Oregon Health Authority in process of drafting order making indoor mask requirements indefinite

Mesa, AZ – In a move that has been long expected and feared by believers in the constitutional liberties of the American people, at least one U.S. state is prepared to move on from “two weeks to flatten the curve” to “forever, unless we tell you otherwise.”

On December 2, the Oregon Health Authority (OHA) invited members of select community groups to begin the drafting a statewide order that would require all persons in that state to wear face coverings in all indoor settings. Included in the conversation, according to KOMO News, were people from the “hospitality and faith sectors…the Seventh Day Adventists Church, the High Desert Museum” and other special interest groups as they discussed the impact that an indefinite mask mandate would have on the state.

“This is exactly what we said would happen,” said Citizens for Free Speech (CFFS) Executive Director Patrick Wood, “except that it is actually a little bit ahead of schedule.” CFFS is a national non-profit organization dedicated to the preservation of First Amendment rights, many of which Wood believes are under attack by such mask mandates.

“We warned people last year, when the first mandatory mask orders were given across the country, that this was the first step toward something much bigger. It has been proven throughout history that once free people begin to accept the restriction of a portion of their liberties, it would only be a matter of time before the government would move to take away even more,” Wood stated.

Oregon health officials are attempting to stanch the criticism from constitutional rights activists by redefining permanence. Dr. Paul Cieslak, the medical director for communicable diseases and immunization with OHA, said the proposed order sounds worse than it is.

“Permanent means indefinite,” the doctor explained. “It doesn’t necessarily mean permanent. We can repeal it as well.”

Wood scoffed at the OHA’s linguistic games.

“Look, once the government takes something from the people, they never give it back willingly. These mask mandates have missed the mark from the beginning. The science does not show that they prevent transmission of the virus, and in fact many studies show that long-term mask-wearing can be dangerous for healthy people. But big government officials become addicted to their power, and what better way to exert that power than to force the masses to be submissive in public spaces.”

OHA policy specialist Ilana Kurtzig said the first draft of the permanent/indefinite mask mandate would be ready by mid-December. Wood wants CFFS activists in Oregon, and free speech defenders nationwide to prepare to stop it in its tracks.

“This is a watershed moment in the battle for our constitutional rights in America,” the CFFS founder warned. “If we allow one state to stifle the speech and expression of its people on a permanent basis, there is no question that other states will follow. And once these mask mandates become an accepted part of our daily lives, we will slide further down that slippery slope in perpetuity, or at least until we land in full-on tyranny. Free speech supporters must band together in Oregon communities and let their representatives know that they will not accept this assault on their liberties. And CFFS stands ready to help organize and train them for the mission at hand.”

For more information about CFFS please visit www.CitizensForFreeSpeech.org.

Contact:

Bob Frantz
National Director of Communications
[email protected]