This letter to the editor was submitted to LebTown. Read our submission policy here.
Editor:
Rev. Dr. David Zwifka’s “open letter” went to great lengths to imagine things to be offended by, but his conclusions are definitely not in line with the majority of Lebanon Countians I’ve heard from.
For most, the utter lack of transparency of the Wolf administration, the arbitrary and capricious nature of its decisions, the hiring of 3-4000 contact tracers to send letters to healthy Pennsylvanians with quarantine demands and a threat of involuntary removal by law enforcement (apparently without due process), and the establishment of lines of communication to report other citizens, all combined together with questionable data to support the overall shutdown agenda are indeed reminiscent of totalitarian regimes with secret police.
“They are dangerous to our society.” That’s how it always begins. This premise has been used throughout history by despots to justify all manner of horrific policies. It is now being inferred about those who cannot or will not wear masks, alleged asymptomatic “superspreaders” (the Governor’s term, not mine), and will likely be assigned to those who intend to refuse any rushed-to-market COVID vaccine.
While attempting to downplay the consequences of Department of Health-ordered quarantining by claiming it will take place at an individual’s home, the good Reverend failed to acknowledge the strong-arm tactics referred to at the end of the contact tracing letter I posted. (Editor’s note: See below.)
There is a Commandment about bearing false witness, and perpetuating a lie counts as much as creating one. Rev. Dr. Zwifka perpetuated the lie that I criticized Dr. Rachel Levine because she’s transgender. For the record – again – I do not care one iota about her gender. I care about how she has failed the people of Pennsylvania.
Any elected or appointed official who institutes a policy that contributes to the deaths of nearly 5,000 of our greatest generation while secretly extracting their own mother from the dangers of a personal care home deserves the wrath of every Pennsylvanian with a conscience. I hold Dr. Levine to an equal standard I held for legislators who voted themselves an unconstitutional pay raise fifteen years ago. She’s been derelict in her duties and she needs to resign or be removed.
Rev. Dr. Zwifka attempted to cloak his missive as a statement of faith, but by ignoring Christ’s advice in Matthew 18:15-17 he relegated it to nothing more than a political statement. In the months ahead, I expect to see more political letters based on contrived outrages and false claims from political opponents. That is what happens in an election year.
But here’s the thing: the vast majority of Lebanon Countians are smart enough to think for themselves and figure out the truth. I know that because they’ve done it before. I also know it because I’ve lived here my whole life and understand they will utterly reject the underhanded brand of contrived outrage (a/k/a cancel culture) that Democrats, and now Rev. Dr. Zwifka, seem to be embracing as a political tool.
Representative Russ Diamond
102nd Legislative District
Russ Diamond is the state Representative for the 102nd Legislative District, which includes northern and eastern portions of Lebanon County.
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