By Marc Kelley
Over the last two years, I have laughed at, poked fun at, and rolled my eyes at many subjects which my friends brought to my attention. My behavior was not driven by malice or moral indignation; but rather, what I believed at the time to be common sense. I have had to repeatedly call friends, my hat in my hand, and apologize for not believing what they had to say. For decades I was proud to say my education in medicine allowed me to help people, to advocate for their wishes, and care for them as compassionately as I would want for my loved ones. In 2022, I am very cautious about telling people about my medical background because of the damage done by the medical establishment and their lies about COVID-19. Not until I began to learn of and study the concept of The Overton Window, did I fully appreciate the depths of depravity which our politician’s and a dis-ingenious media have achieved.

In political science, The Overton Window is used to describe concepts which are both within the accepted norms for society, as well as, to identify those ideas which are too extreme and therefore outside acceptable social norms. A common misconception many people hold, is the boundaries of The Overton Window are defined by the political class. The truth of the matter is just as it has always been, social norms are defined by “We The People”.

In 2022, a host of societal changes are coming into focus. The extreme liberal left is a small, but very vocal group, hellbent on changing the perception of the American people on topics such as: parental rights, bodily autonomy, climate change, and the possession of firearms. However the liberal left is not alone in their seedy ideology. Extremist groups on both sides of the political aisle routinely engage in propaganda campaigns pushing their ideology on the public. Changing the public’s perception of a given idea or event, can shift the Overton Window and bring a change in the way we think about a given subject. Ideas which were once thought of as radical can be made to appear mainstream through the use of media, celebrities, crises, or historical events.

By looking back at history we can find many examples of how outside events and groups have changed public perception; and as a result, brought about sweeping changes to our society. Perhaps the best example of this sweeping change can be seen with the passage of the 18th Amendment and the prohibition of alcohol. Once again, a relatively small but very vocal group of church leaders, activists and politicians used their platform to convince the American People, alcohol was the root cause for our societies increase in crime, homelessness, and moral decay of our country. Over a period of two years, this media campaign changed the perception of alcohol consumption from a recreational event, to the idea alcohol itself represented the scourge ravaging our country. In 1920 the 18th Amendment was ratified by the states, signed into law, and Prohibition became the law of the land. As with all dramatic changes, the law of second and third order consequences began to express itself, and by 1933 the American People had a change of heart, realizing they were not in favor of banning alcohol. As a result The Overton Window again shifted and The 21st Amendment was passed, repealing prohibition, and returning the consumption of alcohol into mainstream acceptance.

In 2016, the effects of a shift in The Overton Window were fully displayed with the election of Donald Trump. The people of America had grown tired of a corrupt political class, propped up by a corrupt media. No matter how they tried to sell us on the idea a “New World Order” was just what America needed, the people in fly-over-country had reached their limit of tolerance and voted to make a change. This action shifted The Overton Window to the right and with it, America embraced a new found freedom with far less government interference.
So incensed by the voices of the American People, the political elites immediately began their counter-offensive. “Russian Collusion” became their message to justify a change back to the status quo. Obsessed with regaining power, the deep state employed every weapon in their arsenal. Yet, try as they may to stop it, America prospered, and with it, so did the American People. The more the media hated on Trump, the stronger he became and the more working class American believed in his message. However, Trump is just a single man, a messenger for sure, an agent for change, and defined as the left’s, orange faced ensign of evil. Yet, it was not Trump, but rather the American People who so angered the self-appointed elite’s for daring to have our voices heard. While Trump endured the personal attacks, driven by the corrupt “Old Guard” in Washington, behind the scenes a much more insidious group searched for a message which would shift The Overton Window back to more government control and less freedom for the American People.

Enter COVID-19, the perfect vehicle needed to justify the punishment of the “little people” and their precious freedoms. We were sold the idea that it was a patriotic duty to stop the spread of the virus and were told we simply needed, “two week’s to flatten the curve.” We were told our best medical minds were “following the science” and they would lead us out of the darkness of a global pandemic. Now, better than two years into, “two week’s to flatten the curve”, the truth is emerging. Masks don’t work, lockdowns don’t work, shutting down the economy doesn’t work, and kids rarely get or spread the virus. Only now, as a result of a Federal Lawsuit, is Pfizer Pharmaceutical coming clean about what they knew was true of their own vaccine. If anyone would have dared to utter the very words found in Pfizer’s own internal documents, you would have been branded a “right wing, anti-vax nut job, spreading conspiracy theories. For speaking out and asking questions, you would have been ridiculed publicly, banned from social media, and branded a pariah for trying to murder the Grandma’s of our country.

Over the past two years we have been told to follow the science; yet, we have heard very little about what is called the Scientific Method. The Scientific Method describes the process by which the world’s greatest minds have relied upon for millennia. This method, coupled with a great mind has proven time and time again, the most effective approach in achieving the solution’s to some of humanity’s greatest problems. The Scientific Method has been taught in every discipline imaginable including: engineering, medicine, geology and astronomy. To ignore this critical thinking method is a grave mis-service to your field of study, and an even greater dis-service to the public. When COVID-19 was first identified as a cudgel which could be used against President Trump, a dishonest media drove a narrative, fueled by trillions of dollars in government spending to entice the medical community into abandoning the search for truth and replace their moral compass with greed and a lust for power. Never again will the medical community regain the trusted status which they had earned as healers; but rather, from this time forward, their motives will be questioned at every turn. So pardon me if you will, when I say, we need to find some new conspiracy theories, all of my old ones seem to be coming true.