Bu Samuel Strait, Reporter at Large – August 29, 2021 Recently, both locally and throughout the State there has been a clamoring for the various governments, State, Municipal, and local to once again establish mandates coercing California citizens to mask up, social distance, return to your prison cells, and close down the economy. The rational being broadcast is that it is in the "community's" interest to do so. There has been a push for vaccine coercion, vaccine passports being the most common, for just about all human activity in order to be "safe" from all the reprobates that continue to fail to fall in line with the "community" dictates. Local authority has taken those steps no matter whether you are vaccinated or not. It does not seem to matter that there is no science that supports ANY of those mechanisms that can prevent transmission of Covid-19. That, coupled with recent reports out of Israel and the UK, that vaccine efficacy duration may be as little as two to four WEEKS, not months, And, there are increasing reports that serious medical conditions as well as death can occur from being vaccinated is something that should give anyone pause for risking the vaccines. The medical community is currently pressuring every one to get vaccinated in Del Norte County to insure the "community" experience with Covid-19 is as minimal as possible. In order to remain relevant, non profits, some employers, and public health all repeat the Mantra, "Vaccines are effective and safe". Whether or not "vaccines are safe and effective", NO one expects to live forever. We all expect that we will die yet wish to live as long as possible. No one can predict that tragic date, nor how it comes to us. We cannot hide at home and continue to pretend that what is happening will not affect us individually, so why must the "community" dictate what is best for us? Is it okay for the community to allow illegal aliens to cross our Southern Border, be Covid positive, and move about freely through the community? Is it okay for those same illegals to be released into communities only to commit a violent crime? Kill a member of your family? A child? or Infect you with Covid-19? Is it okay for our "Hairness" , Gavin Newsom, to release felons from prisons to avoid infection from Covid-19 only for them to kill someone close to you in a home invasion or other violent crimes? Is it okay for the "community" to have a say in how you go about being safe and healthy? Is it okay for someone's business to fail due to Pandemic closures? Is it okay for that business owner to experience a loss due to his failed business? Is it okay for a child to be devastated from a lack of education due to Pandemic school closures? Is it okay for someone to lose a job due to Covid mandates? Refuse to risk death or serious illness from vaccination? Is it okay to be vaccinated and die? Is it okay for individuals not to have a choice? No matter what your political affiliation, a person's health should be private and left for them to decide what course to take. Del Norte County was never going to escape attention by Covid-19 or any of its variants. Face masks, social distancing, washing hands, lock downs, and vaccines did not prevent the latest surge, nor any other surge. The mere fact that we have gotten off so incredibly lightly is a wonderful thing and should be celebrated rather than being sent back to Covid Prison. No matter how vain people are to demand "for the community's" sake that a person's health decision should be the object of that same community, it remains, it is nobody's business but your own. Until someone is known to have committed a crime, they should be given the benefit of doubt no matter how many people in the community are affected by the crime. It is the way things are supposed to work in this country whether you like it or not. Health and safety should be allowed to work the same way. Is it okay for that to happen? Many people are okay with the current flood of illegals across the border. Many of those same folks were okay with felons being released from prison to avoid infection from Covid-19. More yet were unconcerned when businesses failed and their children were not being educated. That is until it directly affected them personally or could in the future. At that point it should have been for them to take personal responsibility to protect themselves and not ask the community to protect them. Personal responsibility for one's welfare was the hallmark of this Country for most of its history and it worked well. Recent events have shown that to be a fading glory. Suck it up people, grow up and take back the sense of independence. It will serve your personal welfare much better than dependence on the "community".