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Top Three Takeaways – July 22nd, 2021
- Smooth Criminal? Doctor Rand Paul’s criminal referral to the Department of Justice of one Doctor Anthony Fauci is remarkable for multiple reasons. First, that the basis behind it isn’t the dominate news story everywhere all of the time. Second, that Anthony Fauci’s only status change under the Biden administration has been a promotion, as he’s now the top medical adviser to President Biden in addition to heading the National Institutes of Health. While the criminal referral of Fauci is regarding Paul’s allegations that he lied to Congress...the far bigger issue is evidence produced by Paul from 2012 helping to corroborate his claims. In October of 2012 one Doctor Anthony Fauci wrote a piece published in the American Society for Microbiology. In that piece he lauded the practice of animal-virus testing, aka “gain-of-function" research. Quoting Fauci: In an unlikely but conceivable turn of events, what if that scientist becomes infected with the virus, which leads to an outbreak and ultimately triggers a pandemic? Many ask reasonable questions: given the possibility of such a scenario – however remote – should the initial experiments have been performed and/or published in the first place, and what were the processes involved in this decision? Scientists working in this field might say – as indeed I have said – that the benefits of such experiments and the resulting knowledge outweigh the risks. Ok, so forget the whole lying to Congress thing for a minute. Nine years ago, Anthony Fauci said gain-of-function research is risky and could cause a pandemic, but the benefits of the research outweigh the risks. Wow, right? But all he’s managed to do is get promoted while millions have died during a pandemic. That’s one smooth criminal.
- A big, critical, win. On Tuesday the Department of Education abandoned this: The Department of Education (Department) proposes two priorities for the American History and Civics Education programs, including the Presidential and Congressional Academies for American History and Civics(Academies) and National Activities programs, Assistance Listing Numbers 84.422A and 84.422B. What were those listing number things? Directives to implement the Critical Race Theory work, the 1619 Project into all American History and Civics Education programs nationwide. After more than 35,000 Americans spoke up against it via public comments, the effort has been abandoned (for now). You’re making a difference. First in Florida, now at the federal level. What’s left, you guessed it – the local level. Remember, Randi Weingarten, the President of the American Federation of Teachers, of which 78% of Florida’s public-school teachers are members, has called on Florida’s teachers to teach CRT in violation of the law – saying that the union will support them, and they have the backing of “1600 Pennsylvania Avenue”. Every school board meeting should be packed. Your voice needs to be heard and be mindful that right now is an especially important time in South Florida as both Broward and Palm Beach County’s School Districts are going to have new superintendents. We’re making progress, don’t stop now, it’s too important.
- It’s all about the kids. As we’re experiencing the summer surge in COVID cases there’s something we should be mindful of. Narratives. The narrative is that the surge is coming from those who’ve not been vaccinated. The point is to scare those who’ve yet to become vaccinated into getting vaccinated. When all else fails, right? But here’s the thing. While it’s true that the rise is fastest with those who’re unvaccinated there’s something especially misleading going on. Who those unvaccinated people are...It’s all about the kids. In fact, according to the University of South Florida not only is the growth in cases fastest among kids, its the kids under 12, who don’t even have a vaccine option available who’re seeing the fastest growth, with an 87% increase in cases. It might be truthful to say the surge is be driven by those who’re unvaccinated. It’s also, in many respects, intellectually dishonest to not provide the rest of the story.