A group of Pennsylvanians gathered to express concern about the loss of freedoms amid ongoing restrictions to contain the pandemic, as a similar event was held in Washington on Jan. 23.
The Pennsylvania rally, held in front of the Arch at Valley Forge National Historic Park, was part of the World Freedom Rally demonstrations that took place in more than 40 countries and 150 cities around the world.
According to the movement’s website, the demonstrations advocate five important goals, including an end to lockdowns, an end to mandatory masks, and an end to mandatory vaccines and coercion.
The rally in front of the arch began with the performance of the national anthem and the raising of the national flag. More than 10 people then gave speeches about basic human rights, personal freedom and non-compliance with vaccines.
The event was attended by John and Sarah Castelluccio with their three children. Mr. Castelluccio works in logistics and his wife is a teacher.
“We are here to stand up for freedom, the freedom to choose what to put into your body, and to fight illegal mandates,” he said.
Mrs. Castelluccio also explained why she attended the event.
“We are here because we value the integrity of our country and what it was founded on,” said Ms. Castelluccio.
She said the government needs to be more transparent about the risks involved in getting a vaccine.
Retired healthcare worker Edward recounts his experience after contracting COVID-19. He said he was denied hospitalization because he had not been vaccinated.
“It was my choice not to get vaccinated. But the fact is that in hospitals I was not treated as a COVID-positive patient. They treated me like an unvaccinated patient,” he said.
He said that, in his opinion, as a US citizen, a person should be treated properly in a hospital, regardless of their status, race, ethnic group or whatever.
Also in attendance was Janelle Sullivan, founder of the non-profit Heartline Foundation.
She said her son had adverse reactions to the vaccine and now her organization is helping families find treatment for children who have also had adverse reactions to the vaccine.
Sullivan said she’s worried about what’s going on with societal pressure to vaccinate and cited the example of a friend who took her kids to an ice skating rink where one of the kids was denied water to drink because of their vaccinations. status.
“This is criminal. This is not healthcare,” Sullivan said.
William Adair Bonner, an attorney for Delaware County, Pennsylvania for over 50 years, expressed three serious concerns he had, the first of which was that he believed the law had lost its moral foundations.
“American law began with natural law, which was the theology that justice is God’s revelation,” he said.
“However, at the moment the law is based on “neutral principles”.
Bonner’s second problem was that “we live in an age of unimaginable censorship.”
He gave the example of doctors being fired because of different views or beliefs about the use of certain drugs.
“It’s destructive to democracy,” he said.
Bonner’s third concern is that the United States is experiencing an extraordinary and very rapid growth in the executive power of government.
“America has now reached a point where we are operating outside or outside the realm of the rule of law,” he added.
Jane Taylor Toal, a former senior marketing research analyst, is the president of Citizens for Liberty, a civic political organization.
“During the pandemic, we went into a downward spiral; we live in a godless society,” she said.
“They are trying to take the Lord away from us. And we must understand that God transcends all our powers.”
She said the vaccination mandate is unconstitutional and the government has no right to tell people what to do with their bodies.
Barbara Murphy, a public school special education teacher, said she came to the rally because she saw “kids being silenced.”
According to Murphy, children are “taught communist principles in school”.
“We have lost our freedoms and we cannot give them (the government) an inch,” she said. “They’ll take a mile and pretty soon we won’t have any rights at all.”
Murphy has also expressed concerns about the safety of COVID vaccines, as she believes they are not given with true informed consent and there are no long-term vaccine safety studies.
Barb, a retired schoolteacher, said she attended a rally in defense of “medical freedom.”
“Our constitution supports our liberty and liberty,” she said. “And the mandate is just a recommendation from the government and organizations, so I don’t stick to them.”
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