lifesitenews--2020-12-19--Pro-family conservative group calls for special prosecutor to investigate 2020 election fraud

December 19 , 2020 ( LifeSiteNews ) – Yesterday , the American Principles Project ( APP ) renewed its call for President Donald Trump and the U.S. Department of Justice to appoint a special prosecutor to investigate the growing allegations of election fraud stemming from last month ’ s general election .
Twenty-seven U.S. House members have also written to Trump in a letter on December 9 asking him to instruct the Attorney General to appoint a special counsel to look into irregularities .
APP president Frank Cannon and executive director Terry Schilling initially argued for an special prosecutor on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for The Federalist : The Trump administration ought to appoint a special counsel without delay in order to ensure an ongoing and independent investigation into what seems to be Democratic election tampering .
If the left is unwilling to accept the notion of an independent investigation into the election ’ s integrity , that would , at the very least , be clarifying .
More importantly , the American people deserve to have confidence that our elections are truly free and truly fair .
That kind of confidence can only come through public @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and transparent investigation of the allegations .
In the weeks since the November 3 election , rampant reports of voter fraud and election irregularities have surfaced in a number of closely contested swing states .
And while the legacy media and other leftist institutions have done their best to ignore or censor these reports , polls have shown that numerous Americans — as many as 40 percent — are still distrustful of the results .
This is nothing less than a national crisis .
If our constitutional republic is to survive the years @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the integrity of our elections .
And this confidence will not be earned by the mere act of politicians and pundits loudly insisting that the vote was fair and banning all arguments to the contrary .
Only a full and transparent investigation into the many troubling details which have emerged since the election will suffice to restore the American public ’ s trust .
This is why APP is calling on President Trump and the Department of Justice to appoint a special prosecutor to conduct this investigation .
Nearly four years ago @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , on far less evidence , to look into now-debunked claims the President ’ s campaign had colluded with Russians .
Given the much higher stakes surrounding potential voter fraud in this last election , our leaders have an obligation to treat this issue with the same seriousness .
We urge them to do so immediately .

PETITION UPDATE (1/15/2021) -
The events of the past month, and especially the past 10 days, have shaken the faith Americans have in their elected and appoint officials.
We continue to call for investigations to be made into allegations of election fraud. Texas is in the process of prosecuting one political operative for illegal ballot harvesting, and multiple state legislatures have called for investigations, too.
However, the judiciary has severely let down the American electorate.
As we have said all along, the integrity of the election is much bigger than President Trump. Election integrity is at the heart of republican democracy, and if we don't have it, we no longer have a functioning republic.
Therefore, we continue to seek the truth for the election outcome. Perhaps that will only be known in the future when state or federal commissions are established to investigate the instances of election fraud which were witnessed and sworn to, by thousands of Americans of all political persuasions.
In the meantime, you may still sign this petition. Thank you!
___________________________________________________________________
PETITION UPDATE (12/10/20) -
On Wednesday, President Trump tweeted: "We will be INTERVENING in the Texas (plus many other states) case. This is the big one. Our Country needs a victory!"
He is referring to the lawsuit which the state of Texas has filed against Michigan, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin and Georgia in the Supreme Court over changes those states made to their election rules, claiming they violated the U.S. Constitution in the process.
Here is the central part of the argument: if Texas were to allow possible voter fraud to go unchecked in Michigan, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, and Georgia, it would be akin to committing fraud upon the people of Texas, who cast their ballots within the framework of the law.
Indeed, this would apply equally to all citizens who voted within the framework of the law across the United States!
President Trump also tweeted that this case is, "very strong...ALL CRITERIA MET."
Please continue to SIGN and SHARE this urgent petition, now.
____________________________________________________________________
PETITION UPDATE (12/7/20) - Since this petition was launched, President Trump's legal team, as well as other concerned citizens, have discovered what appears to be irrefutable evidence of voter fraud in several of the key battleground states, and have initiated legal challenges in six states.
While the situation continues to evolve, this remains a hugely important petition which we encourage you to SIGN and SHARE.
Below, please WATCH and READ about the mounting evidence of voter fraud and how the mainstream media seem determined to ignore even the most egregious instances of vote tampering. Then, please SIGN and SHARE this petition.
'Trump: ‘Our election system is now under assault and siege’ and as president I must defend it'
'Tens of thousands 2020 election votes illegally scanned in Detroit, says Dominion IT contractor'
'Trump campaign files lawsuit demanding ‘a new statewide election for president’ in Georgia'
'Experts flag over 500k ballots in PA with new evidence of major 2020 election voter fraud'
''Smoking gun'? Pennsylvania vote fraud hearing gets gasps from audience'
'FBI and Justice Department have dragged their feet investigating 2020 vote fraud'
''CNN top brass in leaked tape: We won't give Trump 'too much of a platform on his not conceding'
'Twitter censored Trump 63 times over Thanksgiving holiday, Biden untouched'
LifeSite supports President Trump with this petition because we believe he is trying to defend the Constitution, ensuring that electoral fraud does not taint the result of the 2020 general election.
But, since starting this petition, we have launched a separate petition related to the disputed election outcome, calling on the Department of Justice to 'do their job' and engage in meaningful investigations of the mounting evidence of voter fraud.
We believe that conducting forensic audits of ballots and voting machines, as well as issuing subpoenas to collect more evidence, would be a good start.
Thankfully, some of the state started to demand investigations independent of federal agencies. But we still believe that the DoJ needs to use its enormous fact-finding resources to help resolve allegations of election fraud.
Thank you for continuing to SIGN and SHARE all our election-related petitions.
_____________________________________________________________________
Please SIGN and SHARE this urgent petition which calls on all Americans to Stand With President Trump as he uses every legitimate means to find out if voter fraud played any role in the election outcome.
Amid allegations of voter fraud, and at a time when the situation with COVID has been used by many of the states to facilitate the use of mail-in ballots on a massive scale, we need to be very careful in dismissing the possibility of voter fraud.
The fact is, the possibility of wide-spread fraud with mail-in ballots is significant.
But, this is not about Donald Trump or Joe Biden! This about whether or not the sanctity of the ballot box has been tampered with!
Please Stand With President Trump as he attempts to defend the integrity of this election, as well as well as the right to vote itself!
Indeed, this is so important, not so much because one election hangs in the balance, but because our democracy, itself, hangs in the balance.
Americans not only have a right to know, but should demand that every legitimate means be used to discover the truth about these elections!
Please SIGN this petition and Stand With President Trump to ensure that these elections were conducted freely and fairly!
While most all Americans believe in playing by the rules, we also know that some very devious, politically-motivated operatives have been trying to harm the Trump administration from before he even took the oath of office.
This fact should lead us to question how some allegations of voter fraud can be so easily dismissed by state election authorities.
We demand to know the truth, and, for the sake of our democracy, we demand that President Trump keep fighting to learn the truth.
Thank you for SIGNING and SHARING this petition today!
**Photo Credit: Shealah Craighead / White House / Flickr


lifesitenews--2020-12-19--Public school enrollments down as parents start noticing liberal propaganda

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December 19 , 2020 ( FRC Action ) — With school shutdowns , logistical complexities with online classes , and rampant uncertainty due to the coronavirus , it 's been a monumentally difficult year for students , their parents , and teachers .
But there has been a silver lining in all of this : more and more parents are having their eyes opened to the leftist agenda that has embedded itself in many of our nation 's @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a school board in Fairfax County in northern Virginia unanimously decided to remove the names of Thomas Jefferson and George Mason from the city 's elementary and high schools , despite the fact that the local community is strongly in favor of keeping the names .
Now , parents are taking a stand against public school identity politics and indoctrination by removing their kids and finding better alternatives like private schools and homeschooling .
In fact , over the past year , the Fairfax County school system has seen a 5 percent drop @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 9,000 students will no longer be exposed to the leftist propaganda and sexualization that has run rampant .
Yesterday , Maria Keffler , Co-founder of the Arlington Parent Coalition and Partner and Media Representative at Partners for Ethical Care joined Tony on `` Washington Watch '' to discuss the growing dissatisfaction among parents with educational establishments that are failing to educate and striving to indoctrinate .
`` I think more parents are starting to wake up to it and see what 's going on , '' she said .
`` Arlington Public Schools @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was expected this year .
I think that is one of the silver linings of the coronavirus — that parents are seeing what 's going on and they 're not happy about it and they should n't be . ''
The question is , will public schools begin to listen to the concerns of parents when their tax revenue falls due to declining enrollment ?
The answer appears to be `` no . ''
`` The school boards are simply not concerned , '' Keffler observed .
`` They 're simply not concerned @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 're not concerned with the parents ' concerns .
In Fairfax County , in 2018 , they voted to add the LGBTQ curriculum to the Fairfax County Family Life Education Curriculum .
They received 941 emails against approving that curriculum , only 192 for .
And they just went right ahead and did it .
They 're not listening to parents . ''
Not only are public schools not listening to the concerns of parents , they are also failing in their primary duty : education .
`` Students are falling off the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ `` Students are falling behind ... As long ago as 2015 , Pew Research said among developed nations , the U.S. ranks 24th on science and reading and 39th in math .
But it 's not new that the public schools are failing — [ they 've ] been failing for a while . ''
And when taxpayer dollars are being ineffectively used , it 's time to redirect the money elsewhere .
`` I think we do need school choice , '' Keffler said .
`` I think parents need to have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to public schools to go with the child .
If the parents take the child to a private school , to homeschool , to a military school — that money needs to go with the students . ''
Keffler also underscored another enormously concerning trend in public schools : the violation of the First Amendment free speech rights of students and teachers .
`` I just received from [ an ] Arlington County teacher the new guidelines for transgender students .
And what really disturbed me is a clause in there that says @ @ @ @ @ @ @ comply [ with ] policies such as enforced pronouns and deceiving parents about their own children 's sexuality and their gender ID will be disciplined . ''
But despite all of these disturbing trends and coronavirus shutdowns , parents should take heart .
The multitude of educational choices and resources that are available continue to expand and grow .
`` Homeschooling has had a big boom this year , '' Keffler noted .
`` The HSLDA , the Home School Legal Defense Association , has written and talked about the thousands and thousands @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for assistance . ''
She went on to describe the success she has had in homeschooling her own three children .
Clearly , it 's time to rethink public education .
`` [ The public school system is ] a monopoly , '' Keffler said .
`` Parents do n't have another choice and you do n't negotiate with a monopoly .
You have to break a monopoly .
And the only way we 're going to break the public school monopoly is by taking away their students . ''

In the age of COVID, parents are taking a stand against public school identity politics and indoctrination by removing their kids.
LifeSiteNews is facing increasing censorship. Click HERE to sign up to receive emails when we add to our video library.
December 19, 2020 (FRC Action) — With school shutdowns, logistical complexities with online classes, and rampant uncertainty due to the coronavirus, it's been a monumentally difficult year for students, their parents, and teachers. But there has been a silver lining in all of this: more and more parents are having their eyes opened to the leftist agenda that has embedded itself in many of our nation's public schools.
Just last week, a school board in Fairfax County in northern Virginia unanimously decided to remove the names of Thomas Jefferson and George Mason from the city's elementary and high schools, despite the fact that the local community is strongly in favor of keeping the names.
Now, parents are taking a stand against public school identity politics and indoctrination by removing their kids and finding better alternatives like private schools and homeschooling. In fact, over the past year, the Fairfax County school system has seen a 5 percent drop in enrollment, which means that nearly 9,000 students will no longer be exposed to the leftist propaganda and sexualization that has run rampant.
— Article continues below Petition — PETITION: Defend our right to "Choose Life"! Show Petition Text 11454 have signed the petition. Let's get to 12500 ! Thank you for signing this petition! Add your signature: Show Petition Text Country... State... Sign this Petition States are blocking pro-lifers from sharing the simple message “Choose Life” on their vehicles! Please SIGN this joint petition between LifeSite and The Children First Foundation to make "Choose Life" license plates available in every state! Tell governors and state officials to allow this pro-life freedom of speech. Advertising industry statistics show that, for the typical vehicle, a “Choose Life” plate and its simple, powerful message will be seen by other drivers 30,000 to 80,000 times a year. And, across the U.S., “Choose Life” vehicle license plates (or tags) have raised more than $28 million for pro-life pregnancy centers, maternity homes, safe havens, and adoption centers, varying with each state. The potential for expanding the “Choose Life” license plate program to new states and new members is incredible – but only if citizens are allowed to have the plates! It is appalling that seventeen U.S. states do not allow their citizens the right to put “Choose Life” license plates on their vehicles. The plates have been called pro-life “scare tactics” by Planned Parenthood and unlawful or hateful “private speech” by pro-abortion lawyers. The “Choose Life” message, however, is one of pure love that scares nobody except those who profit from death. It is unacceptable that we are blocked from our God-given and Constitutional right to spread the message of love and life for vulnerable unborn and newborn children. Your signature on this petition – no matter where you live – will help to get the “Choose Life” license plate program in states where it is not yet permitted! Please SIGN and SHARE this petition to make a real difference in persuading these state governments and Departments of Motor Vehicles to “Choose Life.” Consider, for example, our experience in New York, where Governor Andrew Cuomo is a nationally-recognized advocate of abortion and has been a relentless opponent of the pro-life movement. Cuomo has blocked the approval of “Choose Life” license plates in NY, despite widespread support for these truly positive messages of love and life. A headline in the New York Post declared, “The DMV Acts Like We Live in Pyongyang.” And, in nearby New Jersey and Connecticut, similar hurdles were faced. But we took the fight to the government officials and even to federal court. And, with the help of petitions, we were able to get “Choose Life” license plates on the road in both states. It is high time for us to convert EVERY state in America to choose life. Your signature on this petition - no matter where you live - will help make that happen by placing “Choose Life” license plates on tens of thousands more cars. For love, for life, for the babies, please SIGN and SHARE our worldwide petition to tell state officials and politicians to stop blocking approval of the “Choose Life” license plate! FOR MORE INFORMATION: Please click on this link to read many past LifeSite articles on "Choose Life" license plates: https://www.lifesitenews.com/tags/tag/choose+life+plates Hide Petition Text Sign this Petition
Yesterday, Maria Keffler, Co-founder of the Arlington Parent Coalition and Partner and Media Representative at Partners for Ethical Care joined Tony on “Washington Watch” to discuss the growing dissatisfaction among parents with educational establishments that are failing to educate and striving to indoctrinate.
“I think more parents are starting to wake up to it and see what's going on,” she said. “Arlington Public Schools is down about 3,000 students from what was expected this year. I think that is one of the silver linings of the coronavirus — that parents are seeing what's going on and they're not happy about it and they shouldn't be.”
The question is, will public schools begin to listen to the concerns of parents when their tax revenue falls due to declining enrollment? The answer appears to be “no.”
“The school boards are simply not concerned,” Keffler observed. “They're simply not concerned with the student's needs. They're not concerned with the parents' concerns. In Fairfax County, in 2018, they voted to add the LGBTQ curriculum to the Fairfax County Family Life Education Curriculum. They received 941 emails against approving that curriculum, only 192 for. And they just went right ahead and did it. They're not listening to parents.”
Not only are public schools not listening to the concerns of parents, they are also failing in their primary duty: education. “Students are falling off the radar,” Keffler pointed out. “Students are falling behind … As long ago as 2015, Pew Research said among developed nations, the U.S. ranks 24th on science and reading and 39th in math. But it's not new that the public schools are failing — [they've] been failing for a while.”
And when taxpayer dollars are being ineffectively used, it's time to redirect the money elsewhere. “I think we do need school choice,” Keffler said. “I think parents need to have the money that the federal government gives to public schools to go with the child. If the parents take the child to a private school, to homeschool, to a military school — that money needs to go with the students.”
Keffler also underscored another enormously concerning trend in public schools: the violation of the First Amendment free speech rights of students and teachers. “I just received from [an] Arlington County teacher the new guidelines for transgender students. And what really disturbed me is a clause in there that says that students or teachers who refuse to comply [with] policies such as enforced pronouns and deceiving parents about their own children's sexuality and their gender ID will be disciplined.”
But despite all of these disturbing trends and coronavirus shutdowns, parents should take heart. The multitude of educational choices and resources that are available continue to expand and grow. “Homeschooling has had a big boom this year,” Keffler noted. “The HSLDA, the Home School Legal Defense Association, has written and talked about the thousands and thousands of parents who've been calling them for assistance.” She went on to describe the success she has had in homeschooling her own three children.
Clearly, it's time to rethink public education. “[The public school system is] a monopoly,” Keffler said. “Parents don't have another choice and you don't negotiate with a monopoly. You have to break a monopoly. And the only way we're going to break the public school monopoly is by taking away their students.”
Published with permission from FRC Action.
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lifesitenews--2020-12-19--Bride-trafficking in China linked to rampant religious freedom violations

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December 19 , 2020 ( Family Research Council ) — “ My friend asked me to go work with her in China… I agreed to go with her as long as the work there would be good.
” This was the simple way that one unsuspecting Kachin girl from Burma ( Myanmar ) ended up as a victim of human trafficking and forced marriage in China .
Soon after her arrival in China , the friends she came @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to live as his wife .
Forced to stay at his house , she was afraid and unsure of where to go for help .
Before long , she gave birth to twins .
Finally , she determined one day to wake up before her captor and flee to seek help from the authorities in a nearby city .
She spent two months in a Chinese jail before being transferred to Burmese authorities who took her back to Burma , where a humanitarian organization provided her with shelter and support .
This brave @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a State Department event titled , “ Trafficking of Women and Girls in China via Forced and Fraudulent Marriage.
” She is just one of many Kachin girls — and girls and women from other countries neighboring China — tricked into crossing the border into China with offers of work or tales of a legitimate marriage , which turns out to be sexual exploitation .
The Kachin ethnic group , like many ethnic minorities in Burma , receive little support from the Burmese government .
Insurgencies in the Kachin state are among several @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as the Burmese civil war , a conflict that has been ongoing for decades and the source of multiple humanitarian crises .
Some estimate that more than 90 percent of the Kachin people are Christian — mostly Baptist and Roman Catholic .
The ongoing conflict and lack of support from the government makes Kachin girls and women vulnerable to manipulation by traffickers and brokers .
In 2019 , Human Rights Watch published a heart-wrenching , exhaustive report on the trafficking of Kachin “ brides ” from Burma to China .
Other countries that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ trafficking issues , including Pakistan , Vietnam , and North Korea .
China ’ s former “ one-child policy , ” imposed from 1979 to 2015 , along with a cultural preference for sons , has created a skewed male-female ratio and a significant shortage of women .
This imbalance fuels human trafficking and prostitution within China .
Bride trafficking in Pakistan earned international attention last year when Pakistani authorities compiled a list of 629 Pakistani women and girls sold as brides to Chinese men and taken to China .
The investigation was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fear that the inquiry would ire China and threaten Chinese investments into the cash-strapped country .
During the Pakistani investigations , Christian women were found to be particular targets because the pervasive social marginalization of Christian communities makes them easy targets for foreign traffickers .
Many Christians in Pakistan are uneducated and impoverished , exacerbating the problem .
Christian women from poor households lack the agency in society to protect or advocate for themselves .
Corrupt pastors in Pakistan — abusing their trusted role in the community — have been found to work @ @ @ @ @ @ @ targets for trafficking and orchestrate fake marriages .
At the State Department event , Saleem Iqbal , a Christian activist who has helped rescue several girls from China , described how brokers , sometimes cooperating with a pastor who receives a cut of the profit , convince their victims to go to China : “ The promises that were made were not just that the man is a Christian man who is from China and is just looking for a wife and will provide a good life in China , but also that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ will be taken care of when the woman is taken to China .
And since they come from a poor household , they did not want to turn down these offers… ” The cases discussed at the State Department ’ s event are troubling .
As Ambassador-at-Large for Global Women ’ s Issues Kelley Currie noted , human trafficking may not be the first thing that comes to mind when thinking about China ’ s many human rights violations , but this significant trend deserves global attention and action .
Ambassador-at-Large for International @ @ @ @ @ @ @ between religious freedom issues in Burma , Pakistan , and elsewhere and the issue of human trafficking : “ Often religious minorities , not exclusively because they ’ re religious minorities , but because they ’ re vulnerable ” are targeted , “ and it ’ s incumbent upon us , as the international community , to aggressively push back against both ends of this problem , ” which are religious freedom violations and human trafficking .
In many devastating cases , human trafficking and religious freedom violations assist each other .
Each @ @ @ @ @ @ @ issue , and together they create even more tragic scenarios .
Activists that work on human trafficking issues and religious freedom issues have a lot to gain by working together , especially when it comes to China .
Published with permission from the Family Research Council .

LifeSiteNews is facing increasing censorship. Click HERE to sign up to receive emails when we add to our video library.
December 19, 2020 (Family Research Council) — “My friend asked me to go work with her in China… I agreed to go with her as long as the work there would be good.” This was the simple way that one unsuspecting Kachin girl from Burma (Myanmar) ended up as a victim of human trafficking and forced marriage in China. Soon after her arrival in China, the friends she came with left her with a Chinese man to live as his wife.
Forced to stay at his house, she was afraid and unsure of where to go for help. Before long, she gave birth to twins. Finally, she determined one day to wake up before her captor and flee to seek help from the authorities in a nearby city. She spent two months in a Chinese jail before being transferred to Burmese authorities who took her back to Burma, where a humanitarian organization provided her with shelter and support.
This brave survivor shared her story last week at a State Department event titled, “Trafficking of Women and Girls in China via Forced and Fraudulent Marriage.” She is just one of many Kachin girls — and girls and women from other countries neighboring China — tricked into crossing the border into China with offers of work or tales of a legitimate marriage, which turns out to be sexual exploitation.
The Kachin ethnic group, like many ethnic minorities in Burma, receive little support from the Burmese government. Insurgencies in the Kachin state are among several across Burma which are collectively referred to as the Burmese civil war, a conflict that has been ongoing for decades and the source of multiple humanitarian crises. Some estimate that more than 90 percent of the Kachin people are Christian — mostly Baptist and Roman Catholic. The ongoing conflict and lack of support from the government makes Kachin girls and women vulnerable to manipulation by traffickers and brokers. In 2019, Human Rights Watch published a heart-wrenching, exhaustive report on the trafficking of Kachin “brides” from Burma to China.
Other countries that surround China also deal with widespread bride trafficking issues, including Pakistan, Vietnam, and North Korea. China’s former “one-child policy,” imposed from 1979 to 2015, along with a cultural preference for sons, has created a skewed male-female ratio and a significant shortage of women. This imbalance fuels human trafficking and prostitution within China.
Bride trafficking in Pakistan earned international attention last year when Pakistani authorities compiled a list of 629 Pakistani women and girls sold as brides to Chinese men and taken to China. The investigation was soon shut down over Pakistani officials’ fear that the inquiry would ire China and threaten Chinese investments into the cash-strapped country.
During the Pakistani investigations, Christian women were found to be particular targets because the pervasive social marginalization of Christian communities makes them easy targets for foreign traffickers. Many Christians in Pakistan are uneducated and impoverished, exacerbating the problem. Christian women from poor households lack the agency in society to protect or advocate for themselves.
Corrupt pastors in Pakistan — abusing their trusted role in the community — have been found to work with Chinese brokers to identify prospective female targets for trafficking and orchestrate fake marriages.
At the State Department event, Saleem Iqbal, a Christian activist who has helped rescue several girls from China, described how brokers, sometimes cooperating with a pastor who receives a cut of the profit, convince their victims to go to China: “The promises that were made were not just that the man is a Christian man who is from China and is just looking for a wife and will provide a good life in China, but also that the [woman’s] family will be taken care of when the woman is taken to China. And since they come from a poor household, they did not want to turn down these offers…”
The cases discussed at the State Department’s event are troubling. As Ambassador-at-Large for Global Women’s Issues Kelley Currie noted, human trafficking may not be the first thing that comes to mind when thinking about China’s many human rights violations, but this significant trend deserves global attention and action.
Ambassador-at-Large for International Religious Freedom Sam Brownback highlighted the connection between religious freedom issues in Burma, Pakistan, and elsewhere and the issue of human trafficking: “Often religious minorities, not exclusively because they’re religious minorities, but because they’re vulnerable” are targeted, “and it’s incumbent upon us, as the international community, to aggressively push back against both ends of this problem,” which are religious freedom violations and human trafficking.
In many devastating cases, human trafficking and religious freedom violations assist each other. Each of these is a serious human rights issue, and together they create even more tragic scenarios. Activists that work on human trafficking issues and religious freedom issues have a lot to gain by working together, especially when it comes to China.
Published with permission from the Family Research Council.
Share


lifesitenews--2020-12-19--Airplane banner will show Georgia voters what abortion does to a human baby

GEORGIA , December 19 , 2020 ( LifeSiteNews ) – Because of the landmark upcoming election in Georgia that will decide which party holds the U.S. Senate , Created Equal will be flying a massive airplane tow banner depicting a human killed by abortion over several Georgia cities .
This is the last effort in Created Equal ’ s 2020 Vote Anti-Abortion Tour , which traveled to multiple swing states .
The airplane banner encourages the public to “ Vote Anti-Abortion ” while displaying a 15-week aborted child .
The airplane will visit Columbus on December 31 , Augusta on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 4 .
The banner will fly over the city twice each day , from 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. and 2:00 to 6:00 p.m. “ We are putting all our assets in the Senate battleground state of Georgia .
We need pro-lifers to control the Senate to stop the radical pro-abortion agenda Joe Biden is going to try to push through , ” said Mark Harrington , President of Created Equal .
Created Equal is a national anti-abortion organization that focuses on training individuals and groups to be pre-born defenders by using a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ people as possible what abortion does to preborn children .


lifesitenews--2020-12-19--‘Massive forced labor scheme’: Report claims China forcing 500K detainees to pick cotton

LifeSiteNews is facing increasing censorship .
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December 19 , 2020 ( Family Research Council ) — BBC reporters recently traveled to what is now one of the most secretive places on earth — the Xinjiang region of China .
As the film crew tried to capture what the Chinese government insists are `` vocational training centers , '' Chinese authorities prevented them from recording , intensely questioned them , and proceeded to trail them closely .
If these facilities are truly benign , why @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ?
Because they are lying .
Chinese authorities know that the massive new compounds with high walls and barbed wire scattered throughout Xinjiang are not a poverty alleviation program .
Rather , they are part of a well-documented and comprehensive campaign to arbitrarily detain Uyghur Muslims en masse and eradicate their cultural practices and religious beliefs .
Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has been vocal in his criticism of this policy , calling it the `` stain of the century . ''
Now , the use of forced labor from these Uyghur detainees @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
A new report from researcher Adrien Zenz used online government policy papers and Chinese state news stories to discover that the use of Uyghur labor to hand-pick cotton for government entities is now a widespread practice in Xinjiang .
The Uyghur-majority districts of Aksu and Hotan alone sent 210,000 workers `` via labor transfer '' to pick cotton for a Chinese paramilitary group .
Zenz told the BBC , `` We have evidence of a massive forced labor scheme involving hundreds of thousands , upward of half a million , ethnic minorities @ @ @ @ @ @ @ picking cotton .
`` In terms of global supply chains , now that 's a game changer . ''
The enormity of the scale makes this a truly global issue .
It is estimated that 20 percent of the world 's cotton is grown in Xinjiang .
American consumers can expect items in their closet with a `` Made in China '' label may be tainted by Uyghur forced labor .
To its credit , Congress has sought to address the issue of forced labor in Xinjiang .
The Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention @ @ @ @ @ @ @ passed with strong bipartisan support in the House and is waiting for a vote in the Senate .
This bill would compel companies to prove with `` clear and convincing evidence '' that any goods produced in Xinjiang and imported to the U.S. are not made using forced labor , either in whole or in part .
New evidence about the use of forced labor in Xinjiang 's cotton industry proves the need for this bill to become law now more than ever .
Unfortunately , some companies are perfectly happy to make @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Uyghur laborers .
Companies such as Apple , Nike , and Coca-Cola recently made waves by lobbying against the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act .
Rushan Abbas , a Uyghur whose sister is thought to be detained in a `` re-education '' camp , lamented the companies ' decision to oppose the bill , saying , `` Choosing to fight against legislative efforts to address the atrocities covered in this report is an absolutely despicable thing to do and can be considered direct complicity . ''
Longtime human rights champion Congressman Chris Smith @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a recent episode of `` Washington Watch , '' when he said , `` You know , one of the greatest disappointments I 've had in 40 years of promoting human rights and humanitarianism in Congress is that the profit motive ... trump [ s ] human rights . ''
American companies should be wary of assisting the Chinese government 's brutal suppression and abuse of the Uyghur Muslim minority — most American consumers already are .
Efforts like the Uyghur Forced Labor Protection Act protect U.S. citizens from unknowingly funding China 's @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fear that their purchases might contribute to gross human rights violations in China .
As the evidence of China 's forced labor practices keep growing , the Senate should pass the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act without delay .
The cost of our hesitancy is high as we wait .
Published with permission from the Family Research Council .

American consumers can expect that items in their closet with a 'Made in China' label may be tainted by Uyghur forced labor.
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December 19, 2020 (Family Research Council) — BBC reporters recently traveled to what is now one of the most secretive places on earth — the Xinjiang region of China. As the film crew tried to capture what the Chinese government insists are “vocational training centers,” Chinese authorities prevented them from recording, intensely questioned them, and proceeded to trail them closely. If these facilities are truly benign, why make such an effort to hide them?
Because they are lying. Chinese authorities know that the massive new compounds with high walls and barbed wire scattered throughout Xinjiang are not a poverty alleviation program. Rather, they are part of a well-documented and comprehensive campaign to arbitrarily detain Uyghur Muslims en masse and eradicate their cultural practices and religious beliefs. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has been vocal in his criticism of this policy, calling it the “stain of the century.”
Now, the use of forced labor from these Uyghur detainees allows Beijing to profit from these atrocities. A new report from researcher Adrien Zenz used online government policy papers and Chinese state news stories to discover that the use of Uyghur labor to hand-pick cotton for government entities is now a widespread practice in Xinjiang. The Uyghur-majority districts of Aksu and Hotan alone sent 210,000 workers “via labor transfer” to pick cotton for a Chinese paramilitary group.
Zenz told the BBC, “We have evidence of a massive forced labor scheme involving hundreds of thousands, upward of half a million, ethnic minorities” known to be put to work picking cotton. “In terms of global supply chains, now that's a game changer.”
The enormity of the scale makes this a truly global issue. It is estimated that 20 percent of the world's cotton is grown in Xinjiang. American consumers can expect items in their closet with a “Made in China” label may be tainted by Uyghur forced labor.
To its credit, Congress has sought to address the issue of forced labor in Xinjiang. The Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act (H.R. 6210) recently passed with strong bipartisan support in the House and is waiting for a vote in the Senate. This bill would compel companies to prove with “clear and convincing evidence” that any goods produced in Xinjiang and imported to the U.S. are not made using forced labor, either in whole or in part.
New evidence about the use of forced labor in Xinjiang's cotton industry proves the need for this bill to become law now more than ever. Unfortunately, some companies are perfectly happy to make a profit off the backs of oppressed Uyghur laborers. Companies such as Apple, Nike, and Coca-Cola recently made waves by lobbying against the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act. Rushan Abbas, a Uyghur whose sister is thought to be detained in a “re-education” camp, lamented the companies' decision to oppose the bill, saying, “Choosing to fight against legislative efforts to address the atrocities covered in this report is an absolutely despicable thing to do and can be considered direct complicity.”
Longtime human rights champion Congressman Chris Smith (R-N.J.) echoed this disappointment on a recent episode of “Washington Watch,” when he said, “You know, one of the greatest disappointments I've had in 40 years of promoting human rights and humanitarianism in Congress is that the profit motive… trump[s] human rights.”
American companies should be wary of assisting the Chinese government's brutal suppression and abuse of the Uyghur Muslim minority — most American consumers already are. Efforts like the Uyghur Forced Labor Protection Act protect U.S. citizens from unknowingly funding China's misdeeds. Shoppers should not have to fear that their purchases might contribute to gross human rights violations in China. As the evidence of China's forced labor practices keep growing, the Senate should pass the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act without delay. The cost of our hesitancy is high as we wait.
Published with permission from the Family Research Council.
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lifesitenews--2020-12-19--National pro-life group announces digital ad buy to reach pro-life Spanish-speaking voters in Georgi

National pro-life group announces digital ad buy to reach pro-life Spanish-speaking voters in Georgia

December 19 , 2020 ( LifeSiteNews ) – The Susan B. Anthony List ’ s partner Women Speak Out PAC ( WSO PAC ) announced an expansion of their independent expenditure campaign in Georgia : Spanish-speaking ads that will reach 100,000 persuadable and pro-life Hispanic voters in the state .
The digital ad campaign features Mexican actor Eduardo Verastegui , known for films such as Bella and Little Boy .
The overall $ 4.1 million+ multi-channel campaign includes canvassing , voter mail , calls , texts , as well as radio and digital ads , and will reach one million @ @ @ @ @ @ @ We ’ re excited to bring Eduardo ’ s pro-life message to Georgia voters , ” said Women Speak Out PAC national spokeswoman Mallory Quigley .
“ These ads will reach as many as 100,000 Spanish-speaking voters who are strongly pro-life , and whose votes will be key to preserving a Republican majority in the Senate.
” Alfonso Aguilar , President of the Latino Partnership for Conservative Principles , added : “ Georgia Latinos are pro-life .
That ’ s why it ’ s important to let them know that both Democratic candidates @ @ @ @ @ @ @ support an extreme abortion agenda , which includes restoring taxpayer funding of Planned Parenthood , the largest abortion provider in the country that actively targets Latina women.
” “ I am convinced that Latinos in Georgia will vote to defend the right to life and will vote for Senators Perdue and Loeffler , who are strong advocates for the unborn , ” said Aguilar .


lifesitenews--2020-12-19--Report claims US bishops’ anti-poverty arm lied about partisan support for Biden

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WASHINGTON , D.C. , December 19 , 2020 ( Lepanto Institute ) — Responding to an internal memo circulated among the Catholic bishops of the United States , the Lepanto Institute published a highly detailed video report exposing “ bold lies ” and “ wild inaccuracies ” contained in the memo .
In October , the Lepanto Institute published a report showing that a network of organizations receiving funds from the Catholic Campaign for Human Development ( @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops ( USCCB ) , was actively involved in calls for the election of Joe Biden and the defeat of Donald Trump .
Two weeks after the report was published , the CCHD issued a memo claiming that the Lepanto Report was “ false and rooted in a hostile reaction to the call for transformative justice.
” “ The CCHD routinely issues blanket denials of our reports without ever providing a shred of information to counter the documented evidence , ” said Michael Hichborn , president @ @ @ @ @ @ @ CCHD ’ s vetting process is about as competent as a Facebook fact-checker , we produced a highly-detailed video report to place the CCHD ’ s lies and denials on full display.
” The Lepanto Institute ’ s 19-minute video report provides detailed responses to false claims made by CCHD regarding its support of Faith in Action ( FIA ) , such as : • CCHD does not fund organizations that participate in partisan activities • “ FIA and its local affiliates are working to build bridges that help move us toward Dr. @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Community ” • FIA had a few “ blurred lines ” in a relationship with a Democrat-endorsing political Action Committee • FIA “ swiftly responded and has acted to address these few instances and to prevent similar missteps in the future.
” • “ Catholics can be confident that the [ CCHD ] does not fund organizations that violate the moral or social teaching of the Church.
” “ Every single one of these claims is proved false with direct statements from Faith in Action , its affiliates , its leadership , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ Not only is Faith in Action guilty of racism , the promotion of abortion , the promotion of sexual perversion , and the promotion of violence , but the ‘ blurred lines ’ FIA is said to have with a political action committee are far more direct.
” The Lepanto Institute ’ s report can be viewed here : “ Our report proves that the CCHD is lying to the bishops and to the faithful about the nature of the organizations with which it partners , ” said Hichborn .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ bishops and the faithful MUST be addressed in full detail by the CCHD.
” The Lepanto Institute is continuing its call for Catholic bishops of the United States to withdraw all support for the CCHD .
Published with permission from the Lepanto Institute .

'This egregious breach of trust,' said Michael Hichborn, president of the Lepanto Institute, 'with the bishops and the faithful MUST be addressed in full detail by the CCHD.'
Big Tech is censoring us. Subscribe to our email list and bookmark LifeSiteNews.com to continue getting our news. Subscribe now.
WASHINGTON, D.C., December 19, 2020 (Lepanto Institute) — Responding to an internal memo circulated among the Catholic bishops of the United States, the Lepanto Institute published a highly detailed video report exposing “bold lies” and “wild inaccuracies” contained in the memo.
In October, the Lepanto Institute published a report showing that a network of organizations receiving funds from the Catholic Campaign for Human Development (CCHD), the official anti-poverty program of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB), was actively involved in calls for the election of Joe Biden and the defeat of Donald Trump. Two weeks after the report was published, the CCHD issued a memo claiming that the Lepanto Report was “false and rooted in a hostile reaction to the call for transformative justice.”
“The CCHD routinely issues blanket denials of our reports without ever providing a shred of information to counter the documented evidence,” said Michael Hichborn, president of the Lepanto Institute. “Because CCHD’s vetting process is about as competent as a Facebook fact-checker, we produced a highly-detailed video report to place the CCHD’s lies and denials on full display.”
The Lepanto Institute’s 19-minute video report provides detailed responses to false claims made by CCHD regarding its support of Faith in Action (FIA), such as:
CCHD does not fund organizations that participate in partisan activities
FIA is fighting racism
“FIA and its local affiliates are working to build bridges that help move us toward Dr. King’s vision of the Beloved Community”
FIA had a few “blurred lines” in a relationship with a Democrat-endorsing political Action Committee
FIA “swiftly responded and has acted to address these few instances and to prevent similar missteps in the future.”
“Catholics can be confident that the [CCHD] does not fund organizations that violate the moral or social teaching of the Church.”
“Every single one of these claims is proved false with direct statements from Faith in Action, its affiliates, its leadership, and its national projects,” said Hichborn. “Not only is Faith in Action guilty of racism, the promotion of abortion, the promotion of sexual perversion, and the promotion of violence, but the ‘blurred lines’ FIA is said to have with a political action committee are far more direct.”
The Lepanto Institute’s report can be viewed here:
“Our report proves that the CCHD is lying to the bishops and to the faithful about the nature of the organizations with which it partners,” said Hichborn. “This egregious breach of trust with the bishops and the faithful MUST be addressed in full detail by the CCHD.”
The Lepanto Institute is continuing its call for Catholic bishops of the United States to withdraw all support for the CCHD.
Published with permission from the Lepanto Institute.
Share


lifesitenews--2020-12-19--‘We have to fight back’: Doctor lays out ‘sensible’ anti-COVID strategy

December 18 , 2020 ( Imprimis ) — The following is adapted from a panel presentation on October 9 , 2020 , in Omaha , Nebraska , at a Hillsdale College Free Market Forum .
My goal today is , first , to present the facts about how deadly COVID-19 actually is ; second , to present the facts about who is at risk from COVID ; third , to present some facts about how deadly the widespread lockdowns have been ; and fourth , to recommend a shift in public policy .
In discussing the deadliness of COVID , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ COVID infections .
A lot of fear and confusion has resulted from failing to understand the difference .
We have heard much this year about the “ case fatality rate ” of COVID .
In early March , the case fatality rate in the U.S. was roughly three percent — nearly three out of every hundred people who were identified as “ cases ” of COVID in early March died from it .
Compare that to today , when the fatality rate of COVID is known to be less than one half of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ when the World Health Organization said back in early March that three percent of people who get COVID die from it , they were wrong by at least one order of magnitude .
The COVID fatality rate is much closer to 0.2 or 0.3 percent .
The reason for the highly inaccurate early estimates is simple : in early March , we were not identifying most of the people who had been infected by COVID .
“ Case fatality rate ” is computed by dividing the number of deaths by the total number @ @ @ @ @ @ @ an accurate COVID fatality rate , the number in the denominator should be the number of people who have been infected — the number of people who have actually had the disease — rather than the number of confirmed cases .
In March , only the small fraction of infected people who got sick and went to the hospital were identified as cases .
But the majority of people who are infected by COVID have very mild symptoms or no symptoms at all .
These people weren ’ t identified in the early @ @ @ @ @ @ @ misleading fatality rate .
And that is what drove public policy .
Even worse , it continues to sow fear and panic , because the perception of too many people about COVID is frozen in the misleading data from March .
So how do we get an accurate fatality rate ?
To use a technical term , we test for seroprevalence — in other words , we test to find out how many people have evidence in their bloodstream of having had COVID .
This is easy with some viruses .
Anyone who @ @ @ @ @ @ @ still has that virus living in them — it stays in the body forever .
COVID , on the other hand , like other coronaviruses , doesn ’ t stay in the body .
Someone who is infected with COVID and then clears it will be immune from it , but it won ’ t still be living in them .
What we need to test for , then , are antibodies or other evidence that someone has had COVID .
And even antibodies fade over time , so testing for them still @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Seroprevalence is what I worked on in the early days of the epidemic .
In April , I ran a series of studies , using antibody tests , to see how many people in California ’ s Santa Clara County , where I live , had been infected .
At the time , there were about 1,000 COVID cases that had been identified in the county , but our antibody tests found that 50,000 people had been infected — i.e.
, there were 50 times more infections than identified cases .
This @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that the fatality rate was not three percent , but closer to 0.2 percent ; not three in 100 , but two in 1,000 .
When it came out , this Santa Clara study was controversial .
But science is like that , and the way science tests controversial studies is to see if they can be replicated .
And indeed , there are now 82 similar seroprevalence studies from around the world , and the median result of these 82 studies is a fatality rate of about 0.2 percent — exactly what @ @ @ @ @ @ @ In some places , of course , the fatality rate was higher : in New York City it was more like 0.5 percent .
In other places it was lower : the rate in Idaho was 0.13 percent .
What this variation shows is that the fatality rate is not simply a function of how deadly a virus is .
It is also a function of who gets infected and of the quality of the health care system .
In the early days of the virus , our health care systems managed COVID @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to ignorance : we pursued very aggressive treatments , for instance , such as the use of ventilators , that in retrospect might have been counterproductive .
And part of it was due to negligence : in some places , we needlessly allowed a lot of people in nursing homes to get infected .
But the bottom line is that the COVID fatality rate is in the neighborhood of 0.2 percent .
2. Who Is at Risk ?
The single most important fact about the COVID pandemic — in terms of deciding how @ @ @ @ @ @ @ individual and a governmental basis — is that it is not equally dangerous for everybody .
This became clear very early on , but for some reason our public health messaging failed to get this fact out to the public .
It still seems to be a common perception that COVID is equally dangerous to everybody , but this couldn ’ t be further from the truth .
There is a thousand-fold difference between the mortality rate in older people , 70 and up , and the mortality rate in children .
In @ @ @ @ @ @ @ blessing .
If it was a disease that killed children preferentially , I for one would react very differently .
But the fact is that for young children , this disease is less dangerous than the seasonal flu .
This year , in the United States , more children have died from the seasonal flu than from COVID by a factor of two or three .
Whereas COVID is not deadly for children , for older people it is much more deadly than the seasonal flu .
If you look at studies worldwide @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 70 and up is about four percent — four in 100 among those 70 and older , as opposed to two in 1,000 in the overall population .
Again , this huge difference between the danger of COVID to the young and the danger of COVID to the old is the most important fact about the virus .
Yet it has not been sufficiently emphasized in public health messaging or taken into account by most policymakers .
The widespread lockdowns that have been adopted in response to COVID are unprecedented — lockdowns have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of disease control .
Nor were these lockdowns part of the original plan .
The initial rationale for lockdowns was that slowing the spread of the disease would prevent hospitals from being overwhelmed .
It became clear before long that this was not a worry : in the U.S. and in most of the world , hospitals were never at risk of being overwhelmed .
Yet the lockdowns were kept in place , and this is turning out to have deadly effects .
Those who dare to talk about the tremendous economic harms @ @ @ @ @ @ @ accused of heartlessness .
Economic considerations are nothing compared to saving lives , they are told .
So I ’ m not going to talk about the economic effects — I ’ m going to talk about the deadly effects on health , beginning with the fact that the U.N. has estimated that 130 million additional people will starve this year as a result of the economic damage resulting from the lockdowns .
In the last 20 years we ’ ve lifted one billion people worldwide out of poverty .
This year we @ @ @ @ @ @ @ — it bears repeating — that an estimated 130 million more people will starve .
Another result of the lockdowns is that people stopped bringing their children in for immunizations against diseases like diphtheria , pertussis ( whooping cough ) , and polio , because they had been led to fear COVID more than they feared these more deadly diseases .
This wasn ’ t only true in the U.S. Eighty million children worldwide are now at risk of these diseases .
We had made substantial progress in slowing them down , but @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Large numbers of Americans , even though they had cancer and needed chemotherapy , didn ’ t come in for treatment because they were more afraid of COVID than cancer .
Others have skipped recommended cancer screenings .
We ’ re going to see a rise in cancer and cancer death rates as a consequence .
Indeed , this is already starting to show up in the data .
We ’ re also going to see a higher number of deaths from diabetes due to people missing their diabetic monitoring .
Mental @ @ @ @ @ @ @ most shocking thing .
In June of this year , a CDC survey found that one in four young adults between 18 and 24 had seriously considered suicide .
Human beings are not , after all , designed to live alone .
We ’ re meant to be in company with one another .
It is unsurprising that the lockdowns have had the psychological effects that they ’ ve had , especially among young adults and children , who have been denied much-needed socialization .
In effect , what we ’ ve been @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the burden of controlling a disease from which they face little to no risk .
This is entirely backward from the right approach .
4 .
Where to Go from Here Last week I met with two other epidemiologists — Dr. Sunetra Gupta of Oxford University and Dr. Martin Kulldorff of Harvard University — in Great Barrington , Massachusetts .
The three of us come from very different disciplinary backgrounds and from very different parts of the political spectrum .
Yet we had arrived at the same view — the view that the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ public health mistake .
In response , we wrote and issued the Great Barrington Declaration , which can be viewed — along with explanatory videos , answers to frequently asked questions , a list of co-signers , etc .
— online at www.gbdeclaration.org .
As infectious disease epidemiologists and public health scientists we have grave concerns about the damaging physical and mental health impacts of the prevailing COVID-19 policies , and recommend an approach we call Focused Protection .
Coming from both the left and right , and around the world , we @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Current lockdown policies are producing devastating effects on short and long-term public health .
The results ( to name a few ) include lower childhood vaccination rates , worsening cardiovascular disease outcomes , fewer cancer screenings , and deteriorating mental health — leading to greater excess mortality in years to come , with the working class and younger members of society carrying the heaviest burden .
Keeping students out of school is a grave injustice .
Keeping these measures in place until a vaccine is available will cause irreparable damage , with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ our understanding of the virus is growing .
We know that vulnerability to death from COVID-19 is more than a thousand-fold higher in the old and infirm than the young .
Indeed , for children , COVID-19 is less dangerous than many other harms , including influenza .
As immunity builds in the population , the risk of infection to all — including the vulnerable — falls .
We know that all populations will eventually reach herd immunity — i.e.
, the point at which the rate of new infections is stable — @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ( but is not dependent upon ) a vaccine .
Our goal should therefore be to minimize mortality and social harm until we reach herd immunity .
The most compassionate approach that balances the risks and benefits of reaching herd immunity , is to allow those who are at minimal risk of death to live their lives normally to build up immunity to the virus through natural infection , while better protecting those who are at highest risk .
We call this Focused Protection .
Adopting measures to protect the vulnerable should be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to COVID-19 .
By way of example , nursing homes should use staff with acquired immunity and perform frequent PCR testing of other staff and all visitors .
Staff rotation should be minimized .
Retired people living at home should have groceries and other essentials delivered to their home .
When possible , they should meet family members outside rather than inside .
A comprehensive and detailed list of measures , including approaches to multi-generational households , can be implemented , and is well within the scope and capability of public health professionals @ @ @ @ @ @ @ immediately be allowed to resume life as normal .
Simple hygiene measures , such as hand washing and staying home when sick should be practiced by everyone to reduce the herd immunity threshold .
Schools and universities should be open for in-person teaching .
Extracurricular activities , such as sports , should be resumed .
Young low-risk adults should work normally , rather than from home .
Restaurants and other businesses should open .
Arts , music , sports , and other cultural activities should resume .
People who are more at risk @ @ @ @ @ @ @ society as a whole enjoys the protection conferred upon the vulnerable by those who have built up herd immunity .
I should say something in conclusion about the idea of herd immunity , which some people mischaracterize as a strategy of letting people die .
First , herd immunity is not a strategy — it is a biological fact that applies to most infectious diseases .
Even when we come up with a vaccine , we will be relying on herd immunity as an end-point for this epidemic .
The vaccine will help @ @ @ @ @ @ @ bring it to an end .
And second , our strategy is not to let people die , but to protect the vulnerable .
We know the people who are vulnerable , and we know the people who are not vulnerable .
To continue to act as if we do not know these things makes no sense .
My final point is about science .
When scientists have spoken up against the lockdown policy , there has been enormous pushback : “ You ’ re endangering lives.
” Science can not operate in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ t know all the answers to COVID ; no one does .
Science ought to be able to clarify the answers .
But science can ’ t do its job in an environment where anyone who challenges the status quo gets shut down or cancelled .
To date , the Great Barrington Declaration has been signed by over 43,000 medical and public health scientists and medical practitioners .
The Declaration thus does not represent a fringe view within the scientific community .
This is a central part of the scientific debate , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Members of the general public can also sign the Declaration .
Together , I think we can get on the other side of this pandemic .
But we have to fight back .
We ’ re at a place where our civilization is at risk , where the bonds that unite us are at risk of being torn .
We shouldn ’ t be afraid .
We should respond to the COVID virus rationally : protect the vulnerable , treat the people who get infected compassionately , develop a vaccine .
And while @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the civilization that we had so that the cure does not end up being worse than the disease .

Dr. Jay Bhattacharya, one of the authors of the Great Barrington Declaration against COVID lockdowns, presents his idea of a policy to fight the coronavirus that would actually work.
December 18, 2020 (Imprimis) — The following is adapted from a panel presentation on October 9, 2020, in Omaha, Nebraska, at a Hillsdale College Free Market Forum.
My goal today is, first, to present the facts about how deadly COVID-19 actually is; second, to present the facts about who is at risk from COVID; third, to present some facts about how deadly the widespread lockdowns have been; and fourth, to recommend a shift in public policy.
1. The COVID-19 Fatality Rate
In discussing the deadliness of COVID, we need to distinguish COVID cases from COVID infections. A lot of fear and confusion has resulted from failing to understand the difference.
We have heard much this year about the “case fatality rate” of COVID. In early March, the case fatality rate in the U.S. was roughly three percent — nearly three out of every hundred people who were identified as “cases” of COVID in early March died from it. Compare that to today, when the fatality rate of COVID is known to be less than one half of one percent.
In other words, when the World Health Organization said back in early March that three percent of people who get COVID die from it, they were wrong by at least one order of magnitude. The COVID fatality rate is much closer to 0.2 or 0.3 percent. The reason for the highly inaccurate early estimates is simple: in early March, we were not identifying most of the people who had been infected by COVID.
“Case fatality rate” is computed by dividing the number of deaths by the total number of confirmed cases. But to obtain an accurate COVID fatality rate, the number in the denominator should be the number of people who have been infected — the number of people who have actually had the disease — rather than the number of confirmed cases.
In March, only the small fraction of infected people who got sick and went to the hospital were identified as cases. But the majority of people who are infected by COVID have very mild symptoms or no symptoms at all. These people weren’t identified in the early days, which resulted in a highly misleading fatality rate. And that is what drove public policy. Even worse, it continues to sow fear and panic, because the perception of too many people about COVID is frozen in the misleading data from March.
So how do we get an accurate fatality rate? To use a technical term, we test for seroprevalence — in other words, we test to find out how many people have evidence in their bloodstream of having had COVID.
This is easy with some viruses. Anyone who has had chickenpox, for instance, still has that virus living in them — it stays in the body forever. COVID, on the other hand, like other coronaviruses, doesn’t stay in the body. Someone who is infected with COVID and then clears it will be immune from it, but it won’t still be living in them.
What we need to test for, then, are antibodies or other evidence that someone has had COVID. And even antibodies fade over time, so testing for them still results in an underestimate of total infections.
Seroprevalence is what I worked on in the early days of the epidemic. In April, I ran a series of studies, using antibody tests, to see how many people in California’s Santa Clara County, where I live, had been infected. At the time, there were about 1,000 COVID cases that had been identified in the county, but our antibody tests found that 50,000 people had been infected — i.e., there were 50 times more infections than identified cases. This was enormously important, because it meant that the fatality rate was not three percent, but closer to 0.2 percent; not three in 100, but two in 1,000.
When it came out, this Santa Clara study was controversial. But science is like that, and the way science tests controversial studies is to see if they can be replicated. And indeed, there are now 82 similar seroprevalence studies from around the world, and the median result of these 82 studies is a fatality rate of about 0.2 percent — exactly what we found in Santa Clara County.
In some places, of course, the fatality rate was higher: in New York City it was more like 0.5 percent. In other places it was lower: the rate in Idaho was 0.13 percent. What this variation shows is that the fatality rate is not simply a function of how deadly a virus is. It is also a function of who gets infected and of the quality of the health care system. In the early days of the virus, our health care systems managed COVID poorly. Part of this was due to ignorance: we pursued very aggressive treatments, for instance, such as the use of ventilators, that in retrospect might have been counterproductive. And part of it was due to negligence: in some places, we needlessly allowed a lot of people in nursing homes to get infected.
But the bottom line is that the COVID fatality rate is in the neighborhood of 0.2 percent.
2. Who Is at Risk?
The single most important fact about the COVID pandemic — in terms of deciding how to respond to it on both an individual and a governmental basis — is that it is not equally dangerous for everybody. This became clear very early on, but for some reason our public health messaging failed to get this fact out to the public.
It still seems to be a common perception that COVID is equally dangerous to everybody, but this couldn’t be further from the truth. There is a thousand-fold difference between the mortality rate in older people, 70 and up, and the mortality rate in children. In some sense, this is a great blessing. If it was a disease that killed children preferentially, I for one would react very differently. But the fact is that for young children, this disease is less dangerous than the seasonal flu. This year, in the United States, more children have died from the seasonal flu than from COVID by a factor of two or three.
— Article continues below Petition — PETITION: Shut down big government NOT small business Show Petition Text 22607 have signed the petition. Let's get to 25000 ! Thank you for signing this petition! Add your signature: Show Petition Text Country... State... Sign this Petition Many small businesses are being forced to close temporarily or even permanently under the strain of a second wave of government-imposed COVID shutdowns. This is totally and thoroughly wrong...especially when big business, government, and large segments of the professional world are totally insulated from the repercussions of the shutdowns. Something drastic needs to be done now! SIGN this urgent petition calling for state legislatures to cut the salaries of governors and mayors who are responsible for closing small businesses by enacting draconian COVID shutdown measures. The bottom line is that the people imposing shutdown measures need to feel the bite of the restrictions they are imposing on other peoples' livelihoods so that they have a personal incentive to re-open their economies and make accommodation for the survival of small businesses. Local restaurants, cafes, gyms, clothiers, bookshops, florists, and many more, are being forced to shut their doors, some forever. Americans who have spent their entire lives building their business - and, taken all of the risk - stand to lose everything. But, the following are all considered essential and never get shut down: lawyers, lobbyists, politicians, courts, big corporations, and the media... And, to add insult to injury, some politicians who are imposing these shutdowns, like Democratic Governor Andrew Cuomo, are actually getting huge pay raises starting in the new year. Cuomo's raise is $25,000 next year alone! This is utterly scandalous! It is time to say enough is enough! If small business owners are being CRUSHED by government COVID restrictions, the politicians responsible should also feel the BITE of those restrictions! This is the only way to make the "political class" understand how devastating their shutdowns truly are to small business owners and their employees. Small businesses are the backbone of our economy, supply millions of jobs to people across the country, and ironically provide the taxes used to fund the programs so loved by most of the governors and mayors. Because of the nature of small and medium businesses, their owners and workers are on the frontlines of the COVID crisis. They need to be rewarded for this bravery, not closed down. Accommodation needs to be made for small businesses so that they can weather this storm and thrive after it has passed. These are businesses we all love using, and we want them to be there long after COVID is just a bad memory. When this is all over, do we really want every coffee shop to be a Starbucks or Dunkin' Donuts, or every restaurant to be a McDonald's? The answer is not only "no," but "Heck, no!" Therefore, governors and mayors need to be personally incentivized to do everything in their power to see that small and medium businesses can survive and thrive - AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE. That's why we're calling on state legislators to cut the salaries of all governors and mayors who are imposing draconian shutdowns where no accommodation is being made for small businesses. Please SIGN and SHARE this urgent petition today! **Photo Credit: Shutterstock.com Hide Petition Text Sign this Petition
Whereas COVID is not deadly for children, for older people it is much more deadly than the seasonal flu. If you look at studies worldwide, the COVID fatality rate for people 70 and up is about four percent — four in 100 among those 70 and older, as opposed to two in 1,000 in the overall population.
Again, this huge difference between the danger of COVID to the young and the danger of COVID to the old is the most important fact about the virus. Yet it has not been sufficiently emphasized in public health messaging or taken into account by most policymakers.
3. Deadliness of the Lockdowns
The widespread lockdowns that have been adopted in response to COVID are unprecedented — lockdowns have never before been tried as a method of disease control. Nor were these lockdowns part of the original plan. The initial rationale for lockdowns was that slowing the spread of the disease would prevent hospitals from being overwhelmed. It became clear before long that this was not a worry: in the U.S. and in most of the world, hospitals were never at risk of being overwhelmed. Yet the lockdowns were kept in place, and this is turning out to have deadly effects.
Those who dare to talk about the tremendous economic harms that have followed from the lockdowns are accused of heartlessness. Economic considerations are nothing compared to saving lives, they are told. So I’m not going to talk about the economic effects — I’m going to talk about the deadly effects on health, beginning with the fact that the U.N. has estimated that 130 million additional people will starve this year as a result of the economic damage resulting from the lockdowns.
In the last 20 years we’ve lifted one billion people worldwide out of poverty. This year we are reversing that progress to the extent — it bears repeating — that an estimated 130 million more people will starve.
Another result of the lockdowns is that people stopped bringing their children in for immunizations against diseases like diphtheria, pertussis (whooping cough), and polio, because they had been led to fear COVID more than they feared these more deadly diseases. This wasn’t only true in the U.S. Eighty million children worldwide are now at risk of these diseases. We had made substantial progress in slowing them down, but now they are going to come back.
Large numbers of Americans, even though they had cancer and needed chemotherapy, didn’t come in for treatment because they were more afraid of COVID than cancer. Others have skipped recommended cancer screenings. We’re going to see a rise in cancer and cancer death rates as a consequence. Indeed, this is already starting to show up in the data. We’re also going to see a higher number of deaths from diabetes due to people missing their diabetic monitoring.
Mental health problems are in a way the most shocking thing. In June of this year, a CDC survey found that one in four young adults between 18 and 24 had seriously considered suicide. Human beings are not, after all, designed to live alone. We’re meant to be in company with one another. It is unsurprising that the lockdowns have had the psychological effects that they’ve had, especially among young adults and children, who have been denied much-needed socialization.
In effect, what we’ve been doing is requiring young people to bear the burden of controlling a disease from which they face little to no risk. This is entirely backward from the right approach.
4. Where to Go from Here
Last week I met with two other epidemiologists — Dr. Sunetra Gupta of Oxford University and Dr. Martin Kulldorff of Harvard University — in Great Barrington, Massachusetts. The three of us come from very different disciplinary backgrounds and from very different parts of the political spectrum. Yet we had arrived at the same view — the view that the widespread lockdown policy has been a devastating public health mistake. In response, we wrote and issued the Great Barrington Declaration, which can be viewed — along with explanatory videos, answers to frequently asked questions, a list of co-signers, etc. — online at www.gbdeclaration.org.
The Declaration reads:
As infectious disease epidemiologists and public health scientists we have grave concerns about the damaging physical and mental health impacts of the prevailing COVID-19 policies, and recommend an approach we call Focused Protection.
Coming from both the left and right, and around the world, we have devoted our careers to protecting people. Current lockdown policies are producing devastating effects on short and long-term public health. The results (to name a few) include lower childhood vaccination rates, worsening cardiovascular disease outcomes, fewer cancer screenings, and deteriorating mental health — leading to greater excess mortality in years to come, with the working class and younger members of society carrying the heaviest burden. Keeping students out of school is a grave injustice.
Keeping these measures in place until a vaccine is available will cause irreparable damage, with the underprivileged disproportionately harmed.
Fortunately, our understanding of the virus is growing. We know that vulnerability to death from COVID-19 is more than a thousand-fold higher in the old and infirm than the young. Indeed, for children, COVID-19 is less dangerous than many other harms, including influenza.
As immunity builds in the population, the risk of infection to all — including the vulnerable — falls. We know that all populations will eventually reach herd immunity — i.e., the point at which the rate of new infections is stable — and that this can be assisted by (but is not dependent upon) a vaccine. Our goal should therefore be to minimize mortality and social harm until we reach herd immunity.
The most compassionate approach that balances the risks and benefits of reaching herd immunity, is to allow those who are at minimal risk of death to live their lives normally to build up immunity to the virus through natural infection, while better protecting those who are at highest risk. We call this Focused Protection.
Adopting measures to protect the vulnerable should be the central aim of public health responses to COVID-19. By way of example, nursing homes should use staff with acquired immunity and perform frequent PCR testing of other staff and all visitors. Staff rotation should be minimized. Retired people living at home should have groceries and other essentials delivered to their home. When possible, they should meet family members outside rather than inside. A comprehensive and detailed list of measures, including approaches to multi-generational households, can be implemented, and is well within the scope and capability of public health professionals.
Those who are not vulnerable should immediately be allowed to resume life as normal. Simple hygiene measures, such as hand washing and staying home when sick should be practiced by everyone to reduce the herd immunity threshold. Schools and universities should be open for in-person teaching. Extracurricular activities, such as sports, should be resumed. Young low-risk adults should work normally, rather than from home. Restaurants and other businesses should open. Arts, music, sports, and other cultural activities should resume. People who are more at risk may participate if they wish, while society as a whole enjoys the protection conferred upon the vulnerable by those who have built up herd immunity.
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I should say something in conclusion about the idea of herd immunity, which some people mischaracterize as a strategy of letting people die. First, herd immunity is not a strategy — it is a biological fact that applies to most infectious diseases. Even when we come up with a vaccine, we will be relying on herd immunity as an end-point for this epidemic. The vaccine will help, but herd immunity is what will bring it to an end. And second, our strategy is not to let people die, but to protect the vulnerable. We know the people who are vulnerable, and we know the people who are not vulnerable. To continue to act as if we do not know these things makes no sense.
My final point is about science. When scientists have spoken up against the lockdown policy, there has been enormous pushback: “You’re endangering lives.” Science cannot operate in an environment like that. I don’t know all the answers to COVID; no one does. Science ought to be able to clarify the answers. But science can’t do its job in an environment where anyone who challenges the status quo gets shut down or cancelled.
To date, the Great Barrington Declaration has been signed by over 43,000 medical and public health scientists and medical practitioners. The Declaration thus does not represent a fringe view within the scientific community. This is a central part of the scientific debate, and it belongs in the debate. Members of the general public can also sign the Declaration.
Together, I think we can get on the other side of this pandemic. But we have to fight back. We’re at a place where our civilization is at risk, where the bonds that unite us are at risk of being torn. We shouldn’t be afraid. We should respond to the COVID virus rationally: protect the vulnerable, treat the people who get infected compassionately, develop a vaccine. And while doing these things we should bring back the civilization that we had so that the cure does not end up being worse than the disease.
Published with permission from Imprimis.
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