychological damage over the flu, do we?
Iowans and Illinoisans went along with this unprecedented response primarily because they believed they had to. The states' executive branches issued proclamations telling us so. Sadly, Americans' collective ignorance regarding our republic's governing pecking order, such as the separation of each branch's powers, is pervasive. A scant few voices rose above the media-fueled panic to remind us that governors don't make laws; legislators do.
Sure, governors have statutory authority to declare emergencies and bypass the people's so-called representatives, but not on the say-so of foreign technocrats. Ask yourself how much will you comply with future emergency orders when your governor cites the World Health Organization again as its primary source for temporarily suspending your rights they swore an oath to protect?
That said, Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds demonstrated a measured response compared to Illinois' Governor Jamie Pritzker. Governor Reynolds stayed in her lane, focusing on conditions in Iowa, while Governor Pritzker abandoned his oath in its entirety. An analysis of both states' fiscal conditions will inform the very different responses, arguably demonstrating that when Pritzker speaks of Illinois' health, he means the financial recovery of his bureaucracy, not the medical well-being of its residents.
Back to the masks studies reviewed by Rancourt in "Masks Don't Work: A Review of Science Relevant to COVID-19 Social Policy." We pledge to publish all letters, guest commentaries, or studies refuting his general premise that this mask-wearing culture and shaming could be more harmful than helpful. Please send your feedback to info@rcreader.com. [UPDATE: August 12, 2020 Still No Evidence Justifying Mandatory Masks]
Nature, and common sense, would have us build our own immunities by living our lives normally and being respectful of others by not coughing or sneezing on them, washing hands, and staying home if feeling ill. This will result in herd immunity overall, and eliminate the need for fast-tracked, ill-tested, and risky vaccines. As the rock band The Who sang, “Don't get fooled again.”
