By Samuel Strait, Reporter at Large – April 2, 2021 – ClipArt Credit to Adobe photo From our local scene it looks like we are headed back to "purple" status which will mean more of the "lock downs" of local businesses on the verge of spring, likely to end when our illustrious and scientifically devoid leaders feel that those that don't really matter much have jumped "high enough". In States such as Texas and Florida which have ditched the largely ineffective measures of business closures, masking, and social distancing a revival of their tourist industries has begun in an unprecedented fashion. California, on the other hand, continues to make life difficult for its citizens. Maybe, just maybe, help is on the way. In the fall of 2020 a new group has formed, the Freedom Airways and Freedom Travel Alliance, (FAFTA) which has begun the long and arduous task of restoring rationality to Air Travel. Begun as a collaboration between a Canadian, an Irish National, and three Americans, it's intent is to establish that there is a "natural right" to be able to travel domestically or internationally without being forced to accept the myriad collection of confusing "requirements" in order to travel. Their focus is primarily directed at the legality of vaccination passports, masking, quarantining and social distancing requirements which allow people to enter or vacation in places in the United States and abroad. The claim is that these restrictions are without legal standing and should be deemed illegal, with possible consequences to those that impose such restrictions. The Alliance further is attempting to organize "restriction free" travel to various locations with the understanding that the economic benefits far out weigh the negatives. While they, themselves, do not intend to form their own airlines, impact to the airlines industry has left employees and planes alike looking for a way to cover the losses incurred when thousands of planes have been idled by the pandemic. This endeavor will take some time, as media, the medical community and governments are enjoying a time of uncontested power, that they will be unlikely to release no matter what. It is the understanding by the FAFTA, as the narrative of "Pandemic Mania" begins to crumble in the face of the revelation that reaction to the Covid-19 virus is more hysteria than actual science, that public outrage over being "hood winked" will force all of the guilty parties to reverse course and allow the world to return to normal. With spring just around the corner, and continued evidence that neither the State of California, nor the Federal Government is willing to be reasonable, it will take considerable "push back" to right the ship. Even at the local level, it should be clear that masking, social distancing, vaccinations, and other restrictions have had little effect on controlling the virus. Continued troubling reports of testing anomalies, vaccine problems, and the very small numbers of actual problems resulting from Covid infections have led more and more people to question what it is we are doing. As Texas and Florida go to a more normal pre-Covid condition without any ill effect, it should become evident just how damaging States like California and New York have been to their citizens. Developments in other countries such as Sweden, Brazil, and Belgium to break free of the same kind of nanny state ism will soon make it very clear that over reaction to the "pandemic" was unnecessary. The FAFTA is an interesting first step to restore travel to what it once was. Any interest in their work can be detailed at their web site, www.freedomairway.com. Readers are encouraged to become members, even those that don't travel.