Limiting business operations disservice to community

It appears, the servants of the people, the Whitefish City Council, plan to, once again, flex their muscles to stop COVID.  

Frank Sweeny says, “It’s a disservice to this community and the businesses that they don’t attempt to assist in this problem so that schools and businesses can stay open.” On the contrary, Mr. Sweeny, it is a huge disservice to the community when you limit businesses to run at greater potential and disallow children to return to school.

Never mind the increased drug use, child abuse, hunger, bankruptcy, suicide and loneliness as a result of these tyrannical measures. We must ruin your lives so we can save them. The single mindedness of the council is mind-boggling.  

Just to refresh everyone’s memory, our government (servants) do not give us permission to exercise our liberty, nor do they give us permission to be free. In the Montana Constitution, it says all political power is vested in and derived from the people and all government of right originates with the people, is founded upon their will only and is instituted solely for the good of the whole.  

Some council members might add that it also says a “clean and healthful environment” and that is a license for government servants to usurp the power of the people and exercise their limited power as servants. Who ever heard of a servant making demands?

The Montana Human Rights Act says that basic personal rights include freedom from discrimination because of race, creed, religion, color, sex, physical or mental disability, age, or national origin is recognized as and declared to be a civil right. This right also includes the right to the full enjoyment of any of the accommodation facilities or privileges of any place of public resort, accommodation, assemblage, or amusement.

When the Flathead County death rate is less than 1% and the survival rate is more than 99% while the infection rate of confirmed cases is about 2%, we, the people want to patronize and support our businesses because, dear servants, not all believe in the creed of “fear.” 

The Great Barrington Declaration (gbdeclaration.org) signed by thousands of doctors from around the world, recommend an approach called Focused Protection, which says “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 though natural infection, while better protecting those who are at highest risk.”

I suggest, Whitefish City Council, that you explore this same approach with our lovely town of Whitefish.

Happy Halloween! May all locals and tourists experience good health, great joy, and prosperous business in our quaint little town!

Republican Catherine Owens is running for House District 5 in the state Legislature.