[FarmBoy]

Thank you for posting more of the context. It's always valuable to understand more of someone's thought process before confidently disregarding their opinions. In this case, the more fulsome post does just that. She wants to open up society? Then wear a mask. "Restrictive and arbitrarily selective rules"? Sure, there's been some uncertainty and changes as we learn more, but most of the new rules are hardly arbitrary (though clearly some individuals enforce or enact them with error). She wouldn't want to hurt any vulnerable people? Then wear a mask.

Sadly, most of this appears to be regurgitation from anti-mask propaganda rather than something she come up with on her own.

I do stand up for her right to make her opinion known, even as a non-expert in the field, just like I would respect athletes commenting on race relations or Hong Kong or any other topic. I just wish that as a representative of Stanford she would know better on this particular topic.

Frankly, I have to applaud her for stating her beliefs and opinions, very openly and publicly, knowing that many will disagree. It takes a lot of courage to take a stand, especially when said stands violate the accepted norms of the masses. Many here have called her "stupid", probably without even looking at the context of what she wrote and did. Here's that context from her Instagram page:

"This is going to be a long post & it’s going to upset some people. My intention is NEVER to hurt or disrespect. Please know that. I am working my way through these curious times that have me questioning everything. I am wanting to lead & stand for my beliefs WITHOUT upsetting people but, per usual when one takes a stand, this is unlikely. If this hurts or upsets you, I am sorry. I am working through my thoughts & my way throughout the madness of 2020. I am wanting to be a light, an encourager of the strength + resilience within each of us and I aspire to be someone whom empowers others to take ownership of all sides of their lives. There is freedom & deep satisfaction in living this way. I want this for everyone. 

Here we go ....

I had a little exercise in being brave yesterday & I’m still a bit edgy about it.

I went shopping without a mask on ??? & this is why ... I read a quote the other day that shook me - -

THIS HAS NOT BEEN ENFORCED, IT’S BEEN CONSENTED TO.

This statement woke me up & the truth of it has had me obsessing on the matter of how I can mindfully & compassionately stand up for my rights & for the freedoms our constitution has granted us all WITHOUT being reckless or putting anyone else in danger.

We are all endlessly complaining about the restrictive & arbitrarily selective rules that we are being strongly “suggested” to follow & yet we are all consenting; Not much of a fight, just a lot of complaining & strongly disagreeing with this manipulation, but we keep consenting. It’s maddening. It has crushed our society, people’s livelihoods, our children’s spirits, & the fabric of our world. We have become a country & a world estranged from each other & it is more deeply unhealthy than any virus could ever be.

I know people are getting sick & many have gone to Heaven. I have lived through a lot of loss in my family, in my life. I cherish life. I would never downplay the impact of a single loss of life. That is it’s own conversation & my heart goes out to all those suffering poor health, the loss of a loved one and the fear that the reaction to & media coverage of COVID-19 has created in your days.

Cont. in comments ....

I believe we can protect the vulnerable while opening up society. I am so willing to support the vulnerable. My family has vulnerable humans within it. I have some friends who are vulnerable and I would do anything for any of them. 

Mostly, I want to empower people to start/continue to live healthy lives. Eat well and eat real food. Prioritize sleep. Move and get your heart working every day. Pay attention to your breath and perhaps start a breath work protocol to work and strengthen your lungs. Get outside. Think good thoughts. KNOW your immune system is designed to support you through any illness - we must work support our entire system. I want people to stop living in fear and start living in a way that strengthens themselves body, mind and spirit.

Things won’t open up and freedoms won’t come back unless we are willing to push back and stand up for them. I am willing to fight for the freedoms I have been guaranteed by my constitution. I don’t want to fight anyone in the process of this and I’d rather not make anyone uncomfortable or upset. If that happens I pray for understanding and I pray that I have the capacity to handle it with grace.

I am praying for the world every day. I see so much unity and so many blessings daily but the scary part truly scares me and I hope we can better come together to address the issues and challenges at hand. I want what you want. Health, happiness, safety and security for all. I’m at my limit for how it is “ensured” to us. Basically this quote sums it up:

I PREFER DANGEROUS FREEDOM TO PEACEFUL SLAVERY. - Thomas Jefferson ??

♥️ & ? to all."

And she continued:

"The conversation I am having with myself (and the point of this post) has to do with FREEDOM and how I, as an individual, can fight for it.

And so yesterday I took a step. It was incredibly uncomfortable (shockingly so) and I was tempted to just say F it many times and put my mask on. I didn’t. It was hard. I feel a bit braver for having chosen to live the discomfort.

Within 60 seconds of me walking into the store a woman made a snarky comment and then went and turned me in to a store employee. The employee seemed to say that it was within my rights to do as I was doing and everyone carried on. I was rattled. The woman was pissed. She seemed to hover around me as I shopped, shooting me angry looks & angry vibes but we all went on our way. I gave people their space and tried really hard to be cool. I’m not cool by nature and so this was doubly hard. 

Ugh. I do not want to be compelled to do things I do not believe in because it makes others feel better. That’s actually THE ONE reason why I would do such a thing - to make others feel comfortable - but this is so much bigger than being a security blanket for others or being PC.

This has become a very complex situation with a very a complex set of problems - I believe that only a simple solution can solve this and simple choices by each of us will walk us toward the solution. Individually we can respectfully stand up for our beliefs while supporting and being mindful of the most vulnerable around us. We all have personal responsibility within this situation and whether we are vulnerable or not, we all must carry on in a way that supports our wellbeing. I want to give people space to respond to these times in a way that serves them best and I want the same consideration. Violence and vitriol are not acceptable."

[FarmBoy]

Thank you for posting more of the context. It's always valuable to understand more of someone's thought process before confidently disregarding their opinions. In this case, the more fulsome post does just that. She wants to open up society? Then wear a mask. "Restrictive and arbitrarily selective rules"? Sure, there's been some uncertainty and changes as we learn more, but most of the new rules are hardly arbitrary (though clearly some individuals enforce or enact them with error). She wouldn't want to hurt any vulnerable people? Then wear a mask.

Sadly, most of this appears to be regurgitation from anti-mask propaganda rather than something she come up with on her own.

I do stand up for her right to make her opinion known, even as a non-expert in the field, just like I would respect athletes commenting on race relations or Hong Kong or any other topic. I just wish that as a representative of Stanford she would know better on this particular topic.

Frankly, I have to applaud her for stating her beliefs and opinions, very openly and publicly, knowing that many will disagree. It takes a lot of courage to take a stand, especially when said stands violate the accepted norms of the masses. Many here have called her "stupid", probably without even looking at the context of what she wrote and did. Here's that context from her Instagram page:

"This is going to be a long post & it’s going to upset some people. My intention is NEVER to hurt or disrespect. Please know that. I am working my way through these curious times that have me questioning everything. I am wanting to lead & stand for my beliefs WITHOUT upsetting people but, per usual when one takes a stand, this is unlikely. If this hurts or upsets you, I am sorry. I am working through my thoughts & my way throughout the madness of 2020. I am wanting to be a light, an encourager of the strength + resilience within each of us and I aspire to be someone whom empowers others to take ownership of all sides of their lives. There is freedom & deep satisfaction in living this way. I want this for everyone. 

Here we go ....

I had a little exercise in being brave yesterday & I’m still a bit edgy about it.

I went shopping without a mask on ??? & this is why ... I read a quote the other day that shook me - -

THIS HAS NOT BEEN ENFORCED, IT’S BEEN CONSENTED TO.

This statement woke me up & the truth of it has had me obsessing on the matter of how I can mindfully & compassionately stand up for my rights & for the freedoms our constitution has granted us all WITHOUT being reckless or putting anyone else in danger.

We are all endlessly complaining about the restrictive & arbitrarily selective rules that we are being strongly “suggested” to follow & yet we are all consenting; Not much of a fight, just a lot of complaining & strongly disagreeing with this manipulation, but we keep consenting. It’s maddening. It has crushed our society, people’s livelihoods, our children’s spirits, & the fabric of our world. We have become a country & a world estranged from each other & it is more deeply unhealthy than any virus could ever be.

I know people are getting sick & many have gone to Heaven. I have lived through a lot of loss in my family, in my life. I cherish life. I would never downplay the impact of a single loss of life. That is it’s own conversation & my heart goes out to all those suffering poor health, the loss of a loved one and the fear that the reaction to & media coverage of COVID-19 has created in your days.

Cont. in comments ....

I believe we can protect the vulnerable while opening up society. I am so willing to support the vulnerable. My family has vulnerable humans within it. I have some friends who are vulnerable and I would do anything for any of them. 

Mostly, I want to empower people to start/continue to live healthy lives. Eat well and eat real food. Prioritize sleep. Move and get your heart working every day. Pay attention to your breath and perhaps start a breath work protocol to work and strengthen your lungs. Get outside. Think good thoughts. KNOW your immune system is designed to support you through any illness - we must work support our entire system. I want people to stop living in fear and start living in a way that strengthens themselves body, mind and spirit.

Things won’t open up and freedoms won’t come back unless we are willing to push back and stand up for them. I am willing to fight for the freedoms I have been guaranteed by my constitution. I don’t want to fight anyone in the process of this and I’d rather not make anyone uncomfortable or upset. If that happens I pray for understanding and I pray that I have the capacity to handle it with grace.

I am praying for the world every day. I see so much unity and so many blessings daily but the scary part truly scares me and I hope we can better come together to address the issues and challenges at hand. I want what you want. Health, happiness, safety and security for all. I’m at my limit for how it is “ensured” to us. Basically this quote sums it up:

I PREFER DANGEROUS FREEDOM TO PEACEFUL SLAVERY. - Thomas Jefferson ??

♥️ & ? to all."

And she continued:

"The conversation I am having with myself (and the point of this post) has to do with FREEDOM and how I, as an individual, can fight for it.

And so yesterday I took a step. It was incredibly uncomfortable (shockingly so) and I was tempted to just say F it many times and put my mask on. I didn’t. It was hard. I feel a bit braver for having chosen to live the discomfort.

Within 60 seconds of me walking into the store a woman made a snarky comment and then went and turned me in to a store employee. The employee seemed to say that it was within my rights to do as I was doing and everyone carried on. I was rattled. The woman was pissed. She seemed to hover around me as I shopped, shooting me angry looks & angry vibes but we all went on our way. I gave people their space and tried really hard to be cool. I’m not cool by nature and so this was doubly hard. 

Ugh. I do not want to be compelled to do things I do not believe in because it makes others feel better. That’s actually THE ONE reason why I would do such a thing - to make others feel comfortable - but this is so much bigger than being a security blanket for others or being PC.

This has become a very complex situation with a very a complex set of problems - I believe that only a simple solution can solve this and simple choices by each of us will walk us toward the solution. Individually we can respectfully stand up for our beliefs while supporting and being mindful of the most vulnerable around us. We all have personal responsibility within this situation and whether we are vulnerable or not, we all must carry on in a way that supports our wellbeing. I want to give people space to respond to these times in a way that serves them best and I want the same consideration. Violence and vitriol are not acceptable."