Category Archives: Freedom

By: Jonathan BombulieSaturday, August 21, 2021 | 6:01 AM

Christopher Horner | Tribune-Review

Freedoms Damian Grunnagle works out during practice on Aug. 10, 2021, in Freedom.

Christopher Horner | Tribune-Review

Freedoms Damian Grunnagle works out during practice on Aug. 10, 2021, in Freedom.

Christopher Horner | Tribune-Review

Freedom head coach John Rosa talks with his team during practice on Aug. 10, 2021, in Freedom.

Christopher Horner | Tribune-Review

Freedoms Carter Slowinski works out during practice on Aug. 10, 2021, in Freedom.

Christopher Horner | Tribune-Review

Freedoms Josh Yeck works out during practice on Aug. 10, 2021, in Freedom.

Theres one particular stat coach John Rosa would like to see Freedom lead the WPIAL in this season.

Touchdowns? Yards? Turnovers? Sacks? Well, yeah, sure. What coach wouldnt want that?

But what Rosa really wants his team to lead the district in is smiles.

This game is about these kids enjoying their three or four years of high school football, Rosa said. Thats what we want to do. Thats my most important goal this year. I want the kids to have fun.

Rosas focus on footballs fun factor is a direct response to the way last season went for the Bulldogs. In a season often described as strange and challenging because of covid protocols, Freedoms season was stranger and more challenging than most.

After a 24-6 loss to New Brighton in the season opener, Greg Toney resigned when the relationship between the coach and his players fell apart. Rosa, the schools athletic director, stepped in on an interim basis.

It was a miserable couple weeks leading up to what happened, Rosa said.

The misery steadily dissipated, though, as the wins started piling up. Freedom won five of its last seven games, including a quality victory over playoff-bound Laurel.

After the season ended, when the time came for the school to look for a permanent head coach, Rosa stepped forward. The team had undergone three coaching changes in the previous four years, all during the season. The last thing the Bulldogs needed was another change in leadership.

We needed to try to get some stability, and the board looked to me knowing Ive been in the district 32 years, Rosa said. I know the kids. Just trying to get that stability back to have some sense of normalcy back in the program.

Rosa will field a lineup long on talent at the skill positions but lacking in experience in the trenches.

Cole Beck, a first-team all-conference pick on offense and defense who threw for more than 1,200 yards and 16 touchdowns, graduated. So did his top target, Reiker Welling. But Rosa is excited about his new quarterback: senior Carter Slowinski.

Hes probably a kid who, under most circumstances, would be a three-year or four-year starter, Rosa said. Hes a very talented young man, but he just happened to be playing behind Cole Beck the last couple years.

He waited. He paid his dues patiently. He contributed to our offensive last year as a wide receiver, and now hes going to be the guy. He can do a lot of things both with his legs and his arm. We think hes going to have an excellent season and hes going to be the catalyst for our offense.

Between four-year starter Josh Pail, three-year starter Damian Grunnagle and Josh Yeck and Tristen Clear, the Bulldogs have plenty of weapons at running back and wide receiver on offense and linebacker and defensive back on defense.

The biggest question mark is on the line. Freedom graduated all five starters.

Youve got to protect the quarterback and youve got to open up some holes for the running backs, Rosa said. Well see how that works with our offensive line. Theyre all first-year starters, but theyre good kids working hard. We hope they can develop quickly.

Freedom

Coach: John Rosa

2020 record: 5-3, 4-3 in Class 2A MAC

All-time record: 422-537-54

SCHEDULE

Date, Opponent, Time

8.27 South Side, 7:30

9.3 Western Beaver, 7:30

9.10 at Quaker Valley, 7

9.17 Riverside*, 7:30

9.24 at Neshannock*, 7

10.1 Laurel*, 7

10.8 at Ellwood City*, 7

10.15 at Beaver Falls*, 7

10.22 Mohawk*, 7:30

10.29 at New Brighton*, 7

*Conference game

STATISTICAL LEADERS

Passing: Cole Beck*

100-192, 1,278 yards, 16 TDs

Receiving: Reiker Welling*

38-759, 10 TDs

Rushing: Josh Pail

51-211, 1 TD

FAST FACTS

After going 12-0 at home the previous two seasons, Freedom was undefeated on the road last year, going 4-0.

With the WPIAL taking only the top two teams in each conference due to pandemic scheduling changes, Freedom saw its streak of four consecutive playoff appearances snapped.

Freedoms defense will face two radically different offenses in the first two weeks of the season. The Bulldogs will take on the Wing-T attack of South Side in the opener followed by the spread passing game of Western Beaver in Week 1.

Rosa is in his third stint as Freedom coach. He also held the position from 1996-98 and on an interim basis in 2018.

Jonathan Bombulie is a Tribune-Review Assistant Sports Editor. You can contact Jonathan by email at jbombulie@triblive.com or via Twitter .

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Freedom ready to move forward, focus on fun | Trib HSSN - TribLIVE

To the editor:

To the right-wingers and others who are decrying wearing masks and taking other precautions in light of the delta variant wreaking havoc because it impinges on their freedom, consider these laws:

License and insurance for your vehicle. Speed limits. Marriage licenses. Various permits to run a business. Having to enroll your child in school. Not driving drunk.

All those laws and mandates are necessary to allow us to live in a civilized society. And most of all, we are not allowed to do bodily harm or murder others.

You have a right not to get vaccinated, but you do not have a right to harm or kill others. If you are an anti-vaxxer or anti-mask wearer, thats exactly what you are doing.

I know this is true because, early in the coronavirus pandemic, a co-worker of a relative of mine had contracted the virus, but did not know she had it because there were no symptoms. Both her mother and father with whom she lived caught the virus from her and died.

This is real.

Pauline Binder

Originally posted here:

Masks give a lot more freedom - The Riverdale Press

Mel Tucker is using it for a roster overhaul. Juwan Howard added key pieces to a Big Ten champion. And even Tom Izzo has dipped into the garbage can for a new point guard.

What used to be a drawn-out and complicated process is now just a click or phone call away. Jim Harbaugh was one of the early voices advocating for student-athlete empowerment and flexibility, and the NCAAs transfer portal has provided just that.

That means Michigan and Michigan States football and basketball programs are part of an ever-changing landscape in college athletics, where player movement happens daily.

And that includes within the rivalry itself.

I know my worth, said former Bay City linebacker Ben VanSumeren, who transferred from U-M to MSU. I know that I could choose some place thats going to give me the opportunity to eat on an every down basis and Im not going to sell myself short.

Ben VanSumeren, center, poses with his parents, Cindy and Jeff VanSumeren, after signing his letter of intent to play football at the University of Michigan. (Andrew Dodson | MLive.com)

VanSummeren ultimately called it a business decision, but his move from Ann Arbor to East Lansing is part of a new wave, one that is forcing coaches to change and adapt.

The Spartans have added 19 transfers, while 27 players have entered the portal since last November. Down the road, Michigan football has had just five newcomers arrive via transfer, but more than 40 have departed in less than three years.

I just want everyone to understand, says Michigan States Tucker, that were going to do what we have to do to build our team.

The basketball numbers arent as staggering Michigan has lost three players, gained four; MSU has lost four, gained two but theres certainly been an impact on both programs.

While supporters say the new freedoms are long overdue, traditionalists question whether they make it too easy for young players to jump ship at the first sign of adversity.

The transfer portal streamlines the process and gives athletes more power. They no longer need a coachs approval. In fact, athletes dont even have to notify them of their intentions.

Before it went live on Oct. 15, 2018, athletes had to seek permission to contact another school and be released from their letter of intent. Coaches also could attempt to block athletes from leaving. Now its just a message to the schools compliance office.

From there, basic information is input: name, school, sport, NCAA ID, if theyre on scholarship, if theyre a graduate student, whether they want to be contacted by other schools, along with an athletes email and phone number.

Once an athlete is entered into the portal, coaches are free to contact them. That simplification has helped everyone, according to Michigan State director of compliance/eligibility Dan Scheid.

It was just really confusing and you almost had to be in compliance and work in compliance for several years to really understand it, Scheid said. I dont think coaches ever fully grasped it for the most part.

Entering the portal doesnt mean an athlete has to transfer. However, their scholarship can be pulled the following academic semester and coaches have no obligation to let them return to the team, even if they change their mind about leaving.

Michigan State running back Connor Heyward took that chance two years ago, entering the portal in September 2019 after losing his starting job.

I was taking visits everywhere, Heyward recalled. I was going a lot of places and there was a lot of nice places that I liked.

Michigan State running back Connor Heyward (11) tries to break a tackle by Tulsa linebacker Diamon Cannon (6) during their college football game at Spartan Stadium in East Lansing, on Aug. 30, 2019. (Mike Mulholland | MLive.com)

Heyward, the son of the late NFL fullback Craig Ironhead Heyward and the younger brother of Steelers All-Pro defensive lineman Cameron Heyward, had every intention of leaving Michigan State. It just didnt happen.

After Mark Dantonios abrupt retirement and promises that Tucker would give players a clean slate, Heyward stuck with the Spartans. Whatever awkwardness Heyward anticipated from entering the portal midseason then returning under a new coach didnt exist, he said.

The portal, its a weird dynamic, Heyward said. Its like high school recruiting again. Its just coaches hitting you up. You really get to make a decision what you think is best for me and I believe coming back to Michigan State was best for me and Im glad that I made that decision.

The Michigan basketball program found the starting point guard for its Big Ten championship team, a player who would lead the conference in assists. Of course, Mike Smith was brought in partly because Michigan had lost a point guard via the portal.

Michigan guard Mike Smith (12) drives against Michigan State guard Rocket Watts (2) in the second half of their Big Ten basketball game at the Breslin Center in East Lansing, on March 7, 2021. (Mike Mulholland | MLive.com)

In Howards two seasons, hes had three players transfer and gained four. The math works out for a net positive and so do the on-court results.

In the spring of 2020, following Howards first season on the job, three Wolverines left. Cole Bajema had barely played as a freshman. Sophomore Colin Castleton was in and out the rotation and flashed potential, but Michigan had another center, top-40 recruit Hunter Dickinson, coming in. Sophomore David DeJulius was often the first man off the bench for Michigan and poised to take over the starting point guard role as a junior. But instead, DeJulius left, eventually landing at Cincinnati.

Seeking an experienced point guard, Howard snagged Columbias Smith, who would be immediately eligible as a graduate transfer. Michigan also brought in Chaundee Brown, whod spent the previous three seasons as a starter for Wake Forest.

Smith ran Michigans offense brilliantly, averaging a Big Ten-best 5.4 assists per game. Brown accepted a new role as sixth man and thrived, averaging nine points while shooting 42 percent from 3, just like Smith. They blended seamlessly into Michigans locker room and helped the Wolverines win the regular-season title, earn a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament, and reach the Elite Eight.

Michigan coach Juwan Howard celebrates winning a basketball game against Purdue at Crisler Center in Ann Arbor. (Mike Mulholland | MLive.com)

You cant just bring anyone into the locker room, Howard said this past April. You have a certain comfort level and the guys develop that brotherhood (over two or three years). And heres one guy coming in and from the other program that he was playing for he may have been that marquee, that No. 1 option. Hes thinking, OK, Im walking into this new school, and its all about me, me, me, I, I, I, and my stats.

You have to make sure you choose the right ones, because it will affect your locker room and become a toxic environment (if you dont). And thats something I wanted to avoid. I felt it would be unfair to the other guys, our juniors and seniors who had already been there.

Can Howard catch lightning in a bottle a second year in a row? Well find out. DeVante Jones, a Coastal Carolina transfer, is likely to be Michigans starting point guard.

More than three dozen Michigan football players have entered their name into the NCAA transfer portal since it launched. The list includes players from every position group, on both sides of the ball, and from every Michigan recruiting class since 2015.

High-profile names such as Brandon Peters, Aubrey Solomon, Tarik Black and Zach Charbonnet, all four-star recruits, are among the departures.

And while just one player from the 2015 class (Rueben Jones) took advantage of the portal, things have picked up steadily since then. Seven players from Michigans 2016 recruiting class left via the portal, while 16 players from the 2017 class some high-profile walk-ons who earned playing time in Ann Arbor departed. In fact, the first four players from Michigan to utilize the NCAA transfer portal were 2017 recruits.

Michigan coach Jim Harbaugh walks the field during their college football game against Rutgers at Michigan Stadium in Ann Arbor. (Mike Mulholland | MLive.com)

Since then, the Wolverines have experienced a series of defections from players in the 2018, 19 and 20 classes. Some because they lost playing time, others because they wanted a fresh start with a new coaching staff.

Since Jan. 1, Michigan has had 14 players enter the portal, with all finding new homes. While playing time was a factor, the Wolverines also were coming off an unsatisfactory 2-4 season marred by injuries, opt-outs and struggles on defense. The problems triggered head coach Jim Harbaugh to make wide-scale changes to his staff, choosing to dismiss defensive coordinator Don Brown and replace five other assistant coaches.

Some big-name players on the offensive side turned heads this year when they opted to leave, including quarterback Joe Milton, receiver Giles Jackson and running back Zach Charbonnet. They were guys who at one time started, and produced, for the Wolverines.

I think its fair Ive always thought it was, Harbaugh, asked about one-time transfer legislation, told MLive this summer. Whats not going to change (is) its still a meritocracy. By your talent and by your effort, youre known. I think (for) guys with above-average talent and above-average work ethic, things are going to work out really good for them.

Of the more than 40 players from Michigan who entered the transfer portal since October 2018, 27 of them ended up at another Power Five school. Meanwhile, Michigan has gained a far fewer number of players from the portal than it watched enter.

Just five have transferred to Michigan in the portal era, with one (long snapper Trey Harper) walking on and one (Willie Allen) departing before ever playing a snap. Two others, quarterback Alan Bowman and defensive lineman Jordan Whittley, announced plans to transfer to Michigan for the 2021 season.

The only portal success story for Michigan thus far has been Mike Danna, a graduate transfer from Central Michigan who contributed along the defensive line in 2019 and was a fifth-round pick of the Kansas City Chiefs in the 2020 NFL Draft.

In the Football Bowl Subdivision, the percentage of all transfers increased from 12.7 percent in 2016 to 14.7 in 2019 while in mens basketball it moved from 27.4 percent in 2017 to 29.9 in 2019. Basketball has the highest transfer rate among mens sports.

The most recent NCAA data is only for the 2018-19 school year and doesnt reflect the surge in portal entries due to the one-time transfer waiver approved in April for the five sports that didnt previously allow it: football, baseball, mens and womens basketball and mens hockey. There were 2,510 FBS players in the portal as of late June, according to 247Sports.

Opponents of the transfer portal wonder if the ease of access just encourages athletes to leave at the first sign of trouble. If a player is no longer in favor with the coaching staff, or has lost playing time, they have an opportunity to depart, no questions asked.

That doesnt sit well with guys like Michigan States Izzo, who thinks many players hamper their development by switching programs instead of fighting through adversity.

Brown, Michigan footballs former defensive coordinator, echoed that sentiment in a 2019 interview.

Im not sure its good for anybody, Brown, then 63 years old, said. Face adversity. Adversity introduces a man to himself. So Don Brown has a problem with a player? Im out. Is that teaching a young a man anything? Is he learning anything from it?

The effects of the transfer portal were slow to appear within Michigan State basketball.

The coaching staff relied almost entirely on high school prospects and the roster remained stable, with Spartans going nearly five full years -- an eternity in modern college basketball without a scholarship player exiting the program. And since the portals inception until 2021, Marquettes Joey Hauser was the only incoming transfer.

But starting with this offseason, winds of change swept through East Lansing.

A subpar 2020-21 season in which the Spartans nearly missed the NCAA Tournament, plus the advent of immediate eligibility, has brought on significant roster turnover. Four players left via the portal: Rocket Watts, Foster Loyer and Thomas Kithier and walk-on Jack Hoiberg. That equals the total number of departures of the previous six seasons combined.

Michigan State mens basketball coach Tom Izzo looks on during a game. (Mike Mulholland | MLive.com)

Michigan State addressed its biggest roster issue for the upcoming season, point guard, by going to the portal and bringing in Northeasterns Tyson Walker. In Izzos quarter century-plus as head coach, hes never relied on a transfer to start and run the teams offense.

Izzo has been vocal about his opposition to the portal, the rising number of transfers in the sport and the one-time transfer rule. That means his program likely will never be one that relies heavily on transfers. But in this new environment, ignoring the portal completely isnt an option, either.

After Dantonio retired following 13 seasons leading the program, Tucker was hired in Feb. 2020. The typical attrition that occurs under a new staff was delayed because of the pandemic, which wiped out spring practice as part of a fractured offseason.

But following back-to-back lopsided losses in November, Tucker made it clear roster changes were expected. Twenty-seven players have entered the portal since, including 10 after spring practice ended in April.

During the year-plus in which the portal was live and Dantonio was leading the Spartans, there was only one scholarship addition from it in Western Michigan receiver Jayden Reed.

That approach has changed drastically under a new staff.

Following a 2-5 debut season, Tuckers goal of reshaping the roster heavily involves the portal. Michigan State added 19 transfers 15 scholarship players and four walk-ons including six midyear additions in January who participated in spring practice. That group includes five scholarship cornerbacks and three scholarship linebackers critical positions of need after both were heavily depleted by portal departures. Those are among several transfers on both sides of the ball that likely will be asked to take over key roles in the fall.

Michigan State coach Mel Tucker tries to pump up players before their Big Ten football game against Rutgers at Spartan Stadium in East Lansing, on Oct. 24, 2020. (Mike Mulholland | MLive.com)

Among Michigan States portal departures and gains since Tuckers first season, the background and experience vary from walk-ons to top-60 recruits, from starters with four seasons under their belt to those who havent played a snap in college. Also of note, of the 27 Spartans who have left via the portal since November, six transferred to Power Five programs.

Of the 19 portal additions for Michigan State, 14 came from Power Five schools. That includes Khary Crump, a 2020 cornerback who started his college career with Arizona.

Following his freshman year with the Wildcats and changes within the coaching staff, the California native entered the transfer portal. Crump did so without appearing in a single game for Arizona and knowing the recruiting process would be different than the first time around.

Its not the same as high school because its nerve-wracking, especially when youre a freshman because all I was able to present was practice film because obviously I left before I could produce any game film, Crump said. Just real nerve wracking just hoping what I have is good enough.

Some players enter the portal already knowing their next school or have options to choose from. Others are confronted with the reality of a crowded transfer market.

Crump fielded interest from Pac-12 and Mountain West schools, then talked to Michigan State secondary coach Harlon Barnett. That resulted in an offer and Crump, who knew there could be limited opportunities, didnt hesitate.

Thats why I had to commit right on the spot, he said.

Crump, who has family in Michigan, committed to the Spartans on Feb. 27 and officially joined the program in May as part of a unique position group. The Spartans lost four cornerbacks to the portal since November and Crump is one of five scholarship transfer additions.

I know what Im here for, Crump said. Its to work.

Tucker believes coaches should get used to the portal.

Its something that is here to stay, said Tucker. Im comfortable with it. Theres opportunities for us to improve our team and thats what recruiting is all about, so we embrace it.

The NCAA promoted the portal as a way of streamlining, bringing transparency to the process and giving athletes more power. However, there also are complications.

Athletes were granted an additional year of eligibility by the NCAA due to COVID-19, so coaches are facing a roster crunch. At the FBS level, football seniors who return in 2021 arent counted against the 85-man scholarship limit. But no relief has been provided for future seasons and that will affect recruiting classes as well as those already on the team.

Meanwhile, football coaches barring a few loopholes like backdating midyear enrollees are also still limited to 25 initial counters (new scholarship players) each cycle from both recruits and transfers.

I think the past model was all about development, Todd Berry, executive director of the American Football Coaches Association, said. I think the new model, which the coaches are having to obviously relegate themselves to, is the idea that basically Im just trying to assimilate a team for this next year. What Im hearing back from our coaches across at all levels, especially those ones that are paying attention to this, is that next year theyre going to save their scholarships back for the transfer portal.

While theres a stress on coaches to manage an ever-changing roster, the scholarship crunch and overall stress of the transfer portal is being felt by players and recruits.

Daylen Baldwin was holed up in a hotel room by himself in early June, having just entered the transfer portal after deciding to leave Jackson State. The uncertainty was too much for the Southfield, Michigan, native and he turned off his phone.

I just needed time to relax and understand, and think to myself, Baldwin said. Understand what I was doing and the situation I was leaving. It was definitely kind of scary, but I didnt have to wait (too long).

The next day, Baldwin says, he turned on his phone to messages and calls from about 25 to 30 coaches. He already had transferred once, from Morgan State to Jackson State in 2018.

A few weeks later, Baldwin was invited to work out in front of coaches at Penn State, Ohio State and Michigan. The Buckeyes and Wolverines later offered him a scholarship and even though Baldwin grew up an Ohio State fan, he ultimately chose Michigan.

Baldwin believes he has the opportunity for more playing time and to make a greater impact with the Wolverines, who welcomed him to campus in July. That fresh start and immediate opportunity is thanks to the transfer portal, something that didnt exist just a few years ago.

I aint going to lie to you. I was telling my dad and my homeboys back at home who were telling me I was going to get bigger offers, Ill probably get something in the MAC, Baldwin said. I ended up working out for some of those (Big Ten) guys, they offered me and it was definitely a surprise to me.

Original post:

Freedom and chaos: How the transfer portal is changing the sports landscape at Michigan and Michigan State - MLive.com

Its hard to watch the pandemic drag on as Americans refuse the vaccine in the name of freedom. Youre talking about an unproven, untested vaccine that doesnt even seem to really protect people, because people whove gotten the vaccine are getting sick. I went to one of the places with the worst vaccination rate. I dont want a poison forced into me. Im tired of you all trying to control us. One of the best things we have is our own God-given natural antibodies. It also has one of the worst Covid case rates in the country. The Ozarks. I dont take the flu shot. I dont take the pneumonia shot. I dont take any of them. I wanted to find out why residents here arent getting vaccinated. Youre trying to mask these kids up. Its detrimental to their health. And what, if anything, could convince them otherwise. Hey, Mr. Green, its Dr. Martin here. How are you? I heard you had kind of a rough night last night. Christopher Green is 53 years old and fighting for his life. Like 90 percent of the patients in this packed hospital, hes unvaccinated. Hes just walking a very thin tightrope right now. And to be honest, I dont expect him to get out of this without being on a ventilator. And if he has to be on a ventilator, I dont expect him to survive. I immediately asked Christopher, why hadnt he gotten the vaccine? It was eerie to hear Christopher insist on his individual freedoms, even as he struggled to breathe. Do you think other people should get it? Christopher represents a genuine challenge. Do the American values of individual choice have to take priority over public health? By the time theyre here, what can you do, you know? And when somebody is in a room really, really sick and cant breathe and suffering I mean, its just not a good time for a lecture. But the result in a place like Mountain Home is a 36 percent vaccination rate. And people are dying. Let everyone live their own life. I heard this over and over. Freedom. Choice. Dont do it because somebodys pressuring you to do it. Everyone has the right to choose. Almost everyone I met in Mountain Home told me they knew someone who died from Covid. Most people are undoubtedly concerned about the pandemic here. It didnt feel to me like a QAnon convention. Misinformation certainly exists here. But a powerful force behind the hesitancy is this fundamental idea of personal freedom. But in a community where individual rights are taking precedence over everything else, you get endless individual reasons not to get vaccinated, like believing the vaccine doesnt work. A preference for hearsay. He had heard that the people that were spreading the virus were people that had already had the vaccine and that they were carriers. Straight-up fear. How just people having reactions. Even among those who overcame their hesitancy, theres a lack of urgency. I dont really have any reasons to be out in circulation with the rest of the public. I just enjoy my dogs and work out on the farm and raise my koi fish. With all these reasons not to get vaccinated floating around, it makes it hard for those who actually do want it. I have a parent who does not necessarily support vaccinations. It was hard because she asked me where I was going. I was like, Oh, Im going to get vaccinated. And she was not very happy with that. What struck me was that Mary Beth had the courage to go against the grain. People should be more concerned about the well-being of those around them, because I feel like not enough people are thinking about other people when they make the decision not to get the vaccine. Theres an irony in someone rebelling against a culture of individualism for the good of their community. But voices like Mary Beths are drowned out by leaders who are contradicting public health officials. No. The state is not going to be requiring and mandating vaccinations. And I dont believe anyone should be forced to take the vaccine. It should be your personal choice. These vaccines are always voluntary and never forced. We dont have to accept the mandates, lockdowns and harmful policies and the petty tyrants and bureaucrats. We can either have a free society or we can have a biomedical security state. Theres no better place to see the impact of this political rhetoric than in the hospital. Only about 50 percent of the staff are vaccinated. None of the unvaccinated staffers were willing to talk. There are just a lot of people that you cannot convince to get vaccinated patients, employees. Its very frustrating. Its sad. Its I dont know its disappointing. Just a few months ago, the staff was planning a cookout to celebrate the end of Covid. But instead of barbecuing, theyre now battling another surge. Its exhausting. Were all exhausted. We dont have staff. We dont have beds. One obvious way out is to mandate the vaccine. But in April, the governor signed a law banning government mask mandates and vaccine passports. That shifts the responsibility mostly to private entities. Vaccine requirements as part of employment, attending school or participating in sports are reluctantly motivating some to overcome their hesitancy. It seems to me that the only other thing that actually sways people here is being in the hospital. And I really am upset at myself because I did not get vaccinated. I just Ive never hurt like Ive hurt. Its made a believer out of me. This is what freedom looks like in America today. Its always been complicated. But political leaders should remember that this country was also founded on the idea that government should protect us. After all, in a pandemic, one persons freedom can be another persons death. Christopher Green died nine days after this interview. He was 53 years old.

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Video: Opinion | Dying in the Name of Vaccine Freedom - The New York Times

In Arkansas, many are choosing personal liberty over vaccination at a heavy cost.

It's hard to watch the pandemic drag on as americans refuse the vaccine in the name of freedom you're talking about an unproven untested vaccine. That doesn't even seem to really protect people because people have gotten the vaccine are getting sick. I went to one of the places with the worst vaccination rate. I don't want to poison forced into me. I'm tired of Ultron controllers. One of the best things we have is our own God given natural antibodies. It also has one of the worst covid case rates in the country. The Ozarks. I don't take the flu shot. I don't take the pneumonia shot. I don't take any of them. I wanted to find out why residents here aren't getting vaccinated. You're trying to mask these kids up. It's detrimental to their health. And what if anything could convince them otherwise. Okay, Mr Green, it's dr martin here. How are you? I heard you had a kind of a rough night last night. Christopher Green is 53 years old and fighting for his life Like 90% of the patients in this pact hospital. He's unvaccinated. He's just walking a very thin tight rope right now. And to be honest, I don't expect him to get out of this without being on a ventilator and if he has to be on a ventilator. I don't expect him to survive. I immediately asked Christopher why hadn't he gotten the vaccine? Perry and I don't like being told What I have to do is still not completely 100% sold on the inoculation. It was eerie to hear Christopher insists on his individual freedoms even as he struggled to breathe. You think other people, I mean, I think that's everybody's individual rights. A choice to do what they want to. So I'm not wanting to dictate or make somebody feel guilty because they don't. Christopher represents a genuine challenge. Do the american values of individual choice have to take priority over public health by the time they're here, What can you do? You know? And it's when somebody's in a room really, really sick and can't breathe and suffering. I mean, it's just not a good time for a lecture. But the results in a place like mountain home is a 36% vaccination rate and people are dying. Let every live their own life. I heard this over and over freedom. Choice don't do it because somebody is pressuring you to do it. Everyone has the right to choose. Almost everyone I met in Mountain Home told me they knew someone who died from covid. Most people are undoubtedly concerned about the pandemic here. It didn't feel to me like a Q. And A. On convention misinformation certainly exists here. But a powerful force behind the hesitancy is this fundamental idea of personal freedom. But in a community where individual rights are taking precedence over everything else. You get endless individual reasons not to get vaccinated. Like believing the vaccine doesn't work. Have two parents in their seventies both had the the vaccine and both got covered. A preference for hearsay. He had heard that the people that were spreading the virus or people that had already had the vaccine and that that they were carriers straight up here. Just people having reactions. Even among those who overcame their hesitancy, there's a lack of urgency. I don't really have any reasons to be out in circulation with the rest of the public. I just enjoy my dogs and work out on the farm and raise my koi fish with all these reasons not to get vaccinated floating around. It makes it hard for those who actually do want it. I have a parent who does not necessarily support vaccinations. It was hard because she asked me where I was going and I was like I want to get vaccinated and she was not very happy with that. What struck me was that mary Beth had the courage to go against the grain. People should be more concerned about the well being of those around them because I feel like not enough people are thinking about other people when they make the decision not to get the vaccine. There's an irony and someone rebelling against a culture of individualism for the good of their community. But voices like mary Beth so are drowned out by leaders who are contradicting public health officials know the state is not gonna be requiring and mandating vaccinations and I don't believe anyone should be forced to take the vaccine. It should be your personal choice. These vaccines are always voluntary and never force. We don't have to accept the mandates lockdowns and harmful policies of the petty tyrants of bureaucrats. We can either have a free society or we can have a biomedical security state. Yeah. There's no better place to see the impact of this political rhetoric than in the hospital. Only about 50% of the staff are vaccinated. None of the unvaccinated staffers were willing to talk. There are just a lot of people that you cannot convince to get vaccinated patients, employees. It's very frustrating. It's sad. It's I don't know, it's disappointing. Just a few months ago, the staff was planning a cookout to celebrate the end of Covid. But instead of barbecuing there now battling another surge. It's exhausting. We're all exhausted. We don't have staff. We don't have beds. One obvious way out is to mandate the vaccine. But in april the governor signed a law banning government mask mandates and vaccine passports. That shifts the responsibility mostly to private entities, vaccine requirements. As part of employment, attending school or participating in sports are reluctantly motivating some to overcome their hesitancy. It seems to me that the only other thing that actually sways people here is being in the hospital. And I really, I'm upset it myself because I did not get vaccinated. I just I've never hurt like I hurt. It's made a believer out of me. This is what freedom looks like in America today. It's always been complicated. But political leaders should remember that this country was also founded on the idea that government should protect us after all, in a pandemic, one person's freedom can be another person's death. Probably should have had a little healthier fear that it will need to be taken more seriously. Oh, I mean, I don't know how close I am to be in a lot worse. I really don't know. Christopher. Green died nine days after this interview. He was 53 years old. Mhm. Mhm.

Continued here:

Dying in the Name of Vaccine Freedom :: WRAL.com - WRAL.com

(WFRV) The Luxemburg-Casco Spartans and Freedom Irish cruised to opening wins on Friday night. Plus our first Team of the Week from the high school football season.

Spartans senior running back Isaac VandenBush had a big night against Xavier with five touchdowns in Lux-Cascos 42-14 victory. Luxemburg-Casco was named the High School Sports Xtra Team of the Week after the win.

Freedom on the other hand jumped out to a big 33-0 lead in the first half. Jamison Rudie added to the Irish advantage with an impressive 20-yard touchdown in the third quarter.

Kiel and Kewaunee needed overtime to decide their week one match-up. Kyle Karnopp got Kewaunee on the board with a touchdown run, and the Raiders responded Connor Faust to Grant Monz touchdown connection. Kiel would go on to win in overtime 13-7.

Hilbert also earned a low scoring victory to open the season. The Wolves took a 14-0 lead with a Reed Breckheimer touchdown in the second half. Then an interception by Carson Grenzer sealed the 14-0 win in the match-up of old Olympian rivals.

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High School Sports Xtra: Luxemburg-Casco & Freedom roll, Team of the Week - WeAreGreenBay.com

There really arent words to express what we want to say.

But were going to try.

To Gold Star Mother Harriet Goodiron, a Gold Star Mother, and every other Gold Star Mother, and every family member: wife, husband, father, son, daughter, and so on, who has lost someone not only to the war in Afghanistan, but to any war.

Thank you.

It almost feels hollow.

But your sons, Cpl. Nathan Goodiron, along with the other brave military members from North Dakota: Cpl. Curtis Mehrer, Bismarck, Sgt. Travis Van Zoest, Bismarck, Cpl. Chris Kleinwachter, Wahpeton, Spc. Keenan Cooper, Wahpeton, Sgt. 1st Class Darren Linde, Devils Lake, and Spc. Tyler Orgaard, Bismarck, will not be forgotten.

We could never imagine the pain that is felt by those who have lost.

How things ended in Afghanistan, Harriet said it best, Its almost like we didnt make a difference there.

Cpl. Nathan Goodiron, Cpl. Curtis Mehrer, Sgt. Travis Van Zoest, Cpl. Chris Kleinwachter, Spc. Keenan Cooper, Sgt. 1st Class Darren Linde, and Spc. Tyler Orgaard all made a huge difference.

We just cant see it.

Thats probably what makes it so hard.

We can only see the result and not the work done.

Not the change that was made, not the lives affected while the boots were on the ground.

Just the result

Again, Harriet said it best on her Facebook, Nates flag flew along with other unsung heroes, the champions of our freedom.

We are free and it is because of Cpl. Nathan Goodiron, Cpl. Curtis Mehrer, Sgt. Travis Van Zoest, Cpl. Chris Kleinwachter, Spc. Keenan Cooper, Sgt. 1st Class Darren Linde, and Spc. Tyler Orgaard, and all of those who have served.

And

We will never be able to thank those who have fought for our freedom enough.

You are all truly

The Champions of Freedom.

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They're the Champions of Freedom | News, Sports, Jobs - Minot Daily News

When the people fear the government, there is tyranny. When the government fears the people, there is liberty.

Thomas Jefferson (1743-1826)

As the world watches the disastrous ending of Americas nearly 20-year occupation of Afghanistan, we cannot lose sight of what is happening here, just below the media radar.

I hope I am wrong, yet I see a time of great suffering coming soon for those of us who cherish, articulate and defend personal liberty in a free society.

I hear it coming in the media drumbeat over the spread of the delta variant of COVID-19 and the demonization of those who exercise their inalienable right to dominion over their own bodies by declining to receive a novel and largely experimental vaccine.

I feel it in the subtle and not-so-subtle hints of politicians attempting to discern which way the winds of change are blowing and beginning to conclude privately that the direction of those winds is toward another sheepish American acceptance of repressive governmental measures in the name of public health.

And I sense it in the outcomes and judicial rationales of the early stages of litigations in which numerous state judges and state supreme court justices in the past week have purported to find constitutional, and thus recognized, the decisions of officials in the executive branch of government the branch that exists to enforce the laws that the legislative branch has written to write their own laws, call them mandates, and use force to compel businesses to close and healthy folks to wear masks on public and private property.

The coming violations of basic freedoms the freedom of total dominion over ones own body including the face, the freedom to exercise personal liberty and to own and use private property without a government permission slip, and the right to a government that complies with its own laws, particularly the restraints imposed upon it by the Constitution will sorely challenge and, if unchecked, will severely weaken the values underlying our American republic.

Add to this the near certainty that the federal government will borrow trillions of dollars in the next three years, thus raising the price of everything and thrusting the obligation to repay those loans onto generations of taxpayers as yet unborn; and add to that the political pressures now being imposed on President Joseph R. Biden Jr. to reestablish U.S. military dominance near Afghanistan, a dominance that under Presidents George W. Bush and Barack Obama was lethal, fruitless, catastrophic, and cost 1 trillion borrowed American dollars and tens of thousands of innocent lives, and which President Donald J. Trump wisely argued should never have happened and ought to be terminated, and you can see my fears.

We have seen all this before.

The principal values underlying our republic are that our rights are natural gifts from God and can only be taken away after due process, which requires that the government proves fault at a fair jury trial; that the governments existence is moral only when it derives from the consent of the governed; that the Constitution is the supreme law of the land; and that when governments abandon these principles and assault our liberties, it is the right and the duty of the governed to alter or abolish or secede from the government.

These are not the musings of a frustrated libertarian.

Rather, they are bedrock American law embedded in and integral to the Declaration of Independence in which Thomas Jefferson and all other signatories characterized our rights as natural and inalienable and insisted that no government is lawful without the consent of the governed and the Ninth Amendment to the Constitution in which James Madison and the Congress and the ratifiers recognized that our freedoms are too numerous to enumerate and thus the amendment commands that government shall not disparage any rights, even unenumerated rights, without due process.

Today, all persons in government take a solemn oath to uphold these documents, which include the Jeffersonian and Madisonian values underlying them. But you would never know that by observing their official behavior.

It seems that no matter which major political party controls the government, the government claims it can right any wrongs, tax any objects, regulate any events, suppress any liberties, kill any foreign foes (real or imagined) and help any of its patrons the Declaration and the Constitution and their values be damned.

Do you know anyone who has consented to a government that can by executive decree take away the very freedoms that the founding documents guarantee and the authors of the decrees have sworn to uphold? Do you know anyone who has consented to a government that can take away personal freedoms by legislation? Do you know anyone who has consented to the government, period?

Our only recourse is massive, peaceful, loud public resistance that meaningfully threatens peaceful secession from the government the same secession Jefferson and his fellow revolutionaries and signatories argued for in the Declaration of Independence.

Resistance even by a persistent and passionate minority can topple the mandates. But it must be resistance so ubiquitous and so loud and so serious that the government fears the people.

If you want to wear a mask, wear it. If you want the vaccines, get them. But keep the government off the backs of those dont.

Then our freedoms will be secure.

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Freedom in the time of COVID-19 | Journal-news | journal-news.net - Martinsburg Journal

MONTREAL -- Basil Katsivalis leaves his wheelchair behind when he sails.

On land you gotta wheel yourself around, but once [youre] on the water, its amazing, he says.

Katsivalis is a member of the Association Quebcoise de Voile Adapte (AQVA), which invites anyone with a physical disability to try sailing, with no experience necessary.

Its very safe, the boat is designed for disabled sailors, Katsivalis explains.

The AQVA headed out to Lac-St-Louis on Aug. 21 to participate in a regatta, which saw a turnout of 42 boats from various clubs.

Unfortunately, the winds werent strong enough to race, but AQVA sailors said they enjoyed it all the same.

You can understand, being on the water is the closest thing to freedom for me, says Victor Levy, another AQVA sailor who uses a wheelchair. Im equal to you when Im in my boat.

Fellow member Nancy Macleod feels a similar sense of satisfaction when she's on the water.

If you're paralyzed or if you're not 100 per cent in your body, your mind is still alert. It makes a big difference to go out on these boats, she says.

Navigating strong winds and currents, sailing can be a highly technical sport. In this case, its a matter of controlling a heavy boat with a double-hull and sturdy keel.

Although in this case a bit more wind would have been helpful, there are plenty more sailing excursions to come.

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'It's amazing': disabled sailors on finding freedom in the waters - CTV News Montreal

Shimla, August 21

The Himachal Pradesh High Court has dismissed an appeal filed by the Central Government and directed it to pay all arrears of pension, including interest, to the widow of a freedom fighter with effect from 1974.

A division Bench of Acting Chief Justice Ravi Malimath and Justice Jyotsna Rewa Dua passed the order on an appeal filed by the Central Government, challenging the order by a single judge on the petition.

Petitioner Brahmi Devi had sought directions to the Centre and the state government to grant freedom fighters pension to her, being the widow of Dhani Ram, who had served in Dogra Regiment as a sepoy till 1946 and participated in World War II.

Awarded the Pacific Star, the Defence Medal and the War Medal, Dhani Ram, along with similarly placed people, were declared as freedom fighters of the nation.

In 1973, Himachal Pradesh issued a letter to award Tamrapatras to the freedom fighters in Bilaspur, Mandi, Hamirpur and Kullu districts and the petitioners husband name was there along with another freedom fighter Lance Naik Lashkari Ram.

On August 15, 1973, a Tamrapatra was awarded to Dhani Ram, who was acknowledged as a freedom fighter by the Bilaspur Deputy Commissioner and was issued an identity card. However, the state did not consider his request for the grant of pension to him. He went on making representations till his death on May 2, 2010. Thereafter, his widow had been pursuing his claim.

The single judge Bench had allowed her petition on September 29, 2016, observing that it is proved on record that the husband of the petitioner was a freedom fighter and therefore, she is entitled for the grant of freedom fighter pension from the due date, i.e. April 4, 1974.

It had directed that the pension shall be released within eight weeks, failing which, the respondents shall be liable to pay nine per cent interest on the pension. IANS

The background

On August 15, 1973, a Tamrapatra was awarded to Dhani Ram, who was acknowledged as a freedom fighter by the Bilaspur Deputy Commissioner and was issued an identity card. However, the state did not consider his request for the grant of pension to him.

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Himachal High Court: Pay arrears to freedom fighters widow from 1974 - The Tribune