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Public comment for city council mtg tonight (8_4) Steve & Julie MartinFrom:Julie Martin To:Kalispell Meetings Public Comment Subject:[EXTERNAL] Public comment for city council mtg tonight (8/4) Date:Wednesday, August 5, 2020 8:32:54 AM Attachments:AAPS article on masks.pages Meta Analysis of masks.pages Dear Mayor Johnson and City Council members, We (Steve and Julie Martin) attended the city council meeting last evening and want to clarifya couple of things prior to stating our comments for public comment: 1. My (Julie's) FB post is apparently the post that caused the initial uproar with the ironically- named Love Lives Here (LLH - my post was in the public UmaskUS FB group). Here is theexact copied and pasted text of what was said: "Head's up everyone! We need as many unmasked people to show up for the Kalispell City Council meeting this coming Monday, as possible. The new "interim" health officer will be giving her presentation from the health department and then they are taking public comment. They [meaning the health department] are trying to take apart the fair brick by brick and these mask ordinances, harassment, etc. are getting worse. The meeting is at 7pm at City Hall. Please get the word out! Here is the agenda: [provided the link with the agenda]". This is all that was said. There was no threat or call to arms or any other such nonsense, despite the histrionic emails and posts by LLH. 2. To refute what has been posted (and apparently emailed) by LLH, none of us are part of a "militia group" and we most certainly were not trying to bully or intimidate anyone. We have regularly praised you, Mayor Johnson, for how you have handled the mask ordinances, along with Chief Overman and Sheriff Heino. Our intention was to come to the city council meeting to give our viewpoint of keeping masks voluntary, as we feel the "other side" is being heard far and above us and we have been remiss in attending these public meetings to make things more even. We respect everyone's right to wear a mask, if they feel they need to do that. But we are tired of not being treated with the same respect. We also wanted to support you, as we feel you all have a more balanced view of things. Why is so much credibility given to a group sending histrionic emails with unfounded accusations, but none apparently given to citizens sitting right in front of you? 3. None of us that were there (the people we know, cannot speak for the rest) in any way supported the loud, rude and obnoxious behavior of some of the people present. The group we were with (not the yelling, unhinged people) are a peaceful people; we respect your elected positions and your right to your opinions, even if you disagree with us. That is what the first amendment is about! The people shouting, interrupting, cussing, etc. were completely out of line and it was an embarrassment that Mayor Johnson had to intervene (more than once!) and the subsequent shouting that occurred after the meeting was postponed. However, I do want to ask Councilman Graham how he can wear an oxymoronic bandana with an American flag on it and then talk about hating wearing it? Do any of you have children and if so, is this the American you want them to grow up in? If it's not, why are you wearing masks if you don't actually believe in their effectiveness? Why are people who don't even have children more concerned about this than those who are actually parents?? Our peaceful group isn't just fighting for our rights - we're peacefully fighting for yours and LLH and anyone else who lives in this valley/country and most especially for our posterity! The public comments I (Julie) was going to give last night involved the handouts that I gave to Councilman Daoud (see attached). I asked him to distribute them to all of you for us, as I had made 10 copies to hand out when I was going to speak. I have been a registered nurse for over 29 years, the majority of which has been spent in the community health setting. All of my jobs during that time involved infection control, whether that was part of orientation and general practice, or more often a vital part of my responsibilities as a manager. Quite frequently, I had the responsibilities of writing policies and procedures regarding infection control and also was responsible for training and oversight of infection control. I also have continuing eduction for my RN licenses and many of that also involves infection control. None of what is currently occurring today (particularly relating to the wearing of masks) in any way squares with either my training, education or practice and I have worked in a wide variety of settings from labor and delivery to home health to corrections and everywhere in between. For my entire career, the wearing of masks was clearly understood to be to stop the possibility of gross contamination of a sterile field and to prevent the splashing of patient bodily fluids on the face of the medical personnel. When I was fitted (fitted - as in specifically conformed to my face) with an N95 mask, it was again clearly understood that this was to help prevent the gross contamination of tuberculosis, which is not caused by a virus. If our faces or the mask itself were altered in any way (loss/gain of weight, mask crushed, etc.), we understood we would have to be RE-fitted in order for the mask to work properly. I have attached handouts relating to the science behind proper mask use and why current use completely flies in the face of any reputable science, not to mention any reputable practice. The article on meta data analysis is particularly compelling, because it is an analysis of scientific studies on masks that have actually been conducted and it's conclusions support my own experience and practice. Besides the fact that the COVID-19 testing is completely flawed, the case and death rates grossly distorted, it is clear that if the fear-mongering that is being propagandized everywhere a person turns were actually correct, we never would have survived as a species. Even a scintilla of critical thinking easily shows how ridiculous current "recommendations" and practice truly are. And for this to be mandated, especially during the hottest part of the summer, is particularly ludicrous, considering what we know about viruses. Viruses cannot tolerate heat! Our bodies are fearfully and wonderfully made with this great thing called an immune system and part of that involves creating a fever when a virus is present. Our bodies know that if our temperature is raised, viruses cannot tolerate that temperature and it causes them to die. That is why unless a fever is dangerously high, suppressing a fever is a really bad idea. Pushing fluids and giving general support while the body does it's work, is truly best practice. I will also submit that never before in history have healthy people been treated as objects of fear or been subjected to isolation. The opposite is actually true. The SICK are isolated and the healthy continue to practice commonsense measures, like hand washing, to stay well. I will give a personal example of this. I was the nurse manager in a juvenile correctional facility. Between the students and staff, we had approximately 200 people in the building. We had a flu outbreak and worked quickly to get it isolated and under control. What we did: affected staff were sent home or told not to come in, affected students were isolated to one dorm room. Everyone in the facility not affected (from maintenance to the superintendent) cleaned the facility from top to bottom. The isolated students were allowed to sleep as much as possible, meals were brought to them and they did their bathroom and hygiene times separately from the rest of the students. The kitchen staff provided extra fluids and prepared nourishing foods like soups, stews, broth, etc. Anyone interacting with the students practiced basic infection control measures. None of the students needed to go to the hospital, although one did require a couple of liters of IV fluids. About 10% of the facility ended up being affected, but overall, everything resolved completely within about 10days. What we did NOT do: isolate healthy people. Require masks (they were available if anyone wanted them, few opted for them). Stop visitors or any normal programs, including school - we had a school on site - hair-cutting services, religious services, visitation, etc. for those who were not sick. Not allow parents or guardians of the sick students to visit the facility if they insisted, as we respected their rights as parents and guardians to personally make sure their student was in good hands. Never before in history have healthy people been so demonized and campaigned against. It isunprecedented and for good reason, because it is completely erroneous. Masks inordinately discriminate against the deaf and hard of hearing, who rely on reading lips to communicate. This again inordinately affects the elderly, who rely on clear, unmuffled speech to properly communicate and understand what is being said to them. While Governor Bullock acknowledged this publicly in his speech, he offered no solutions; therefore, the problem remains. Masks are a literal public symbol of the muzzling of the first amendment. And again, while we respect the rights of those who feel they need to wear a mask, we are not given the same respect and are demonized and criminalized for exercising our rights as adults to assume our own risk and live our lives as we normally would. And, I might add, none of us have "infected" others or ourselves become infected, because we again have this beautiful thing called an immune system and we appreciate being out in nature with the ability to breathe in fresh air and enjoy sunshine. We understand the incredible importance of physical touch, which the lack thereof is particularly devastating the elderly at an unprecedented rate during these past several months. The governors of states do not make law. Just because they call it a mandate and use threatening language does not make it law. What Governor Bullock has done throughout this entire debacle has caused massive damage over a virus that has a 98%+ cure rate. Small businesses that have been in families for generations have been bankrupted and shut down permanently. Individuals and families have been financially devastated. High school and college graduations (along with proms, plays, other public high school and college level events, including sports) have been ruined. Weddings and other meaningful events have been ruined. Funerals haven't been able to be held in person to properly memorialize the people lost. No doubt I am leaving out many other things. Worst of all is the absolute devastation to the elderly, which is beyond comprehension it is so evil. All over a virus that despite the ongoing progaganda campaign, is really nothing more than a flu virus, despite the unceasing and relentless false propaganda. All of what has occurred is completely unnecessary, unconstitutional and completely immoral. Will you now also support the ruin of the hard work of countless kids and workers who have prepared, in some cases for years, for the fair? Do none of you have children and have any concern about their growing up in this "new ABNORMAL?" It is abnormal and the only acceptable alternative is a return to TRUE normal. The CDC is not a government agency, nor is The WHO. While they might give recommendations, their recommendations have contradicted themselves repeatedly. OSHA actually is the governing authority regarding infection control and a simple perusal of their policies on masks and PPE completely contradict current "recommendations" by both CDC and WHO. This information isincreasingly being censored. Even Anthony Fauci shows his glaring hypocrisy by throwing out the first pitch in a baseball game and then going into the stands and sitting close to others with his mask on his chin. "It's ok for me, but not for thee" much? If masks work so well for those who believe in them, then why is our choosing not to wear a mask such a huge threat? Thank you for your time and consideration, Steve & Julie MartinKalispell