I am here today with some incredible Oregonians in St. Helens in Columbia County expressing our first amendment rights to share and express our concerns about generic, one-size-fits-all mandates that erode trust and create an epidemic of mistrust at a time we should be working together to build resilience and strength in our communities. I commend Sheriff Brian Pixley and others in this fine county for taking steps to protect their families, neighbors and co-workers from bullying and shaming.

Let’s talk about the definition of coercion. Full informed consent includes the right to refuse.