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Letters to the EditorReader questions MPP Hillier's COVID views

Reader questions MPP Hillier’s COVID views

Letter to the Editor

—-

The errors and ignorance displayed in Mr. Hillier’s recent monologue “Upholding My Oath of Office” left me speechless.

From Mr. Hillier’s Sept, 2020 video message:

“As an elected representative I do not have the ability to embody nor promote each and every perspective of the 100 000 people I serve. My responsibility is to listen and to talk to as many people as possible to become knowledgeable and understanding of their concerns and to learn how our laws and policies impact and affect them. Once those deliberations are completed and held up against and through the lens of history and experience, examined and evaluated with the magnification of that knowledge and then measured using empathy and compassion, I must reach a determination of what is the right path forward. I have done this and I have chosen which path to take, which road I believe will lead to the best outcomes and we shall see and judge in the fullness of time, the outcomes of my actions and advocacy.

Seven months ago the World Health Organization declared a pandemic and our Premier declared a state of emergency. Many people saw these declarations as a necessary response to an imminent, credible and grave risk to our lives, our safety and our security. Many people pushed, as did the media, that the government take actions to protect us from this danger. But in our haste, by ignoring our past experiences, our history, we compounded this threat. We did not rely on facts but on speculation, we did not rely on evidence and data, but on computer models and projections. But ultimately our best defence against any threat, real or perceived, has been, and always will be, our ability to think for ourselves, to think critically and measure the risk. However, even this defence was thrown away in favour of expert opinions.

The evidence is clear and without a doubt, the probability of becoming sick or dying from COVID represents little risk to 99% of our population, and of those who may fall ill, 99% are expected to recover with little or no side effect.
While less than 1% of 1% are at high risk to the COVID virus, many of the 99% who are not at risk are paying a terrible price …

Socialism is neither a cure nor a remedy for COVID …

But never again can we allow the common men and women of Canada to become second-class citizens in our own country and to be lorded over and subjected to an unelected unaccountable group of bureaucrats and experts.”

Wow. I don’t know where to start.

Elected officials’ responsibility is to serve and protect all constituents, not just the majority. Canada has had nine thousand deaths from COVID. Four times more American lives have been lost this year than the entire Vietnam war. Six and a half percent of infected people die (9205 deaths of 142 000 infected in Canada). The threat is real, not speculative. No one is immune to the virus ; 100% of people can be infected. If we follow Mr Hillier’s advice and allow everyone to be infected, over two million Canadians would die (6.5% of 35 000 000).

The policies protecting us against COVID are not socialism or over-lording, but signs of a caring society. They are based on facts of how viruses spread. Some countries are more back-to-normal than we are because their policies were stricter and implemented more quickly. Those elected officials did their jobs and limited the costs to their societies. Their financial pain and assembly restrictions are over. If we remove COVID restrictions businesses will suffer longer since few people will dare go to restaurants, gatherings, etc.

If Mr. Hillier is suggesting that we should be abandoned by experts to think for ourselves in this situation, he doesn’t understand humanity or the role of an MP. Thinking for ourselves isn’t a defence against COVID; it’s random chaos. As a society we have experts in every field from mechanics and electricians, to doctors and optometrists. Is he really suggesting that we not listen to experts of infectious disease? If so, it is he who is recommending that we ignore our experience, knowledge and history.

So much for the Oath Of Office. Since Mr Hillier has chosen to NOT serve and protect, he should resign.

Jack Teertstra, Almonte

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