Re “Pandemic precautions come from charity, not fear,” (B.C. Catholic, Nov. 2):

I agree that charity is very important in everything we do, but knowledge using science and logic is also powerful in saving lives. While Chris Morrissey argues the only act of charity is to wear masks and distance ourselves, he is being uncharitable to those who disagree with him.

An excellent resource of facts concerning COVID-19 is the Global Report; Summary of Facts from the Great Barrington Declaration, signed by more than 45,000 doctors and scientists from around the world. They state that the overall lethality of COVID-19 is “in the range of a severe influenza.”

Before June, B.C. had flattened the curve of deaths. Today the concern has switched to “cases,” which are based on the ineffectual PCR test whose invetor, Kary Mullis, has argued against using as a diagnostic tool. Masks, distancing, lock-downs are the only solutions the government and the parroting media can give us from their rising “cases.”

The emphasis should be on being healthy: get enough sleep, drink plenty of water, exercise daily, eat a whole food, plant-based diet, and take supplements of Vitamin C, D, and zinc. Do not eat pre-packaged and processed foods. Don’t smoke, and drink alcohol moderately.

The government fear campaign of daily “cases” is irresponsible and is causing more deaths and illnesses than COVID-19 through anxiety, depression, loneliness, suicides, domestic violence, drug and alcohol abuse, missed medical appointments and hospital visits, and undiagnosed cancer and other serious illnesses.

While not giving in to fear and relying on official science, it is also necessary in our charity to accept those who wish to believe what they believe. Forcing everyone to comply to rules that are not scientific but dictatorial is uncharitable.

Lisa Lewko
Delta

 

Let’s compare U.S. COVID deaths with just three other countries – Brazil, the UK, and Spain. Those three countries, total population 327 million, had 243,363 COVID deaths. The U.S., with 331 million, had 232,000 deaths. Three countries with a combined smaller population than the U.S. had a higher COVID death rate than the U.S.

Would those three countries also garner Morrissey’s scorn? He makes a special effort to illustrate 10 countries with the lowest COVID per capita death rate are the reasonable comparison to the politically deadly anti-life work being done in the U.S. Those kinds of exaggerations are what make fake news. The abortion issue is the most important matter facing our society, and Donald Trump’s dealing with it is courageous and commendable.

Bert Podruzny
South Surrey

 

Dr. Steven Malthouse, a B.C. family physician for more than 40 years, recently wrote an open letter to Dr. Bonnie Henry questioning B.C.’s public health policies. His letter should be printed in The B.C. Catholic, rather than the unscientific propaganda letter from Mr. Morrissey. 

Laura von Hausen
Surrey

 

In actual charity, here is the truth: reputable scientists have said because of the risks of oxygen deprivation it must be the free decision of every human being whether they want to wear a mask that is ineffective in protecting from the virus. One nationally recognized board-certified neurosurgeon warns, “face masks fail to protect the healthy from getting sick . . . they also create serious health risks to the wearer”. The New England Journal of Medicine states, “Masks are not only tools, they are also talismans that may help increase health care workers’ perceived sense of safety, well-being, and trust in their hospitals.”

Many doctors have protested the reaction to the pandemic and said the global panic is unnecessary and exaggerated with massive disinformation. The Great Barrington Declaration, signed by more than 45,000 medical practitioners and medical and public health scientists, states “we have grave concerns about the damaging physical and mental health impacts of the prevailing COVID-19 policies.”

May true charity and truth prevail.

Lorna Hessels
Surrey


Congratulations to C.S. Morrissey for his very thoughtful and impressive reflection on Fratelli tutti and the Pope’s TED talk, “Pope wants us to imitate the Good Samaritan, not leftism” (B.C. Catholic, Oct. 13):

To me the TED talk is also a summary of Journeying Towards Care for Our Common Home (May 16, 2020) in which the Holy Father called for renewed action to implement Laudato si’.

Although I was cheering as I read Morrissey’s article, I wondered why he only picked on leftism to worry about. How about “rightism” and “nationalism?” All three were, and still are, tied together as the historically and politically literate well know, and: “have been bent and shaped to serve as tools for domination, as meaningless tags that can be used to justify any action” (Fratelli tutti 14).

As far as the richest 1 per cent owning half the world’s wealth, surely “rightism” is as much to blame as “leftism”? Or perhaps apathy on the part of the common people who are happy with bread and circuses? But I detect a change is coming especially thanks to the young.

Andrew Conradi, ofs
Victoria