Category Faith

Feb 13 2021

The Piscataquis Resolution (an overview)

The Piscataquis Resolution

Change is in the wind and it borders on the miraculous…of sorts. Joe Biden had barely enough time to finish the oath of office and Democrat leaders across the Nation were announcing their intent to reopen their economies. Claims of plummeting infection rates coupled with a sudden pivot to hydroxychloroquine as an effective and viable treatment for the Wuhan Virus, while the media has returned to naming a virus by its geographical place of origin, lends credence to the lingering and growing skepticism of the pandemic narrative. Call it the Biden Effect.

I’m sure the doctors forced out of their practices for spouting “nonscience”, which has become “nowscience”, will be afforded a heartfelt apology from the AMA and others who sneered at those brave, and now proven, practitioners. Perhaps not, as focusing on discounting the reports of the effectiveness of the wonder drug Ivermectin seems to be the next layer of “nonscience”. Imagine the lives that could have been saved had hydroxychloriquine been allowed and encouraged for use, and how many more will be lost in the wranglings over the political impact of simple wonder drug.

But its science and science, as of late, seems to have a healthy dose of political animus. Its no wonder that many Americans, including Mainers, have a healthy distrust of modern medical science, which seems to be more media driven and predicated on political expediency rather than research and scientific method. Science blows in the wind and whither it lands, nobody knows.

Recently, the County Commissioners of Piscataquis County, Maine, sent a Resolution of Protest to the Governor of Maine, The Piscataquis Resolution is a voice for all the concerns, frustrations, helplessness, and anger that the Commissioners’ constituents have expressed to them, asking their elected officials to “Please, do something!” about the draconian lock down and mandates enforced upon them. Predictably, the resolution was met with derision by the media, whose reporting read more like a cut and paste of local protesters’ chants. With the local cancel culture groups in full throat (Yes, Piscataquis has a cancel culture group working out of the Center Theater in Dover-Foxcroft.), the Commissioners have faced protest, vile threats, and character assassinations from the cancel groups, media, Governor, Attorney General, and legislature.

So lets look at The Piscataquis Resolution which, according to the media, is rife with falsehoods and racist terminology. First, the resolution is an extension, or next step, of a protest letter sent by the Commissioners along with three other rural counties, over the summer. The purpose was to lodge complaint and demand audience with the Governor to voice the concerns of their respective counties; unfortunately, the Governor never acknowledged the letter.

Piscataquis has taken the next step of a public and formal Resolution of Protest against the Governor. Here is an overview of the points which have caused the most angst among the local cancel groups. The real over arching anger is directed to that startling affront that any voice could be given to an opinion that does not coincide with, or is contrary to, theirs and, therefore, must be silenced.

The Commissioners do not agree and feel they represent the majority of the residents of Piscataquis. As two of the commissioners ran unopposed and the third was elected by nearly 60% of the vote tally, there is evidence to support this claim. That is a strong majority.

Some town officials have claimed that the Commissioners only represent unorganized townships, not the organized towns. If so, then why are elections for the office of the Commissioner held in organized towns, the votes are tallied, and counted with the unorganized townships? The officials may do well to check statutes which grants County Commissioners oversight for towns on tax abatement issues and other budgetary issues.

The criticisms of the Governor have been publicly made by both parties over this past year. What has been of particular concern for Piscataquis have been reports from distraught, angry, frustrated, and emotional residents who have been tormented in their daily lives and businesses by the gestapo-like tactics of the local cancel group who have been taking pictures, making video recordings, and threatening to report their neighbors for lock down violations to the government, at the behest of the Governor. The businesses of Piscataquis live under the constant threat of closure or other punitive action by the Governor through her local lackeys.

One of the major accusations of racism against the resolution is the use of the term Wuhan Virus. This is simply an indication of the place of origin for the virus. Interestingly, it was the media who first used the term, and with a new administration in Washington, (the Biden Effect) the media have returned to labeling Wuhan variants by their geographical location.

The Piscataquis Resolution also states that face coverings and lock downs only lengthen the time of the pandemic. A phone call from a doctor, who called to express his concern with the resolution, agreed that this point was true and it is by intent. For those that battle infectious disease, lengthening the stay of the pandemic in the populous gives more time to study it and find a cure and, while many may argue the efficacy of this cold and calculated view, to the medical field, in the end the lives they believe saved will justify the means.

Most of derision was focused on the claim that the prolonged use of face coverings has been proven to cause bacterial pneumonia and respiratory disease. This was based upon Dr. Fauci’s study of the Spanish Flue where he asserts that the flue broke down the immune system, face covering were prescribed to combat the spread, but in the end bacterial pneumonia was the final killer. While it is true that the study does not specifically indicate face coverings as the trigger for the move from flu to bacterial pneumonia, fact checkers ignore the numerous studies of this and other pandemics that cite that the bacteria in the mouth and nasal passages moved from these areas into the damaged and vulnerable lower lung tissue.

This begs the simple common sense question: What forced the bacteria in the oral and nasal cavities, which is normally present, to move from its usual position in the oral and nasal cavities to the lungs? Similarly, how can the medical field expect the average layperson to approach the wearing, touching, adjusting, and discarding of masks with the same training and precision that comes with the years of practice that a medical professional requires? And are the governing agencies properly administering proper practices concerning masks?

There are repeated warnings throughout the dental and oral medical fields of a rising trend of “mask mouth.” This is a bacterial infection of the dental tissue, along with inflammation and bacterial infection in the throat and mouth. The repeated warnings urge those that have these symptoms of swelling and redness in the gums or oral tissue to see a doctor before the symptoms are irreversible.

The underlying purpose of The Piscataquis Resolution is to give voice to the people who have no voice and have been ignored. As the Commissioners stated at the signing, those protesting the resolution have the government and the media to voice their concerns constantly throughout every day, but no one is speaking for the silent majority. The Commissioners of Piscataquis County have chosen to give a voice of protest for that silent majority that they represent and they will not be deterred nor will they rescind The Piscataquis Resolution.

Nov 25 2019

One Two Gut Punch

 

A few days ago, conservatives received a gut shot the equivalent of a sucker punch to the unsuspecting solar plexus. After waiting in long lines to purchase a good but pricey chicken sandwich to show solidarity with a business that had come under assault from the LGBTQ cancel culture, conservatives, who have formed a battle line of defense with their dollars and patronage, were shocked to hear that Chic-Fil-A had abandoned their patrons and supporters at that battle line not unlike David leaving Uriah at the wall to his doom from the archers. Chic-Fil-A has announced it will no longer support organizations that embrace anti-LGBTQ viewpoints with charitable donations.

The most notable non-profit mentioned was The Salvation Army, which Chic-Fil-A is replacing with Covenant House, known for its radical pro-LGTBQ stance. This stunning reversal and capitulation has wounded the millions of Christian conservatives who invested their dollars and trust in a grassroots support campaign that saw the fast food chain double its profits in a year. The outcry and backlash has been immense.

Yet there are some Christian leaders who have, perhaps from an overriding addiction to overpriced chicken sandwiches, decried the outrage. Warning that we may not have all the facts, a call from the “Elect” has gone out to wait, to understand, and “Eat Mor Chiken.” So we waited, hoping, and then Franklin Graham posted an advisement intended to assuage our fears and moderate emotions.

We were assured that Dan Cathey, owner of Chic-Fil-A, had not compromised his Christian values and this was simply a financial “adjustment” by the charitable givings division that would not be giving donations to non-profits that have a stated anti-LGBTQ bias. It would seem that Rev, Graham has been watching too much of the impeachment hearings and has assimilated the doublespeak and double standards of the Democrat Party. The scriptural adage of “By their fruits you shall know them” reminds us starkly that we cannot just simply say we have Christian values.

While Rev. Graham has asked conservatives to completely divorce themselves from common sense, we need to understand first what it means to be anti-LGBTQ. It means stating that there are only two genders, “male and female created He them.” It means believing and stating that those two genders are inherently different than each other by Divine design and it also means being appalled and infuriated when a teenage girl, terrified and in tears, is informed by her “woke” school board that she will be forced to undress in the girls locker room in front of boys who “think” they are girls.

In short, we are now being told that values should be devoid of the Christian by our own Christian leaders. This is what the media has campaigning for decades to achieve and now we have a twofer on the capitulation. A forced acceptance of a new value system without a tethering to a moral sounding board, free to the whim of every popular media generated fad.

It’s a one two gut punch in the space of a week. Maybe Chic-Fil-A will pivot back, although new revelations show this betrayal of values has been a long time coming for the chain purveyor of pricey poultry. Graham’s confusing cover for the capitulation brings into question his qualifications to be a standard bearer for Christian conservatives.

We still hope for a rectification, but for now there are more economical venues for chicken delights. Should the uproar prove to be unfounded, I will look forward to posting an apology. I might even shuck out a few extra bucks for an overpriced chicken sandwich.

Sep 7 2019

A Step Long Overdue

 

For well over a decade, The Maine Conservative Voice has worked to be just that, a conservative voice in the state of Maine. My name is Andy Torbett and I have been The Maine Conservative Voice since its inception. Working with limited means, my limited talents, and outdated decrepit computers, TMCV has somehow been able to have an impact here in rural Maine.

One of our first battles was to bring awareness and fight against Governor Baldacci’s crusade against independent contractors. I also helped to form the Red County Caucus, which was the first Caucus to endorse then candidate Paul LePage for Governor. Later, I would be the state field rep for the NRA-ILA as we joined forces with the Gun Owners of Maine and Sportsman’s Alliance of Maine to defeat Bloomberg’s gun control effort, Question 3, in our state.

Along the way, I have used what writing talent I have to try and further conservative ideals and candidates. From time to time fellow activists have encouraged me to run for public office. The timing has never been right.

But now it is. I am announcing my intent to run for County Commissioner in District 2 of Piscataquis County. We have made some unofficial announcements to gauge support and have been encouraged by the positive response.

It has been surprising that some, who I thought were allies, have expressed frustration that I am not running for a more “important” office. I have reasons both personal and philosophical. Let me explain.

The demands of a “higher” office would take me away from my family, business, and ministry in a time when I am needed in those positions consistently. The office of County Commissioner offers the opportunity to have a political impact on my community, while allowing me to remain active in the areas at home that I need to be. But the idea that some would view local government as “lesser” than a state or federal position, shows a fundamental misunderstanding of our Republic and how far we as a people have strayed from the fundamental tenets of local sovereignty.

The spend-thrifty policies at the state and federal level have placed an undue burden on rural Maine. Mandates force the hand of local municipal leaders leaving many rural towns with budgets over leveraged with no room to negotiate to a balanced budget without escalating mil rates. Town after town in Maine are finding themselves with no choice but to deorganize to maintain fiscal solvency.

As the push for small towns to deorganize continues to gain momentum, the role of the Counties will continue to grow. It will be important to have Commissioners who are fiscally conservative to keep a rein on budgets that will have increased demand on them. This is one of the major reasons I am running for commissioner.

I have always had a passion for rural Maine. I love Piscataquis County. I know, that if given the opportunity, I can serve her effectively.

I could use your help. Please consider a donation of any amount to our campaign. You can go to torbett4commissioner.com and learn a little bit more about what we are doing. There is a donate button on the website or you can send your donation to Committee to elect Andy Torbett, 107 Buck Rd, Atkinson, ME, 04426, attention Mark Kinney Treasurer.

I’m looking forward to serving Piscataquis County. With your help we can make it happen. My campaign slogan is Hard Work and Common Sense, which is a tradition in Piscataquis County. Please consider supporting.

Thank you and God Bless!

Andy Torbett

May 15 2019

Arbitraitors

 

The pulse of life. Heroic emergency workers will fight to try and save it. Medical advancements are made in desperate search to heal and prolong its energy.

Expectant parents rejoice to hear its sound throbbing in the womb. Those same parents may have to hope in an anguished expectation that a talented doctor can work within that womb to mend its weakened state. Still others, when aware of its quickening sound within, will seek a doctor to extinguish that spark of life that is the heartbeat.

The simplest way to verify life and death. Does the heart beat? And the most common of senses beats a path to the doorway of the conscience.

For the veil no longer lingers over when the life begins. The heart beats loud its evidence. Now the battle over the value and who will arbitrate the value of a life?

Stark lines are drawn between those who call to God as the giver of life and those who call on government to arbitrate who is worthy to live. Those who abhor an earthly litigation for life or death are now forced by that government to fund and support the very thing they despise. A thing history describes as tyranny itself.

It stands before us now that those who hold power will arbitrate life and death. If this is true, we are traitors to all that history has warned us. In the shadows, once so distant, nearer now in the hallows, the ghastly specters of humanity, who wielded horribly the power to chose those worthy of life and death, seem just a heartbeat away.

-Andy Torbett