Aside from the lack of scientific research regarding COVID-19 and especially the use of random face coverings, the bigger question is not if it will save lives or not, the question is if the action is justifiable. The debate over life and liberty is a valid debate that we, as a society, have been struggling with for hundreds of years. The answer is not clear and using emotional appeals and fallacies of logic does not help the discussion all. First, it was "global warming deniers" then "climate change deniers," now simply "science deniers?" People use these terms, loaded terms, in order to promote political ideologies and agendas associated with the terms.  Everyone knows the climate changes; everyone accepts "the intellectual and practical activity encompassing the systematic study of the structure and behavior of the physical and natural world through observation and experiment." Tossing the word "science" around is not a substitute f...

On February 29, 2020, COVID-19  Proclamation 20-05  was signed by Governor Jay Inslee, declaring a state of  emer gency.     Nearly every reasonable person understood the concern over an unknown virus. Few people took any issue with the governor's emergency declaration or even some of the more extreme measures to follow.     When  the  shelter - in - place  order  was first  issued ,  it wasn’t enforced   but  was  merely  a suggestion, and few people took exception. I thought it was an overreaction but was willing to comply.     Little did we know at the time  that  this proclamation was the beginning of a long train of abuse s  that would lead to hundreds of unchecked ,  unilateral decisions by the governor.     Since Governor Inslee took office in 2013, he has averaged eleven proclamations per year,  totaling  77  prior  to 2020. Most of the...