Good evening!

Blessings on you and your family, and from all the Huckabee staff! Topics include:

• Bible Verse of the Day - Numbers 25:12
• A Bipartisan Investigation of Facebook
• "Why Won’t People Believe The ‘Experts?’"
• Now Polls Show The Public Is About Evenly Split
• They’re Trying to Slip One (Or 8 Million) Past You
• Tip to the Biden White House
• More On Norm

Sincerely,

Mike Huckabee

DAILY BIBLE VERSE 

12 Wherefore say, Behold, I give unto him my covenant of peace:

Numbers 25:12

A Bipartisan Investigation of Facebook

By Mike Huckabee

Senators Marsha Blackburn and Richard Blumenthal are launching a bipartisan investigation of Facebook, following a blockbuster investigative piece by the Wall Street Journal. It found that Facebook was keeping secret from the public internal research that shows that Facebook’s photo social media platform Instagram was harmful to the mental health of users, particularly teenage girls. The research showed that teens blamed Instagram for increases in anxiety, depression and poor body image. This is especially worrisome since Facebook is planning a version of Instagram for children 13 and under.

https://www.theepochtimes.com/mkt_morningbrief/facebook-faces-senate-probe-after-report-reveals-instagrams-harmful-effects-on-teenage-girls_3999329.html

The Senators said in a statement, “It is clear that Facebook is incapable of holding itself accountable. The Wall Street Journal’s reporting reveals Facebook’s leadership to be focused on a growth-at-all-costs mindset that valued profits over the health and lives of children and teens.”

While it’s a welcome development that someone is finally paying attention, I don’t know which is less of a surprise: that social media is harmful to the minds and bodies of young people (it isn’t doing many favors for the minds of some adults, either) or that the people running Facebook don’t really give a hoot. Senate hearings might drag some of this out into the light of day, but if they’re like most Senate hearings, nothing will come of them except providing a few days’ worth of TV footage of Facebook executives feigning shock that anyone would think they’re not acting with the purest of motives, and then it’s right back to being evil.

While I’d like to see a miracle, like the government reining in Big Tech or Big Tech oligarchs magically developing consciences, short of that, the only solutions are much harder: Self-control (breaking yourself of the social media habit) and parenting (not letting your kids fall into that rabbit hole.) Remember, like any parasite, social media platforms live off of what they suck out of you (in their case, personal data.) If you don’t want the parasite to make you sick, then shake it off and avoid it.

"Why Won’t People Believe The ‘Experts?’"

By Mike Huckabee

National File obtained a leaked recording of a Zoom meeting between doctors and a marketing director at Novant Heath New Hanover Regional Medical Center, a group of 20 hospitals, clinics, and offices that treat patients in North and South Carolina. It reveals a doctor urging the clinics to be “more scary to the public” about getting vaccinated. She suggests inflating the numbers of COVID-19 patients by counting those who have already recovered and using messaging that falsely implies that “If you don’t get vaccinated, you know you’re going to die.” She added, “I mean let’s just be really blunt with these people.”

https://nationalfile.com/doctor-wants-to-be-scary-to-the-public-and-inflate-covid-numbers-if-you-dont-get-vaccinated-you-know-youre-going-to-die/

After it became public, the hospital released a statement asserting that the suggestion was not taken. But it already made an impact. It's scared the public, only in the opposite way intended. To be really blunt, it increased people’s fear of believing what they’re told by health authorities. So nice job, doc.

Now Polls Show The Public Is About Evenly Split

By Mike Huckabee

A couple of new polls show the public is about evenly split on President Biden’s recent vaccination mandates, although the mandate on companies with over 100 employees has approval of 53-46%. Larger percentages of Americans approve of other levels of government-enforced COVID measures, such as vaccine mandates for various groups such as health care workers and teachers, mask mandates and social distancing guidelines.

https://www.foxnews.com/politics/americans-divided-biden-covid-poll

And, feeling their oats after the failed recall of Gavin Newsom, Los Angeles County officials plan to lead the way with the strictest “Show us your papers!” rule yet. They plan to require people to show proof of vaccination to enter indoor bars, wineries, breweries, nightclubs, and lounges and proof of vaccination or a negative COVID test for "outdoor mega-events" such as Dodgers, Rams, and Chargers games. They will also recommend, but not require (for now) customers at indoor restaurants to show proof of vaccination. As usual, there’s nothing about exceptions for people who’ve actually had the disease and may have natural immunity as good as or superior to vaccination. This is the government, after all, so one size fits all.

I continue to believe that it’s wise for most people to get vaccinated (I am), providing their own doctors okay it, but I don’t believe the government should be forcing people to do it, or denying you basic rights and freedoms until you submit to having something injected into your body that you object to. If vaccinations work, then how are the unvaccinated a danger to anyone but themselves?

My bigger concern is that even after COVID is under control, with authorities having tasted this unprecedented level of power over people’s lives – and the people having willingly given up their freedom for a false promise of security – there will be no end to future restrictions “for the public good.” In that sense, this could spell the end of America as we knew it.

Related: https://www.westernjournal.com/watch-ncaa-athlete-hit-severe-heart-complication-covid-vaccine-warns-vax-mandates/

Disclaimer: yes, this kind of severe reaction is extremely rare. But so is death by COVID in this person’s age group. It’s another reason why vaccination should be a personal decision of risk assessment between you and your doctor and not a government mandate.

They’re Trying to Slip One (Or 8 Million) Past You

By Mike Huckabee

Democrats are trying to convince the Senate Parliamentarian to okay green cards for 8 million illegal immigrants as part of a filibuster-proof, simple majority $3.5 trillion “budget reconciliation bill.” Yes, they actually want us to believe that amnesty for 8 million illegal immigrants is a simple budget matter that shouldn’t require any bipartisan support.

https://pjmedia.com/news-and-politics/kevindowneyjr/2021/09/15/guess-what-dirty-democrat-tricksters-are-trying-to-sneak-into-their-3-5-trillion-package-n1479123

Tip to the Biden White House

By Mike Huckabee

Trying to change the name of the Abraham Accords will not make us forget that Trump brought peace to the Middle East and you brought chaos and the return of the Taliban.

https://www.bizpacreview.com/2021/09/14/biden-admin-accused-of-being-petty-and-partisan-for-re-branding-the-term-abraham-accords-1134441/