lifesitenews--2020-03-27--Radical liberal group: Corona panic perfect time to abolish the family

March 27 , 2020 ( LifeSiteNews ) — I ’ ve always been close to my family , but the coronavirus pandemic and the requisite social distancing have reminded me not to take them for granted .
Never again will I “ just drop by ” my parents ’ place without being reminded that it is a blessing to be able to do so .
My toddler daughter is so fed up with not seeing her extended family that she frequently demands that we video-call her grandparents , aunts , and uncles .
Like everyone else , I worry about @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the panic , many of us are feeling profoundly grateful for the families we have been blessed with .
But if you are a certain type of progressive , this global upheaval presents an opportunity .
Open Democracy , for example , published an essay this week with this headline : “ The coronavirus crisis shows it ’ s time to abolish the family.
” Open Democracy ’ s motto is “ free thinking for the world , ” and I certainly hope nobody is paying for that garbage .
But the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ reminder that many progressives see this crisis as an opportunity to further their political agenda , especially as large swathes of the population are at this point willing to accept massive government oversight of their lives in order to flatten the curve and protect the elderly and the vulnerable .
This crisis has taught us that our families are essential and that our elderly are valuable , and I hope we remember these lessons when this is all over .
But if you ’ re one of the clowns over at Open Democracy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ entirely different conclusions — conclusions such as the fact that we must get over “ the mystification of the couple-form ; the romanticisation of kinship ; and the sanitization of the fundamentally unsafe space that is private property.
” And why do we have to “ get over ” the idea of marriage and cease “ romanticizing kinship , ” whatever that means ?
Because of “ the power asymmetries of housework ( reproductive labor being so gendered ) ... of patriarchal parenting and ( often ) the institution of marriage.
” One @ @ @ @ @ @ @ gibberish had to suffer in order to produce such twisted nonsense .
Homes , Open Democracy informs us , are fundamentally unsafe : “ [ q ] ueer and feminized people , especially very old and very young ones , are definitionally not safe there : their flourishing in the capitalist home is the exception , not the rule .
It follows that , upon closer inspection , both terms — ‘ social distancing ’ and ‘ sheltering in place ’ — appear remarkable as much for what they don ’ t say @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and naturalize ) as what they do .
Sheltering in what place ... and in whose ?
Distance from whom ... or everyone but whom ?
” Obviously , domestic abuse is an enormous issue , and the sad fact is that some people will feel trapped in their homes .
But I would argue that family breakdown has contributed to abuse rather than lessened it , and that the idea of getting rid of the family to eliminate domestic abuse would exacerbate the problem rather than mitigate it .
But according to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ no time to forget about family abolition.
” In fact , even when homes are safe , the author theorizes , they are still awful and should still be abolished : [ E ] ven when the private nuclear household poses no direct physical or mental threat to one ’ s person — no spouse-battering , no child rape , and no queer-bashing — the private family qua mode of social reproduction still , frankly , sucks .
It genders , nationalizes and races us .
It norms us for productive work .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ individuals.
’ It minimizes costs for capital while maximizing human beings ’ life-making labor ( across billions of tiny boxes , each kitted out — absurdly — with its own kitchen , micro-crèche and laundry ) .
It blackmails us into mistaking the only sources of love and care we have for the extent of what is possible .
We deserve better than the family .
And the time of corona is an excellent time to practice abolishing it .
I suspect that there is as much of Freud as Marx in all @ @ @ @ @ @ @ attempting to contain a pandemic by collectivizing and moving us into large group homes escapes me .
Perhaps it escapes the author , as well , as I see that this essay is long on abolishing things and short on what , exactly , those things will be replaced with .
( Smart Marxists always remain fuzzy on the details . )
But I think this crisis , whatever else it brings , will be doing precisely the opposite of what the progressives over at Open Democracy hope .
Yes , there are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ most of us , our families are the silver lining in all of this .
Trying to figure out where all of this is headed and to plan for the future is stressful , but all of that can vanish the minute your two-year-old tugs on your sleeve and says : “ Hey , Daddy .
Wan na snuggle for a minute ?
” Jonathon ’ s new podcast , The Van Maren Show , is dedicated to telling the stories of the pro-life and pro-family movement .
In his latest episode , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of The Trouble with Canada and a Canadian political philosopher , businessman , and former Olympian .
The discussion centers on how socialism has taken such a strong hold in Canada and the impacts it has had on the country , plus what Canadians can do in the here and now to restore their country and the warnings Canada offers other nations , like the United States , considering going down the same path .
You can subscribe here and listen to the episode below :

March 27, 2020 (LifeSiteNews) — I’ve always been close to my family, but the coronavirus pandemic and the requisite social distancing have reminded me not to take them for granted. Never again will I “just drop by” my parents’ place without being reminded that it is a blessing to be able to do so. My toddler daughter is so fed up with not seeing her extended family that she frequently demands that we video-call her grandparents, aunts, and uncles. Like everyone else, I worry about my elderly grandparents. In the midst of the panic, many of us are feeling profoundly grateful for the families we have been blessed with.
But if you are a certain type of progressive, this global upheaval presents an opportunity. Open Democracy, for example, published an essay this week with this headline: “The coronavirus crisis shows it’s time to abolish the family.”
Open Democracy’s motto is “free thinking for the world,” and I certainly hope nobody is paying for that garbage. But the group’s essay is a good reminder that many progressives see this crisis as an opportunity to further their political agenda, especially as large swathes of the population are at this point willing to accept massive government oversight of their lives in order to flatten the curve and protect the elderly and the vulnerable. This crisis has taught us that our families are essential and that our elderly are valuable, and I hope we remember these lessons when this is all over.
But if you’re one of the clowns over at Open Democracy, the crisis is leading you to entirely different conclusions — conclusions such as the fact that we must get over “the mystification of the couple-form; the romanticisation of kinship; and the sanitization of the fundamentally unsafe space that is private property.” And why do we have to “get over” the idea of marriage and cease “romanticizing kinship,” whatever that means? Because of “the power asymmetries of housework (reproductive labor being so gendered) … of patriarchal parenting and (often) the institution of marriage.” One genuinely wonders what the author of this gibberish had to suffer in order to produce such twisted nonsense.
Follow Jonathon van Maren on Facebook
Homes, Open Democracy informs us, are fundamentally unsafe: “[q]ueer and feminized people, especially very old and very young ones, are definitionally not safe there: their flourishing in the capitalist home is the exception, not the rule. It follows that, upon closer inspection, both terms — ‘social distancing’ and ‘sheltering in place’ — appear remarkable as much for what they don’t say (that is, what they presume and naturalize) as what they do. Sheltering in what place…and in whose? Distance from whom…or everyone but whom?”
Obviously, domestic abuse is an enormous issue, and the sad fact is that some people will feel trapped in their homes. But I would argue that family breakdown has contributed to abuse rather than lessened it, and that the idea of getting rid of the family to eliminate domestic abuse would exacerbate the problem rather than mitigate it. But according to Open Democracy, “the pandemic is no time to forget about family abolition.” In fact, even when homes are safe, the author theorizes, they are still awful and should still be abolished:
[E]ven when the private nuclear household poses no direct physical or mental threat to one’s person — no spouse-battering, no child rape, and no queer-bashing — the private family qua mode of social reproduction still, frankly, sucks. It genders, nationalizes and races us. It norms us for productive work. It makes us believe we are ‘individuals.’ It minimizes costs for capital while maximizing human beings’ life-making labor (across billions of tiny boxes, each kitted out — absurdly — with its own kitchen, micro-crèche and laundry). It blackmails us into mistaking the only sources of love and care we have for the extent of what is possible. We deserve better than the family. And the time of corona is an excellent time to practice abolishing it.
I suspect that there is as much of Freud as Marx in all of that, as the logic of attempting to contain a pandemic by collectivizing and moving us into large group homes escapes me. Perhaps it escapes the author, as well, as I see that this essay is long on abolishing things and short on what, exactly, those things will be replaced with. (Smart Marxists always remain fuzzy on the details.) But I think this crisis, whatever else it brings, will be doing precisely the opposite of what the progressives over at Open Democracy hope. Yes, there are genuinely tragic situations occurring. But for most of us, our families are the silver lining in all of this. Trying to figure out where all of this is headed and to plan for the future is stressful, but all of that can vanish the minute your two-year-old tugs on your sleeve and says: “Hey, Daddy. Wanna snuggle for a minute?”
Jonathon’s new podcast, The Van Maren Show, is dedicated to telling the stories of the pro-life and pro-family movement. In his latest episode, he speaks with William Gairdner, author of The Trouble with Canada and a Canadian political philosopher, businessman, and former Olympian. The discussion centers on how socialism has taken such a strong hold in Canada and the impacts it has had on the country, plus what Canadians can do in the here and now to restore their country and the warnings Canada offers other nations, like the United States, considering going down the same path.
You can subscribe here and listen to the episode below:
Follow Jonathon Jonathon Van Maren is a public speaker, writer, and pro-life activist. His commentary has been translated into more than eight languages and published widely online as well as print newspapers such as the Jewish Independent, the National Post, the Hamilton Spectator and others. He has received an award for combating anti-Semitism in print from the Jewish organization B’nai Brith. His commentary has been featured on CTV Primetime, Global News, EWTN, and the CBC as well as dozens of radio stations and news outlets in Canada and the United States. He speaks on a wide variety of cultural topics across North America at universities, high schools, churches, and other functions. Some of these topics include abortion, pornography, the Sexual Revolution, and euthanasia. Jonathon holds a Bachelor of Arts Degree in history from Simon Fraser University, and is the communications director for the Canadian Centre for Bio-Ethical Reform. Jonathon’s first book, The Culture War, was released in 2016.
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lifesitenews--2020-03-27--Women should be eligible for draft, military commission recommends

March 27 , 2020 ( LifeSiteNews ) – If America ever again mandates its citizens into military service , it should draft women to serve alongside men , according to a new report released this week by a military panel .
After undertaking what it calls “ extensive deliberations , ” the National Commission on Military , National & Public Service recommends that women ages 18 to 26 be required to register for the Selective Service pool alongside men , Fox News reported , as part of a broader effort `` to modernize , enhance and improve America 's system @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and abilities of all Americans if a national emergency requires lawmakers to do so . ''
`` Should future circumstances become so dire that a draft is required , it is in the national security interest of the United States to be able to draw on the best talent in the country for military service , '' according to the commission 's report .
`` Roughly doubling the pool from which the nation might obtain conscripts would improve military readiness by raising the quality of those who might serve , as some women @ @ @ @ @ @ @ some men . ''
Politico reported that the Pentagon has yet to comment on the recommendation .
The Hill noted that Congress created the National Commission on Military , National & Public Service in 2016 specifically to examine this question .
Rep. Mac Thornberry , R-Texas , who sits on the House Armed Services Committee , was noncommittal beyond a statement that he will give all of the Commission ’ s recommendations “ attention and consideration , ” and “ look ( s ) forward to examining the data and arguments the commission @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Senior U.S. District Judge Gray Miller ruled that limiting the draft to men was discriminatory , as women already serve in most other capacities in the military .
The Trump administration appealed the ruling .
Critics oppose extending the draft to women for both practical reasons of military effectiveness and out of cultural concerns , namely the further erosion of differences between the sexes .
In 2016 , Marine Corps veteran Jude Eden , who served in Iraq , shared why she was against drafting women for the front lines : “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of replacing combat troops ; it ’ s for replacing infantry , ” she explained .
“ It ’ s not for playing in the band , it ’ s not for being a cook , it ’ s not for riding a desk to free a man to fight , as the saying went back in World War II .
It ’ s to replace men when they ’ re dying by the thousands in the front who are attacking the enemy .
Women don ’ t have an equal opportunity to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are being fed a bill of goods that this is about equal rights , and if women have equal rights then they should be drafted too .
All of this is garbage , ” Eden continued .
“ Equal rights do not mean that we must do the same things .
It doesn ’ t mean that we can perform the same roles , especially when those roles require intense physical demand .
No matter how prevalent feminism becomes , it will not make women ’ s bones as dense as men ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ boundless supplies of testosterone coursing through our veins.
” “ I mean , we can juice all our females and send them all to CrossFit , but they ’ re still not gon na be , against men who want to kill them , that ’ s not an equal opportunity to survive .
They ’ ll target those women first .
Women are higher-value targets not only as POWs , but as video fodder , for video propaganda to demoralize the country , demoralize the units , demoralize the war effort.
” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ such a change could take effect : Congress would have to vote to have women register with the Selective Service , then Congress would have to vote on a new law reinstating the draft , which was abolished in 1973 .

March 27, 2020 (LifeSiteNews) – If America ever again mandates its citizens into military service, it should draft women to serve alongside men, according to a new report released this week by a military panel.
After undertaking what it calls “extensive deliberations,” the National Commission on Military, National & Public Service recommends that women ages 18 to 26 be required to register for the Selective Service pool alongside men, Fox News reported, as part of a broader effort “to modernize, enhance and improve America's system to draw on the talents, skills and abilities of all Americans if a national emergency requires lawmakers to do so.”
“Should future circumstances become so dire that a draft is required, it is in the national security interest of the United States to be able to draw on the best talent in the country for military service,” according to the commission's report. “Roughly doubling the pool from which the nation might obtain conscripts would improve military readiness by raising the quality of those who might serve, as some women would be more qualified to serve than some men.”
Politico reported that the Pentagon has yet to comment on the recommendation. The Hill noted that Congress created the National Commission on Military, National & Public Service in 2016 specifically to examine this question.
Rep. Mac Thornberry, R-Texas, who sits on the House Armed Services Committee, was noncommittal beyond a statement that he will give all of the Commission’s recommendations “attention and consideration,” and “look(s) forward to examining the data and arguments the commission has compiled more closely.”
Last year, Senior U.S. District Judge Gray Miller ruled that limiting the draft to men was discriminatory, as women already serve in most other capacities in the military. The Trump administration appealed the ruling.
Critics oppose extending the draft to women for both practical reasons of military effectiveness and out of cultural concerns, namely the further erosion of differences between the sexes.
In 2016, Marine Corps veteran Jude Eden, who served in Iraq, shared why she was against drafting women for the front lines:
“The draft is for the sole purpose of replacing combat troops; it’s for replacing infantry,” she explained. “It’s not for playing in the band, it’s not for being a cook, it’s not for riding a desk to free a man to fight, as the saying went back in World War II. It’s to replace men when they’re dying by the thousands in the front who are attacking the enemy. Women don’t have an equal opportunity to survive in those circumstances.”
“We are being fed a bill of goods that this is about equal rights, and if women have equal rights then they should be drafted too. All of this is garbage,” Eden continued. “Equal rights do not mean that we must do the same things. It doesn’t mean that we can perform the same roles, especially when those roles require intense physical demand. No matter how prevalent feminism becomes, it will not make women’s bones as dense as men’s. It will not give us boundless supplies of testosterone coursing through our veins.”
“I mean, we can juice all our females and send them all to CrossFit, but they’re still not gonna be, against men who want to kill them, that’s not an equal opportunity to survive. They’ll target those women first. Women are higher-value targets not only as POWs, but as video fodder, for video propaganda to demoralize the country, demoralize the units, demoralize the war effort.”
Two things would have to happen before such a change could take effect: Congress would have to vote to have women register with the Selective Service, then Congress would have to vote on a new law reinstating the draft, which was abolished in 1973.
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lifesitenews--2020-03-27--US health bureaucrats prioritized frivolous research over coronavirus warning

March 27 , 2020 ( American Thinker ) — If there 's one thing the coronavirus experience has taught us , it 's that bureaucracies do n't function as well as they 're supposed to .
In New York , the bureaucracy opted to spend $ 500 million on illegal aliens instead of on ventilators .
Likewise , during the Obama administration , after the 2009 H1N1 epidemic , the Obama administration , despite warnings , never bothered to replenish stockpiles of N95 .
It turns out now that the NIH was also doing the bureaucratic equivalent of twiddling its @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to prepare America for the next pandemic .
It 's sheer luck — mixed in with Trump 's foresight about China and good management skills — that Johns Hopkins , in late 2019 , ranked America as the best prepared country in the world for handling a pandemic .
Twelve and a half years ago , in October 2007 , researchers at the University of Hong Kong published an article entitled `` Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus as an Agent of Emerging and Reemerging Infection . ''
The introduction , which looked back @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a coronavirus Petri dish and warned that there could be a repeat of a SARS-style pandemic based upon Chinese food and lifestyle practices ( emphasis added ) : Severe acute respiratory syndrome ( SARS ) coronavirus ( SARS-CoV ) is a novel virus that caused the first major pandemic of the new millennium ( 89 , 180 , 259 ) .
The rapid economic growth in southern China has led to an increasing demand for animal proteins including those from exotic game food animals such as civets .
Large numbers and varieties of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and the lack of biosecurity measures in wet markets allowed the jumping of this novel virus from animals to human ( 353 , 376 ) .
Its capacity for human-to-human transmission , the lack of awareness in hospital infection control , and international air travel facilitated the rapid global dissemination of this agent .
Over 8,000 people were affected , with a crude fatality rate of 10 % .
The acute and dramatic impact on health care systems , economies , and societies of affected countries within just a few months of early @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The small reemergence of SARS in late 2003 after the resumption of the wildlife market in southern China and the recent discovery of a very similar virus in horseshoe bats , bat SARS-CoV , suggested that SARS can return if conditions are fit for the introduction , mutation , amplification , and transmission of this dangerous virus ( 45 , 190 , 215 , 347 ) .
Here , we review the biology of the virus in relation to the epidemiology , clinical presentation , pathogenesis , laboratory diagnosis , animal models @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , immunization , and infection control .
The National Institutes of Health is the government agency primarily responsible for biomedical and public health research .
After SARS and , again , after H1N1 , the NIH , along with the CDC , should have been paying close attention to illnesses emerging in China and other third-world countries .
It 's important to note in this regard that China 's risky practices were not so esoteric that the NIH and CDC could n't reasonably have been expected to know about them .
In November @ @ @ @ @ @ @ reared up in China , Smithsonian Magazine was asking , `` Is China Ground Zero for a Future Pandemic ? ''
Although the article was concerned with diseases originating with birds , it still stated pertinent facts relevant to all animal-to-human viruses : But China is uniquely positioned to create a novel flu virus that kills people .
On Chinese farms , people , poultry and other livestock often live in close proximity .
Pigs can be infected by both bird flu and human flu viruses , becoming potent `` mixing vessels '' @ @ @ @ @ @ @ combine and possibly form new and deadly strains .
The public 's taste for freshly killed meat , and the conditions at live markets , create ample opportunity for humans to come in contact with these new mutations .
If the NIH was n't paying attention to China , what was it doing ?
It was doing fun and trendy stuff , the bureaucratic equivalent of playing video games instead of working .
On Thursday , John Solomon published a scathing article about the NIH 's costly failures : On a steamy summer @ @ @ @ @ @ @ storied National Institutes of Health headquarters , Dr. Michael Bracken delivered a stark message to an audience that dedicated its life , and owed its living , to medical research .
As much as 87.5 % of biomedical research is wasted or inefficient , the respected Yale University epidemiologist declared in a sobering assessment for a federal research agency that spends about $ 40 billion a year on medical studies .
He backed his staggering statistic with these additional stats : 50 out of every 100 medical studies fail to produce published findings @ @ @ @ @ @ @ publish have serious design flaws .
And those that are n't flawed and manage to publish are often needlessly redundant .
The same article points out that , in the time since the Hong Kong study emerged , the NIH spent millions on drunk monkeys , fat lesbians , television 's effects in Vietnam , soap operas for people with HIV , and querying whether alcohol drives stupid gambling decisions .
The best thing that could come out of the coronavirus experience would be for the media to be permanently damaged and discounted @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for Trump to have the wind at his back when he ultimately shrinks and revamps America 's overweight , lazy , expensive , and ineffective bureaucracy .
Published with permission from the American Thinker .

If the National Institutes for Health wasn't paying attention to China, what was it doing? Fun and trendy stuff, the bureaucratic equivalent of playing video games instead of working.
March 27, 2020 (American Thinker) — If there's one thing the coronavirus experience has taught us, it's that bureaucracies don't function as well as they're supposed to. In New York, the bureaucracy opted to spend $500 million on illegal aliens instead of on ventilators. Likewise, during the Obama administration, after the 2009 H1N1 epidemic, the Obama administration, despite warnings, never bothered to replenish stockpiles of N95.
It turns out now that the NIH was also doing the bureaucratic equivalent of twiddling its thumbs when it should have been acting to prepare America for the next pandemic. It's sheer luck — mixed in with Trump's foresight about China and good management skills — that Johns Hopkins, in late 2019, ranked America as the best prepared country in the world for handling a pandemic.
Twelve and a half years ago, in October 2007, researchers at the University of Hong Kong published an article entitled “Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus as an Agent of Emerging and Reemerging Infection.” The introduction, which looked back at SARS, described how China was a coronavirus Petri dish and warned that there could be a repeat of a SARS-style pandemic based upon Chinese food and lifestyle practices (emphasis added):
Severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) coronavirus (SARS-CoV) is a novel virus that caused the first major pandemic of the new millennium (89, 180, 259). The rapid economic growth in southern China has led to an increasing demand for animal proteins including those from exotic game food animals such as civets. Large numbers and varieties of these wild game mammals in overcrowded cages and the lack of biosecurity measures in wet markets allowed the jumping of this novel virus from animals to human (353, 376). Its capacity for human-to-human transmission, the lack of awareness in hospital infection control, and international air travel facilitated the rapid global dissemination of this agent. Over 8,000 people were affected, with a crude fatality rate of 10%. The acute and dramatic impact on health care systems, economies, and societies of affected countries within just a few months of early 2003 was unparalleled since the last plague. The small reemergence of SARS in late 2003 after the resumption of the wildlife market in southern China and the recent discovery of a very similar virus in horseshoe bats, bat SARS-CoV, suggested that SARS can return if conditions are fit for the introduction, mutation, amplification, and transmission of this dangerous virus (45, 190, 215, 347). Here, we review the biology of the virus in relation to the epidemiology, clinical presentation, pathogenesis, laboratory diagnosis, animal models or hosts, and options for treatment, immunization, and infection control.
The National Institutes of Health is the government agency primarily responsible for biomedical and public health research. After SARS and, again, after H1N1, the NIH, along with the CDC, should have been paying close attention to illnesses emerging in China and other third-world countries.
It's important to note in this regard that China's risky practices were not so esoteric that the NIH and CDC couldn't reasonably have been expected to know about them. In November 2017, two years before the coronavirus reared up in China, Smithsonian Magazine was asking, “Is China Ground Zero for a Future Pandemic?” Although the article was concerned with diseases originating with birds, it still stated pertinent facts relevant to all animal-to-human viruses:
But China is uniquely positioned to create a novel flu virus that kills people. On Chinese farms, people, poultry and other livestock often live in close proximity. Pigs can be infected by both bird flu and human flu viruses, becoming potent “mixing vessels” that allow genetic material from each to combine and possibly form new and deadly strains. The public's taste for freshly killed meat, and the conditions at live markets, create ample opportunity for humans to come in contact with these new mutations.
If the NIH wasn't paying attention to China, what was it doing? It was doing fun and trendy stuff, the bureaucratic equivalent of playing video games instead of working. On Thursday, John Solomon published a scathing article about the NIH's costly failures:
On a steamy summer day inside the lecture auditorium of the storied National Institutes of Health headquarters, Dr. Michael Bracken delivered a stark message to an audience that dedicated its life, and owed its living, to medical research. As much as 87.5% of biomedical research is wasted or inefficient, the respected Yale University epidemiologist declared in a sobering assessment for a federal research agency that spends about $40 billion a year on medical studies. He backed his staggering statistic with these additional stats: 50 out of every 100 medical studies fail to produce published findings, and half of those that do publish have serious design flaws. And those that aren't flawed and manage to publish are often needlessly redundant.
The same article points out that, in the time since the Hong Kong study emerged, the NIH spent millions on drunk monkeys, fat lesbians, television's effects in Vietnam, soap operas for people with HIV, and querying whether alcohol drives stupid gambling decisions.
The best thing that could come out of the coronavirus experience would be for the media to be permanently damaged and discounted. The next best thing would be for Trump to have the wind at his back when he ultimately shrinks and revamps America's overweight, lazy, expensive, and ineffective bureaucracy.
Published with permission from the American Thinker.
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lifesitenews--2020-03-27--Top Trump coronavirus doctor rebukes media for spreading panic about pandemic

March 27 , 2020 ( American Thinker ) — There have been a few consistent points that many of those who post at American Thinker have been making .
The main point is that the media are deliberately fomenting panic .
They do this partly because that 's the nature of media ( `` if it bleeds , it leads '' ) and partly because most members of America 's media are Trump-haters .
They would willingly send America into an economic nosedive if it meant routing Trump from the White House .
Still , another thing we 've been @ @ @ @ @ @ @ innumerates .
They glom onto whatever large , scary , Trump-injuring numbers come their way , and then they run with those numbers .
When it comes to coronavirus , American Thinker writers have been pointing out • That coronavirus is a serious disease that moves quickly through society and preys cruelly on the aged , the unhealthy , and the unlucky .
• That the numbers from China are inherently suspect so that , as more data come in from other regions , China 's numbers should receive less credence .
• @ @ @ @ @ @ @ poorly to the coronavirus because , even when they 're not in a dangerous pandemic , they always ration care , a practice that escalates as demand increases .
Additionally , with socialized medicine , the government calls the shots , making the systems inflexible .
• That the initially stated mortality rate was almost certainly too high because the denominator — that is , the number of those known to have the coronavirus — initially consisted only of those who were very sick .
As testing increased and people with no symptoms @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the mortality rate dropped .
• That President Trump 's partnering with the private sector would be the fastest and best way to cut through shortages of everything from masks to ventilators to sanitizer .
• That the most heavily hit regions would be Democrat enclaves because Democrats have instituted policies that are breeding grounds for coronavirus : densely packed populations , crowded public transportation , re-usable bags , and putting wokeness ( such as attending huge Chinatown festivals in New York to protest Trump 's order closing flights from China ) ahead @ @ @ @ @ @ @ coronavirus infects quickly , which can easily overwhelm health care systems , but ultimately , it does not seem to have a mortality rate that is hugely higher than the more slow-moving annual influenza .
Each of these positions falls into the category of information that the mainstream journalists classify as false .
After all , information is of no use to them if it does n't provide drama , death , and a Democrat election victory in November 2020 .
However , over time , all of American Thinker 's primary positions @ @ @ @ @ @ @ otherwise .
On Thursday , Dr. Deborah Birx , one of the White House coronavirus task force members , and someone who has consistently shown herself to be an excellent communicator and possessed of useful information , finally had it with the media 's propensity for hysteria and fear-mongering .
While discussing the revised numbers from the Imperial College London ( predicting 20,000 deaths at most in England instead of 500,000 ) , and using a soft voice and polite words , Birx scolded the media for buying into each extremist prediction or @ @ @ @ @ @ @ say something that is a little bit complicated but do it in a way we can understand it together .
In the model , either you have to have a large group of people who [ are ] a-asymptomatic , who never presented for any test to have the kind of numbers predicted .
To get to 60 million people infected , you have to have a large group of a-symptomatics .
We have not seen an attack rate over 1 in 1,000 .
So either we are measuring the iceberg and underneath @ @ @ @ @ @ @ people .
So we are working hard to get the antibody test and figure out who these people are and do they exist .
Or we have the transmission completely wrong .
So these are the things we are looking at , because the predictions of the model do n't match the reality on the ground in China , South Korea or Italy .
We are five times the size of Italy .
If we were Italy and did all those divisions , Italy should have close to 400,000 deaths .
They are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are models .
We are — there is enough data of the real experience with the coronavirus on the ground to really make these predictions much more sound .
So when people start talking about 20 % of a population getting infected , it 's very scary , but we do n't have data that matches that based on our experience .
Having explained to the innumerates in the press that ( as we 've said here ) the available numbers are n't coherent enough to justify hysterical reporting , Birx then gently @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , such as hospital beds and ventilators : And the situation about ventilators .
We are reassured in meeting with our colleagues in New York that there are still I.C.U .
Beds remaining and still significant — over 1,000 or 2,000 ventilators that have not been utilized .
Please for the reassurance of people around the world , to wake up this morning and look at people talking about creating DNR situations , Do Not Resuscitate situations for patients , there is no situation in the United States right now that warrants that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ thinking about it in the hospital .
Certainly , hospitals talk about this on a daily basis , but to say that to the American people and make the implication that when they need a hospital bed it 's not going to be there or a ventilator , it 's not going to be there , we do n't have evidence of that .
It 's our job collectively to assure the American people , it 's our job to make sure that does n't happen .
You can see the cases are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are other parts of the states that have lots of ventilators and other parts of New York state that do n't have any infected .
We can meet the needs by being responsive .
Published with permission from the American Thinker .

On Thursday, Dr. Deborah Birx, one of the White House coronavirus task force members, finally had it with the media's propensity for hysteria and fear-mongering.
March 27, 2020 (American Thinker) — There have been a few consistent points that many of those who post at American Thinker have been making. The main point is that the media are deliberately fomenting panic. They do this partly because that's the nature of media (“if it bleeds, it leads”) and partly because most members of America's media are Trump-haters. They would willingly send America into an economic nosedive if it meant routing Trump from the White House.
Still, another thing we've been highlighting here is that media members are innumerates. They glom onto whatever large, scary, Trump-injuring numbers come their way, and then they run with those numbers.
When it comes to coronavirus, American Thinker writers have been pointing out
That coronavirus is a serious disease that moves quickly through society and preys cruelly on the aged, the unhealthy, and the unlucky.
That the numbers from China are inherently suspect so that, as more data come in from other regions, China's numbers should receive less credence.
That countries with socialized medicine systems respond poorly to the coronavirus because, even when they're not in a dangerous pandemic, they always ration care, a practice that escalates as demand increases. Additionally, with socialized medicine, the government calls the shots, making the systems inflexible.
That the initially stated mortality rate was almost certainly too high because the denominator — that is, the number of those known to have the coronavirus — initially consisted only of those who were very sick. As testing increased and people with no symptoms or minimal symptoms started getting diagnosed, the mortality rate dropped.
That President Trump's partnering with the private sector would be the fastest and best way to cut through shortages of everything from masks to ventilators to sanitizer.
That the most heavily hit regions would be Democrat enclaves because Democrats have instituted policies that are breeding grounds for coronavirus: densely packed populations, crowded public transportation, re-usable bags, and putting wokeness (such as attending huge Chinatown festivals in New York to protest Trump's order closing flights from China) ahead of common sense.
That the coronavirus infects quickly, which can easily overwhelm health care systems, but ultimately, it does not seem to have a mortality rate that is hugely higher than the more slow-moving annual influenza.
Each of these positions falls into the category of information that the mainstream journalists classify as false. After all, information is of no use to them if it doesn't provide drama, death, and a Democrat election victory in November 2020. However, over time, all of American Thinker's primary positions have proven to be more accurate than otherwise.
On Thursday, Dr. Deborah Birx, one of the White House coronavirus task force members, and someone who has consistently shown herself to be an excellent communicator and possessed of useful information, finally had it with the media's propensity for hysteria and fear-mongering. While discussing the revised numbers from the Imperial College London (predicting 20,000 deaths at most in England instead of 500,000), and using a soft voice and polite words, Birx scolded the media for buying into each extremist prediction or computer model:
I'm going to say something that is a little bit complicated but do it in a way we can understand it together. In the model, either you have to have a large group of people who [are] a-asymptomatic, who never presented for any test to have the kind of numbers predicted. To get to 60 million people infected, you have to have a large group of a-symptomatics. We have not seen an attack rate over 1 in 1,000. So either we are measuring the iceberg and underneath it, are a large group of people. So we are working hard to get the antibody test and figure out who these people are and do they exist. Or we have the transmission completely wrong. So these are the things we are looking at, because the predictions of the model don't match the reality on the ground in China, South Korea or Italy. We are five times the size of Italy. If we were Italy and did all those divisions, Italy should have close to 400,000 deaths. They are not close to achieving that. Models are models. We are — there is enough data of the real experience with the coronavirus on the ground to really make these predictions much more sound. So when people start talking about 20% of a population getting infected, it's very scary, but we don't have data that matches that based on our experience.
Having explained to the innumerates in the press that (as we've said here) the available numbers aren't coherent enough to justify hysterical reporting, Birx then gently criticized the media's fear-mongering about resources, such as hospital beds and ventilators:
And the situation about ventilators. We are reassured in meeting with our colleagues in New York that there are still I.C.U. Beds remaining and still significant — over 1,000 or 2,000 ventilators that have not been utilized. Please for the reassurance of people around the world, to wake up this morning and look at people talking about creating DNR situations, Do Not Resuscitate situations for patients, there is no situation in the United States right now that warrants that kind of discussion. You can be thinking about it in the hospital. Certainly, hospitals talk about this on a daily basis, but to say that to the American people and make the implication that when they need a hospital bed it's not going to be there or a ventilator, it's not going to be there, we don't have evidence of that. It's our job collectively to assure the American people, it's our job to make sure that doesn't happen. You can see the cases are concentrated in highly urban areas and there are other parts of the states that have lots of ventilators and other parts of New York state that don't have any infected. We can meet the needs by being responsive.
Published with permission from the American Thinker.
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lifesitenews--2020-03-27--Ex-staffer accuses #MeToo supporter Joe Biden of sexual assault

The following article contains disturbing content .
Reader discretion is advised .
March 27 , 2020 ( LifeSiteNews ) – An ex-Senate staffer for former Vice President Joe Biden has come forward to accuse the Democrat presidential contender of sexual assault , presenting an apparent conflict with Biden ’ s own public declarations that sexual misconduct claims from women should be generally met with the presumption of truth .
Tara Reade detailed her story this week in interviews on Hill TV and the Katie Halper Show , Law & Crime reports .
She says that in 1993 , then-Senator Biden @ @ @ @ @ @ @ stairwell on Capitol Hill .
“ He was , at first , talking to someone , they went away , and then he said ‘ Come here , ’ and then when I gave him the gym bag , it happened all in one motion almost , ” Reade says .
“ And he had me against the wall .
And then his hands were down my skirt and up my skirt .
And I was wearing–I wasn ’ t wearing anything underneath .
And then , with his hand , he went @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as he was trying to kiss me , and saying things to me.
” “ He was trying to kiss me , and I was pulling away , ” she continued .
“ And what I remember of that time is feeling really shocked and surprised because there was no real conversation right beforehand .
There was no precursor .
It just happened .
And then , when he did that , I was obviously pulling away .
And he pulled back and said , you know , ‘ Come on man , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ something to that effect .
And that ’ s what kind of jolted me–I was trying to think what I did wrong to bring that on to me .
He looked angry and irritated with me [ ... ] And he said to me , when he pulled back , he pointed his finger at me , he said , ‘ You ’ re nothing to me .
You ’ re nothing.
’ And he straightened his clothes and he went away.
” Reade , who has a history of criticizing Biden and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ media , added that she “ was in a very difficult position because he was my boss and he was like my dad ’ s age at the time.
” She said beforehand she had admired Biden as “ this champion of women ’ s rights in my eyes and I couldn ’ t believe it was happening .
It didn ’ t seem–it seemed surreal .
I just–I knew–I just felt sick.
” Law & Crime notes that Reade was one of eight women who accused Biden of inappropriate , unwanted touching @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the former vice president ’ s , which has often been captured on video ) .
Reade says she did not share the full scope of her story at the time partly because she feared retaliation , and partly because the Time ’ s Up Legal Defense Fund ultimately decided not to pursue the case because a suit against a presidential candidate could have risked the group ’ s nonprofit status .
So far , the Biden campaign has not responded to Reade ’ s allegations .
Whatever the truth of her @ @ @ @ @ @ @ risks a potential conflict with his own past statements on sexual assault .
In 2018 , when future Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh faced rape and assault allegations from multiple women ( none of whom had corroborating evidence , and all of whom struggled with inconsistencies in their stories ) , Biden said , “ for a woman to come forward in the glaring lights of focus , nationally , you ’ ve got to start off with the presumption that at least the essence of what she ’ s talking about is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ facts , whether or not it ’ s been made worse or better over time .
But nobody fails to understand that this is like jumping into a cauldron.
” Biden has also argued that the length of time between an alleged incident and a woman going public should not be counted against a claim ’ s credibility : The ardently pro-abortion Biden is the frontrunner for the Democrat presidential nomination to face President Donald Trump in November .

Tara Reade was one of eight women who accused Biden of unwanted touching in early 2019. The former vice president is notorious for inappropriate touching, a habit which has often been captured on video.
The following article contains disturbing content. Reader discretion is advised.
March 27, 2020 (LifeSiteNews) – An ex-Senate staffer for former Vice President Joe Biden has come forward to accuse the Democrat presidential contender of sexual assault, presenting an apparent conflict with Biden’s own public declarations that sexual misconduct claims from women should be generally met with the presumption of truth.
Tara Reade detailed her story this week in interviews on Hill TV and the Katie Halper Show, Law & Crime reports. She says that in 1993, then-Senator Biden assaulted her in a “semi-private” stairwell on Capitol Hill.
“He was, at first, talking to someone, they went away, and then he said ‘Come here,’ and then when I gave him the gym bag, it happened all in one motion almost,” Reade says. “And he had me against the wall. And then his hands were down my skirt and up my skirt. And I was wearing–I wasn’t wearing anything underneath. And then, with his hand, he went from there and entered me–with his hand–and as he was trying to kiss me, and saying things to me.”
“He was trying to kiss me, and I was pulling away,” she continued. “And what I remember of that time is feeling really shocked and surprised because there was no real conversation right beforehand. There was no precursor. It just happened. And then, when he did that, I was obviously pulling away. And he pulled back and said, you know, ‘Come on man, I heard you liked me,’ something to that effect. And that’s what kind of jolted me–I was trying to think what I did wrong to bring that on to me. He looked angry and irritated with me […] And he said to me, when he pulled back, he pointed his finger at me, he said, ‘You’re nothing to me. You’re nothing.’ And he straightened his clothes and he went away.”
Reade, who has a history of criticizing Biden and championing socialist Sen. Bernie Sanders on social media, added that she “was in a very difficult position because he was my boss and he was like my dad’s age at the time.” She said beforehand she had admired Biden as “this champion of women’s rights in my eyes and I couldn’t believe it was happening. It didn’t seem–it seemed surreal. I just–I knew–I just felt sick.”
Law & Crime notes that Reade was one of eight women who accused Biden of inappropriate, unwanted touching in early 2019 (a notorious habit of the former vice president’s, which has often been captured on video). Reade says she did not share the full scope of her story at the time partly because she feared retaliation, and partly because the Time’s Up Legal Defense Fund ultimately decided not to pursue the case because a suit against a presidential candidate could have risked the group’s nonprofit status.
So far, the Biden campaign has not responded to Reade’s allegations.
Whatever the truth of her claims, any response Biden ultimately makes risks a potential conflict with his own past statements on sexual assault. In 2018, when future Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh faced rape and assault allegations from multiple women (none of whom had corroborating evidence, and all of whom struggled with inconsistencies in their stories), Biden said, “for a woman to come forward in the glaring lights of focus, nationally, you’ve got to start off with the presumption that at least the essence of what she’s talking about is real, whether or not she forgets facts, whether or not it’s been made worse or better over time. But nobody fails to understand that this is like jumping into a cauldron.”
Biden has also argued that the length of time between an alleged incident and a woman going public should not be counted against a claim’s credibility:
Biden on why sexual harassment and assault allegations are credible even if the victim takes a long time to come forward or doesn’t report it. #IBelieveTara #IBelieveTaraReade #IStandWithTara
(H/t the king @MattieWashburn for finding this! ������) pic.twitter.com/saauZXFXpe — #IStandWithTara����✡ (@DavidAgStone) March 26, 2020
The ardently pro-abortion Biden is the frontrunner for the Democrat presidential nomination to face President Donald Trump in November.
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lifesitenews--2020-03-27--US surgeon general pushes back against media attempts to discredit Trump on coronavirus

March 27 , 2020 ( NewsBusters ) — Appearing on Friday ’ s CBS This Morning , U.S .
Surgeon General Dr. Jerome Adams lectured the media on hyping “ worst-case scenario ” projections about the coronavirus pandemic that have so far proven to be “ way off.
” His comments came after co-host Gayle King took jabs at President Trump for making a similar point in a recent interview , despite having “ no medical training.
” “ You know , doctors and nurses around the country are saying , ‘ Hello , government , we need ventilators , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Trump seems to have a different take on that , ” King fretted as she teed up a clip of the President talking to Fox News host Sean Hannity Thursday night .
In the soundbite , Trump argued : “ But I have a feeling that a lot of the numbers that are being said in some areas are just bigger than they ’ re going to be .
I don ’ t believe you need 40,000 or 30,000 ventilators.
” Despite top medical expert Dr. Deborah Birx making that exact same point @ @ @ @ @ @ @ press briefing , King bemoaned the President ’ s remarks : “ Dr .
Adams , the President , to our knowledge , has no medical training , yet he continues to question the advice from the medical experts and professionals .
Is that frustrating to you ?
” The Surgeon General joined his colleague Dr. Birx in scolding the media for constantly seizing on the most dire scenarios , even as the facts on the ground tell a very different story : Well , you mentioned ventilators , and Dr. Birx said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the projections out there , they ’ re based on worst-case scenarios and doing something .
I heard a reporter yelling at Peter Navarro yesterday , “ Where is a million ventilators ?
” A million ventilators for the United States would mean one in 300 people in this country were on a ventilator at once .
There is nowhere in the world where we ’ ve seen that type of spread of coronavirus , not even close .
And so , some of these projections are way off .
The hostile @ @ @ @ @ @ @ House advisor Peter Navarro took place on CNN Thursday afternoon .
After promoting wild projections about the number of ventilators needed across the country , anchor Brianna Keilar cut off Navarro and declared that talking to him was a “ waste of time ” because he fact-checked her claims .
On CBS Friday morning , despite having just decried listening to a politician with “ no medical training , ” King insisted that the Democratic Governor of New York must “ know what he ’ s talking about ” : Again , the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ medical degree , pushed back with facts : Obviously everyone wants to prepared as possible , ideally over-prepared , for a major crisis like this .
However , it is irresponsible for the media to scare people into thinking they will not be able to receive essential medical treatment when the evidence clearly shows otherwise .
Here is a transcript of the March 27 exchange between King and Dr. Adams : GAYLE KING : Dr. Adams , let ’ s talk about ventilators for just a second .
You know , doctors and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ Hello , government , we need ventilators , we need ventilators now.
” But President Trump seems to have a different take on that .
I want you to hear what he said last night and get your response to that .
DONALD TRUMP : But I have a feeling that a lot of the numbers that are being said in some areas are just bigger than they ’ re going to be .
I don ’ t believe you need 40,000 or 30,000 ventilators .
You know , you go in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have two ventilators .
So now all of a sudden they ’ re saying , “ Can we order 30,000 ventilators ?
” KING : Dr. Adams , the President , to our knowledge , has no medical training , yet he continues to question the advice from the medical experts and professionals .
Is that frustrating to you ?
DR. JEROME ADAMS [ U.S .
SURGEON GENERAL ] : Well , you mentioned ventilators , and Dr. Birx said this , when you look at some of the projections out there , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and doing something .
I heard a reporter yelling at Peter Navarro yesterday , “ Where is a million ventilators ?
” A million ventilators for the United States would mean one in 300 people in this country were on a ventilator at once .
There is nowhere in the world where we ’ ve seen that type of spread of coronavirus , not even close .
And so , some of these projections are way off .
But we are leaning into supply .
I was on a meeting with the American @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ ve identified 70,000 ventilators that are in communities right now that can be converted .
KING : But we heard New York Governor Andrew Cuomo ask for ventilators .
He gave very specific numbers .
Do you think he doesn ’ t know what he ’ s talking about when it comes to this issue ?
When he ’ s in constant contact with New York – the top New York hospitals , by the way , that are in trouble .
DR. ADAMS : Well , I think that if you @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fair question , and I think that if you talk to experts , Dr. Fauci , Dr. Birx and others , the models in many cases are way off .
New York City , we actually have people on the ground who have told us that there are 1,000 ventilators sitting in a warehouse right now that haven ’ t been used .
You heard Governor Cuomo yesterday say , “ Look , we actually have resources , they ’ re just mismatched.
” And so , we sent a team , a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ make sure the resources are getting to where they need .
I talked to people in western New York who said they ’ re furloughing nurses in hospitals in western New York State while people in New York City are suffering .
We need to make sure we get the right resources to the right people .
And that ’ s what we ’ re committed to doing .

March 27, 2020 (NewsBusters) — Appearing on Friday’s CBS This Morning, U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Jerome Adams lectured the media on hyping “worst-case scenario” projections about the coronavirus pandemic that have so far proven to be “way off.” His comments came after co-host Gayle King took jabs at President Trump for making a similar point in a recent interview, despite having “no medical training.” “You know, doctors and nurses around the country are saying, ‘Hello, government, we need ventilators, we need ventilators now.’ But President Trump seems to have a different take on that,” King fretted as she teed up a clip […]
March 27, 2020 (NewsBusters) — Appearing on Friday’s CBS This Morning, U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Jerome Adams lectured the media on hyping “worst-case scenario” projections about the coronavirus pandemic that have so far proven to be “way off.” His comments came after co-host Gayle King took jabs at President Trump for making a similar point in a recent interview, despite having “no medical training.”
“You know, doctors and nurses around the country are saying, ‘Hello, government, we need ventilators, we need ventilators now.’ But President Trump seems to have a different take on that,” King fretted as she teed up a clip of the President talking to Fox News host Sean Hannity Thursday night.
[Editor’s note: Video at this link.]
In the soundbite, Trump argued: “But I have a feeling that a lot of the numbers that are being said in some areas are just bigger than they’re going to be. I don’t believe you need 40,000 or 30,000 ventilators.”
Despite top medical expert Dr. Deborah Birx making that exact same point during Thursday’s Coronavirus Task Force press briefing, King bemoaned the President’s remarks: “Dr. Adams, the President, to our knowledge, has no medical training, yet he continues to question the advice from the medical experts and professionals. Is that frustrating to you?”
The Surgeon General joined his colleague Dr. Birx in scolding the media for constantly seizing on the most dire scenarios, even as the facts on the ground tell a very different story:
Well, you mentioned ventilators, and Dr. Birx said this, when you look at some of the projections out there, they’re based on worst-case scenarios and doing something. I heard a reporter yelling at Peter Navarro yesterday, “Where is a million ventilators?” A million ventilators for the United States would mean one in 300 people in this country were on a ventilator at once. There is nowhere in the world where we’ve seen that type of spread of coronavirus, not even close. And so, some of these projections are way off.
The hostile interview Dr. Adams alluded to with White House advisor Peter Navarro took place on CNN Thursday afternoon. After promoting wild projections about the number of ventilators needed across the country, anchor Brianna Keilar cut off Navarro and declared that talking to him was a “waste of time” because he fact-checked her claims.
On CBS Friday morning, despite having just decried listening to a politician with “no medical training,” King insisted that the Democratic Governor of New York must “know what he’s talking about”:
But we heard New York Governor Andrew Cuomo ask for ventilators. He gave very specific numbers. Do you think he doesn’t know what he’s talking about when it comes to this issue? When he’s in constant contact with New York — the top New York hospitals, by the way, that are in trouble.
Again, the Surgeon General, who does have a medical degree, pushed back with facts:
I think that if you talk to experts, Dr. Fauci, Dr. Birx and others, the models in many cases are way off. New York City, we actually have people on the ground who have told us that there are 1,000 ventilators sitting in a warehouse right now that haven’t been used. You heard Governor Cuomo yesterday say, “Look, we actually have resources, they’re just mismatched.”
Obviously everyone wants to prepared as possible, ideally over-prepared, for a major crisis like this. However, it is irresponsible for the media to scare people into thinking they will not be able to receive essential medical treatment when the evidence clearly shows otherwise.
Here is a transcript of the March 27 exchange between King and Dr. Adams:
7:12 AM ET (…) GAYLE KING: Dr. Adams, let’s talk about ventilators for just a second. You know, doctors and nurses around the country are saying, “Hello, government, we need ventilators, we need ventilators now.” But President Trump seems to have a different take on that. I want you to hear what he said last night and get your response to that. DONALD TRUMP: But I have a feeling that a lot of the numbers that are being said in some areas are just bigger than they’re going to be. I don’t believe you need 40,000 or 30,000 ventilators. You know, you go in major hospitals, sometimes they’ll have two ventilators. So now all of a sudden they’re saying, “Can we order 30,000 ventilators?” KING: Dr. Adams, the President, to our knowledge, has no medical training, yet he continues to question the advice from the medical experts and professionals. Is that frustrating to you? DR. JEROME ADAMS [U.S. SURGEON GENERAL]: Well, you mentioned ventilators, and Dr. Birx said this, when you look at some of the projections out there, they’re based on worst-case scenarios and doing something. I heard a reporter yelling at Peter Navarro yesterday, “Where is a million ventilators?” A million ventilators for the United States would mean one in 300 people in this country were on a ventilator at once. There is nowhere in the world where we’ve seen that type of spread of coronavirus, not even close. And so, some of these projections are way off. But we are leaning into supply. I was on a meeting with the American Society of Anesthesiologists last week and they’ve identified 70,000 ventilators that are in communities right now that can be converted. KING: But we heard New York Governor Andrew Cuomo ask for ventilators. He gave very specific numbers. Do you think he doesn’t know what he’s talking about when it comes to this issue? When he’s in constant contact with New York – the top New York hospitals, by the way, that are in trouble. DR. ADAMS: Well, I think that if you – I think that’s a fair question, and I think that if you talk to experts, Dr. Fauci, Dr. Birx and others, the models in many cases are way off. New York City, we actually have people on the ground who have told us that there are 1,000 ventilators sitting in a warehouse right now that haven’t been used. You heard Governor Cuomo yesterday say, “Look, we actually have resources, they’re just mismatched.” And so, we sent a team, a FEMA team to help New York City make sure the resources are getting to where they need. I talked to people in western New York who said they’re furloughing nurses in hospitals in western New York State while people in New York City are suffering. We need to make sure we get the right resources to the right people. And that’s what we’re committed to doing. (…)
Published with permission from NewsBusters.
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lifesitenews--2020-03-27--Trust God’s Mercy and Justice during these trying times

Formerly Heart to Heart with Mother Miriam , Mother Miriam Live brings you inspiration and solutions for life ’ s @ @ @ @ @ Miriam is a Catholic nun on a mission to bring hope to a world that @ @ @ @ @ let her share that hope and joy with you !
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Watch Mother Miriam's Live show from 3.27.2020. Today, Mother speaks about God's mercy and justice. She reminds us of the need to repent and make reparation for our sins and the sins of the world, especially during this pandemic.
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lifesitenews--2020-03-27--US parish finds a way to give faithful Holy Communion during coronavirus shut down

March 27 , 2020 ( LifeSiteNews ) – After listing all the prudential reasons why our churches have been locked down during the Chinese coronavirus pandemic , Father Raymond de Souza writes in the National Catholic Register that “ the challenge remains about how to administer the sacraments .
… Confessions are not being heard [ and ] Holy Communion is almost nowhere being distributed.
” “ That can not continue in the long term and remains the next great challenge , ” he continues , “ for which solutions are not obvious.
” I am happy to report to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ solution , and that we at Ave Maria Parish have already implemented it .
Thanks to the courage of our Pastor , Father Cory Mayer , and his fellow parish priests , every parishioner in our community here in Ave Maria , Florida , is able to receive the Eucharist after every Mass .
This good news came to us on the eve of the Annunciation in the form of an e-mail from Father Mayer : The plan , which received the blessing of our bishop , Bishop Frank Dewane of the Diocese @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Holy Sacrifice of the Mass .
The members of the parish community will participate from a safe location , either in their homes or perhaps in their cars .
The priest will then process outside and distribute Communion in the open air in a nearby school parking lot .
The guidelines for those who wish to receive Communion are straightforward : 1 .
Communion will be distributed outside the front doors of the Parish Academy after the completion of the Live Streaming Mass .
This will be offered at 12:00 p.m. Monday through @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and at 10:00 a.m. on Sunday .
2 .
The priest will continue distributing Communion after the Mass for 30 minutes .
3 .
Those wishing to receive the Eucharist during this time should park their car in the parking lot .
Then they should line up along the front walkway of the Academy , at all times maintaining at least six feet of separation from the person in front of them .
Markers will be placed on the sidewalk to help with this “ social distancing.
” 4 .
The usual @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , fasting for an hour prior to receiving communion and being in a state of grace .
You may also wish to recite an Act of Contrition .
As far as Confession is concerned , there are multiple parishes in the Diocese of Venice where either walk-up or drive-in Confession is available .
Here at Ave Maria Parish , Father Mayer announced that Confession is available twice a week and , because of the unusual times we find ourselves in , the priest hearing your confession will be able to give you communion @ @ @ @ @ @ @ epidemic vary from state to state and , in some cases , from county to county , it seems to me that this is a model that many parishes and dioceses could and should follow .
Right now , Catholics throughout America are being advised that they should watch Mass on television and avail themselves of spiritual communion .
I understand spiritual communion well .
I am a convert to the Catholic faith and , during my year-long RCIA program , I availed myself of it each and every Sunday .
As my @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and Blood of Christ , I would kneel in my pew and beg Our Lord to come to me in spirit .
To judge by the graces I received during this time , He did .
But nothing matched the joy that I felt when I was finally able to accompany my wife up to the Communion rail , and receive the Body and Blood of Christ for myself .
This week ’ s announcement that the sacraments of Confession and Communion would again be available at Ave Maria Parish was received with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ me , it felt to me like Easter had come early .
I am grateful to Bishop Dewane for allowing it .
Just the week before , the good bishop had sadly informed us “ that the regularly scheduled Masses and other Liturgical events in Parish Churches in the Diocese of Venice will be suspended from March 20 , 2020 until after Easter , when the situation can be re-evaluated .
Visitation to Churches to pray is also suspended.
” Now I do not know whether the China Virus , the Wuhan Flu @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it , is a divine punishment or not .
But the closure of my parish church—for wholly valid prudential reasons , it would seem—certainly felt like a punishment .
Why would you deny the faithful access to the sacraments , especially now when the need is so great , if there was any way to avoid it ?
Worse yet , I couldn ’ t shake the thought that my beloved Church was abandoning the field of battle .
Would military chaplains leave the battlefield just because bullets are flying , or would @ @ @ @ @ @ @ guns so they could succor their wounded and dying comrades ?
I think we all know the answer to that .
And if anyone doesn ’ t , I suggest that they read the biography of the Servant of God Vincent Capodanno by his postulator , Fr .
Daniel Mode .
I thank God that Bishop Dewane and Father Mayer have been willing to set up a “ field hospital ” to treat the spiritually “ wounded.
” Some of those souls are suffering from mortal wounds .
Others from less serious ones @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in Ave Maria parish , at least , they will not be without the healing balm of the Sacraments .
Which even during a pandemic , is the best medicine of all .
Steven W. Mosher is the President of the Population Research Institute and the author of Bully of Asia ” Why China ’ s Dream is the New Threat to World Order .

Thanks to the courage of our pastor, every parishioner in our community is able to receive the Eucharist after every Mass.
March 27, 2020 (LifeSiteNews) – After listing all the prudential reasons why our churches have been locked down during the Chinese coronavirus pandemic, Father Raymond de Souza writes in the National Catholic Register that “the challenge remains about how to administer the sacraments. … Confessions are not being heard [and] Holy Communion is almost nowhere being distributed.”
“That cannot continue in the long term and remains the next great challenge,” he continues, “for which solutions are not obvious.”
I am happy to report to Father de Souza that there is a solution, and that we at Ave Maria Parish have already implemented it.
Thanks to the courage of our Pastor, Father Cory Mayer, and his fellow parish priests, every parishioner in our community here in Ave Maria, Florida, is able to receive the Eucharist after every Mass.
This good news came to us on the eve of the Annunciation in the form of an e-mail from Father Mayer:
I have wonderful news! The bishop has given us permission to distribute Communion! What a wonderful gift to be able to receive our Lord again in the Eucharist! This news comes as a blessing and will begin on our very own Parish Feast Day March the 25th the Annunciation of our Lord.
The plan, which received the blessing of our bishop, Bishop Frank Dewane of the Diocese of Venice, involves Live Streaming the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass. The members of the parish community will participate from a safe location, either in their homes or perhaps in their cars. The priest will then process outside and distribute Communion in the open air in a nearby school parking lot.
The guidelines for those who wish to receive Communion are straightforward:
1. Communion will be distributed outside the front doors of the Parish Academy after the completion of the Live Streaming Mass. This will be offered at 12:00 p.m. Monday through Friday, at 9:00 a.m. on Saturday, and at 10:00 a.m. on Sunday. 2. The priest will continue distributing Communion after the Mass for 30 minutes. 3. Those wishing to receive the Eucharist during this time should park their car in the parking lot. Then they should line up along the front walkway of the Academy, at all times maintaining at least six feet of separation from the person in front of them. Markers will be placed on the sidewalk to help with this “social distancing.” 4. The usual conditions for receiving Communion apply, namely, fasting for an hour prior to receiving communion and being in a state of grace. You may also wish to recite an Act of Contrition. As far as Confession is concerned, there are multiple parishes in the Diocese of Venice where either walk-up or drive-in Confession is available. Here at Ave Maria Parish, Father Mayer announced that Confession is available twice a week and, because of the unusual times we find ourselves in, the priest hearing your confession will be able to give you communion afterward.
Although the circumstances of the epidemic vary from state to state and, in some cases, from county to county, it seems to me that this is a model that many parishes and dioceses could and should follow.
Right now, Catholics throughout America are being advised that they should watch Mass on television and avail themselves of spiritual communion. I understand spiritual communion well. I am a convert to the Catholic faith and, during my year-long RCIA program, I availed myself of it each and every Sunday. As my wife went up to receive the Body and Blood of Christ, I would kneel in my pew and beg Our Lord to come to me in spirit. To judge by the graces I received during this time, He did.
But nothing matched the joy that I felt when I was finally able to accompany my wife up to the Communion rail, and receive the Body and Blood of Christ for myself.
This week’s announcement that the sacraments of Confession and Communion would again be available at Ave Maria Parish was received with great joy in our community. To me, it felt to me like Easter had come early. I am grateful to Bishop Dewane for allowing it.
Just the week before, the good bishop had sadly informed us “that the regularly scheduled Masses and other Liturgical events in Parish Churches in the Diocese of Venice will be suspended from March 20, 2020 until after Easter, when the situation can be re-evaluated. Visitation to Churches to pray is also suspended.”
Now I do not know whether the China Virus, the Wuhan Flu, or whatever you want to call it, is a divine punishment or not. But the closure of my parish church—for wholly valid prudential reasons, it would seem—certainly felt like a punishment. Why would you deny the faithful access to the sacraments, especially now when the need is so great, if there was any way to avoid it?
Worse yet, I couldn’t shake the thought that my beloved Church was abandoning the field of battle.
Would military chaplains leave the battlefield just because bullets are flying, or would they run—not walk—to the sound of the guns so they could succor their wounded and dying comrades?
I think we all know the answer to that. And if anyone doesn’t, I suggest that they read the biography of the Servant of God Vincent Capodanno by his postulator, Fr. Daniel Mode.
I thank God that Bishop Dewane and Father Mayer have been willing to set up a “field hospital” to treat the spiritually “wounded.” Some of those souls are suffering from mortal wounds. Others from less serious ones.
But whatever their sins, here in Ave Maria parish, at least, they will not be without the healing balm of the Sacraments. Which even during a pandemic, is the best medicine of all.
Steven W. Mosher is the President of the Population Research Institute and the author of Bully of Asia” Why China’s Dream is the New Threat to World Order.
Follow Steven Steven Mosher is an internationally recognised authority on China and population issues as well as an acclaimed author and speaker and founder and head of the Population Research Institute. He was the first American social scientist to visit mainland China in 1979 where he witnessed women being forced to have abortion under the new “one-child-policy” which he then exposed to the world. Mr. Mosher was a pro-choice atheist at the time, but witnessing these traumatic abortions led him to reconsider his convictions and to eventually become a practicing, pro-life Roman Catholic. Mosher has appeared numerous times before the US Congress as an expert in world population, China and human Rights abuses. He has also made TV appearances on Good Morning America, 60 Minutes, The Today Show, 20/20, FOX and CNN news, as well as being a regular guest on talk radio shows across the nation. He is the author of the best-selling A Mother’s Ordeal: One woman’s Fight Against China’s One-Child-Policy. His latest book is Bully of Asia, exposing the threat of China to the entire world at this time. Articles by Steve have appeared in The Wall Street Journal, Reader’s Digest, The New Republic, The Washington Post, National Review, Reason, The Asian Wall Street Journal, Freedom Review, Linacre Quarterly, Catholic World Report, Human Life Review, First Things, and numerous other publications. Steven Mosher lives in Virginia with his wife, Vera, and their nine children.
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lifesitenews--2020-03-27--New York’s Dem attorney general demands abortions continue amid coronavirus outbreak

ALBANY , New York , March 27 , 2020 ( LifeSiteNews ) – As states move to order suspensions of non-essential medical procedures in order to conserve resources and contain the spread of the coronavirus , the top cop of New York state has lent her voice to the chorus demanding that the abortion industry get an exemption from the sacrifices that healthcare providers are making all across the country .
U.S .
Surgeon General Jerome Adams and the federal Centers for Disease Control ( CDC ) have advised healthcare facilities to reschedule non-urgent appointments and elective procedures , both @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and to free up time and resources to focus on patients afflicted by COVID-19 ( the illness caused by the coronavirus ) .
Compliance with this guidance has been mixed , leading numerous states to mandate that facilities temporarily halt “ non-essential ” procedures .
Among them , Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton made it clear that the suspension applies to “ any type of abortion that is not medically necessary to preserve the life or health of the mother , ” for which the abortion lobby is suing the state .
New @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Letitia James , placed the Empire State firmly on the other end of that spectrum Thursday , The Hill reported .
“ To be clear , the coronavirus is not an excuse for federal , state , or local governments to curtail women ’ s reproductive freedoms or limit their choices , ” James declared .
“ Any woman who wants to go into a doctor ’ s office or into a clinic today and get an abortion should continue to be able to do so.
” “ And for those who do @ @ @ @ @ @ @ we battle COVID-19 , we are fighting to maintain women ’ s access to abortion and the abortion pill so that their reproductive choices are not limited , ” she continued , vowing she would “ do everything in my power to stop this attack on a woman ’ s constitutional right to an abortion.
” James ’ stance is unsurprising in light of New York ’ s record on abortion .
Last year , the state infamously enacted a law codifying a “ right ” to third-trimester abortions , erasing recognition of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ removing abortion from the penal code entirely , and allowing non-doctors to commit abortions .
Pro-life medical professionals have assailed the notion that the abortion industry should get a pass from the same standards currently being applied to every legitimate field of medicine .
The American Association of Pro-Life Obstetricians and Gynecologists ( AAPLOG ) says that while “ elective abortion is neither ‘ essential ’ nor ‘ urgent , ’ ” it “ does consume critical resources such as masks , gloves , and other personal protective equipment , and unnecessarily exposes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Elective abortion , both surgical and drug induced , also generates more patients to be seen in already overburdened emergency rooms , ” AAPLOG continued .
“ Most abortion providers instruct women to go to an emergency room if they have any concerning symptoms after the abortion .
Approximately five percent of women who undergo medication abortions will require evaluation in an emergency room , most commonly for hemorrhage .
Surgical abortions can also result in hemorrhage .
Emergency room personnel – who are already struggling to meet the demands of the COVID-19 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ provide care to these women.
” Readers can click here for LifeSiteNews ’ live updates on the coronavirus and its impact all over the world .

AG Letitia James argues that 'any woman who wants ... an abortion should continue to be able to do so,' and that includes access to the abortion pill.
ALBANY, New York, March 27, 2020 (LifeSiteNews) – As states move to order suspensions of non-essential medical procedures in order to conserve resources and contain the spread of the coronavirus, the top cop of New York state has lent her voice to the chorus demanding that the abortion industry get an exemption from the sacrifices that healthcare providers are making all across the country.
U.S. Surgeon General Jerome Adams and the federal Centers for Disease Control (CDC) have advised healthcare facilities to reschedule non-urgent appointments and elective procedures, both to limit the spread of the coronavirus and to free up time and resources to focus on patients afflicted by COVID-19 (the illness caused by the coronavirus).
Compliance with this guidance has been mixed, leading numerous states to mandate that facilities temporarily halt “non-essential” procedures. Among them, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton made it clear that the suspension applies to “any type of abortion that is not medically necessary to preserve the life or health of the mother,” for which the abortion lobby is suing the state.
New York’s Democrat Attorney General, Letitia James, placed the Empire State firmly on the other end of that spectrum Thursday, The Hill reported.
“To be clear, the coronavirus is not an excuse for federal, state, or local governments to curtail women’s reproductive freedoms or limit their choices,” James declared. “Any woman who wants to go into a doctor’s office or into a clinic today and get an abortion should continue to be able to do so.”
“And for those who do not feel comfortable leaving their homes as we battle COVID-19, we are fighting to maintain women’s access to abortion and the abortion pill so that their reproductive choices are not limited,” she continued, vowing she would “do everything in my power to stop this attack on a woman’s constitutional right to an abortion.”
James’ stance is unsurprising in light of New York’s record on abortion. Last year, the state infamously enacted a law codifying a “right” to third-trimester abortions, erasing recognition of preborn babies as potential homicide victims, removing abortion from the penal code entirely, and allowing non-doctors to commit abortions.
Pro-life medical professionals have assailed the notion that the abortion industry should get a pass from the same standards currently being applied to every legitimate field of medicine.
The American Association of Pro-Life Obstetricians and Gynecologists (AAPLOG) says that while “elective abortion is neither ‘essential’ nor ‘urgent,’” it “does consume critical resources such as masks, gloves, and other personal protective equipment, and unnecessarily exposes patients and physicians to pathogens.”
“Elective abortion, both surgical and drug induced, also generates more patients to be seen in already overburdened emergency rooms,” AAPLOG continued. “Most abortion providers instruct women to go to an emergency room if they have any concerning symptoms after the abortion. Approximately five percent of women who undergo medication abortions will require evaluation in an emergency room, most commonly for hemorrhage. Surgical abortions can also result in hemorrhage. Emergency room personnel – who are already struggling to meet the demands of the COVID-19 pandemic – will be further strained to provide care to these women.”
Readers can click here for LifeSiteNews’ live updates on the coronavirus and its impact all over the world.
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lifesitenews--2020-03-27--Pope Benedict’s biographer: Eucharist is as essential as food, medicine

March 27 , 2020 ( LifeSiteNews ) – Pope Benedict XVI ’ s biographer , German author Peter Seewald , has slammed the Catholic response to the COVID-19 pandemic , lamenting “ the paralyzing fear of those of little faith.
” He asked rhetorically , “ Man does not live by bread alone .
Is not then the Eucharist , the spiritual food , at least as valuable as the things from the bakery and from the pharmacy ?
” In an article published by faithful Austrian Catholic news website kath.net , Seewald first pointed out that society has by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Too much has run its course , been pushed too far , pushed to the limit , ” he wrote .
He then turned to the state of the Church , arguing that it shows “ the situation of the Christian faith in a drama that must shake.
” “ The churches are not closed , ” Seewald wrote .
“ But there are no worshippers in the pews.
” “ The church services are not canceled , but they are forbidden by the state .
However , where is the outcry that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are no longer possible ?
” While no bishops were arrested , he said , “ many of them seem to be locked away.
” Catholic faithful in the early Church , during the time of persecution , were asked why they congregated for Mass , even though the emperor had explicitly prohibited it .
Pope Benedict explained the meaning of that Latin quote during a homily in 2005 : “ We can not live without joining together on Sunday to celebrate the Eucharist .
We would lack the strength to face our @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Seewald continued , “ If this is the case , and it is the case , then it requires imagination and especially the courage to live the Christian faith even in times of need.
” “ A church that shuts out even the remaining small group of upright Christians is as absurd as a bicycle without tires , ” he said .
Seewald emphasized he was not encouraging anyone to violate rules of sanitary conduct .
Instead , he referred to votive tablets , which can be seen everywhere in Germany and Austria @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Whenever prayers were answered , especially during times of distress , the faithful would commission a little tablet thanking God , Our Lady , or another saint for the miracle .
That tablet was then placed in a church , or by a little shrine in the countryside .
While the custom of votive tablets is not as popular as it used to be , it has not died out fully .
Seewald said “ it is urgent to find ways to bring the Christian faith back out of the loneliness of distance @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to people – and a sign of hope and confidence to the world.
” In his remarks , Seewald echoes Cardinal Raymond Burke , who released a statement on the coronavirus pandemic on March 21 .
“ In considering what is needed to live , we must not forget that our first consideration is our relationship with God , ” Burke wrote .
“ In combating the evil of the coronavirus , our most effective weapon is , therefore , our relationship with Christ through prayer and penance , and devotions and sacred @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to deliver us from pestilence and from all harm , and He never fails to respond with pure and selfless love .
That is why it is essential for us , at all times and above all in times of crisis , to have access to our churches and chapels , to the Sacraments , and to public devotions and prayers.
” Regarding the reception of the Eucharist , as well as all other sacraments , he said it should be as normal as going to a grocery store .
“ Just as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ medicine , while taking care not to spread the coronavirus in the process , so also we must be able to pray in our churches and chapels , receive the Sacraments , and engage in acts of public prayer and devotion , so that we know God ’ s closeness to us and remain close to Him , fittingly calling upon His help.
” Peter Seewald conducted four book-length interviews with Pope Benedict XVI .
The first two , Salt of the Earth and God and the World , were published when he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith .
Light of the World was released while Benedict was still the reigning Pontiff .
In 2016 , after he had already resigned the papacy , Last Testament came out .
A monumental biography of the Pope emeritus , written by Peter Seewald , will be released in German on May 4 .
The German edition has almost 1,200 pages .
The English translation will be published by Bloomsbury Continuum in two volumes , the first of which will be out on November 17 @

March 27, 2020 (LifeSiteNews) – Pope Benedict XVI’s biographer, German author Peter Seewald, has slammed the Catholic response to the COVID-19 pandemic, lamenting “the paralyzing fear of those of little faith.”
He asked rhetorically, “Man does not live by bread alone. Is not then the Eucharist, the spiritual food, at least as valuable as the things from the bakery and from the pharmacy?”
In an article published by faithful Austrian Catholic news website kath.net, Seewald first pointed out that society has by now come to a standstill.
“Too much has run its course, been pushed too far, pushed to the limit,” he wrote.
He then turned to the state of the Church, arguing that it shows “the situation of the Christian faith in a drama that must shake.”
“The churches are not closed,” Seewald wrote. “But there are no worshippers in the pews.”
“The church services are not canceled, but they are forbidden by the state. However, where is the outcry that even Confessions, adoration, and blessings are no longer possible?”
While no bishops were arrested, he said, “many of them seem to be locked away.”
Catholic faithful in the early Church, during the time of persecution, were asked why they congregated for Mass, even though the emperor had explicitly prohibited it.
“Sine dominico non possumus,” they responded.
Pope Benedict explained the meaning of that Latin quote during a homily in 2005: “We cannot live without joining together on Sunday to celebrate the Eucharist. We would lack the strength to face our daily problems and not to succumb.”
Seewald continued, “If this is the case, and it is the case, then it requires imagination and especially the courage to live the Christian faith even in times of need.”
“A church that shuts out even the remaining small group of upright Christians is as absurd as a bicycle without tires,” he said.
Seewald emphasized he was not encouraging anyone to violate rules of sanitary conduct. Instead, he referred to votive tablets, which can be seen everywhere in Germany and Austria, for instance at pilgrimage sites.
Whenever prayers were answered, especially during times of distress, the faithful would commission a little tablet thanking God, Our Lady, or another saint for the miracle. That tablet was then placed in a church, or by a little shrine in the countryside. While the custom of votive tablets is not as popular as it used to be, it has not died out fully.
Seewald said “it is urgent to find ways to bring the Christian faith back out of the loneliness of distance and exile; also to give comfort to people – and a sign of hope and confidence to the world.”
In his remarks, Seewald echoes Cardinal Raymond Burke, who released a statement on the coronavirus pandemic on March 21.
“In considering what is needed to live, we must not forget that our first consideration is our relationship with God,” Burke wrote. “In combating the evil of the coronavirus, our most effective weapon is, therefore, our relationship with Christ through prayer and penance, and devotions and sacred worship.”
“We turn to Christ to deliver us from pestilence and from all harm, and He never fails to respond with pure and selfless love. That is why it is essential for us, at all times and above all in times of crisis, to have access to our churches and chapels, to the Sacraments, and to public devotions and prayers.”
Regarding the reception of the Eucharist, as well as all other sacraments, he said it should be as normal as going to a grocery store. “Just as we are able to purchase food and medicine, while taking care not to spread the coronavirus in the process, so also we must be able to pray in our churches and chapels, receive the Sacraments, and engage in acts of public prayer and devotion, so that we know God’s closeness to us and remain close to Him, fittingly calling upon His help.”
Peter Seewald conducted four book-length interviews with Pope Benedict XVI. The first two, Salt of the Earth and God and the World, were published when he was still Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, Prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith.
Light of the World was released while Benedict was still the reigning Pontiff. In 2016, after he had already resigned the papacy, Last Testament came out.
A monumental biography of the Pope emeritus, written by Peter Seewald, will be released in German on May 4. The German edition has almost 1,200 pages.
The English translation will be published by Bloomsbury Continuum in two volumes, the first of which will be out on November 17.
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