Sick of government infringement on our Constitutional freedoms

Montgomery County Commissioners’ Chairwoman Val Arkoosh expressed anger and sickness at the number of people in stores, going about their business, as reported on the front page of The Pottstown Mercury.

How dare they be outside, when there is a stayat-home order? How can residents of Montgomery County actually want to shop for goods at the limited “life-sustaining business” allowed by the governor and not wear a mask? I am sick too, Val. Quite sick of county government infringement on our First, Fourth and Fifth Amendment rights.

As a doctor, especially with your experience on infectious diseases and public health, you must know that building an immunity to germs and viruses requires some level of exposure, called “herd” immunity. The governor’s quarantine orders, recent mask-wearing mandate and social distance requirement practically ensures that the immune systems of otherwise healthy Montgomery County residents will be less able to fight off any resurgence of the Covid virus, since “herd” immunity can only be achieved by being part of the herd.

This way, you and Gov. Wolf can attempt to justify another round of quarantine and stay-at home orders as the fall flu season approaches. How many rides on the economic, social and political roller coaster do we have to endure? Did I mention that riding on this roller coaster literally makes me want to throw up, like made me nauseous, looking at what is going on inside of our government?

Luckily, the fear-mongering seems to be coming to an end. The number of new COVID-19 cases among the overall population is declining. We collectively have achieved the objective of the quarantine and “flattened the curve” of cases that would have presumably required medical intervention, potentially overwhelming our medical system.

Many medical professionals, business leaders and elected government officials are now questioning the need for a quarantine at all, given the inaccuracies in the original data models and what we all have collectively learned over the past 60 days about the COVID-19 virus.

It seems that Montgomery County residents, as demonstrated by the large turnout of shoppers this past weekend, have grown more restless from the overbearing control of government than frightened of being within five feet of another shopper.

Maybe the loss of control is what is really making you nauseous, Val.

Renee Chesler is a former township supervisor in Limerick Township.