Rally for individual and medical rights
A gentleman at the rally introduced himself as Tyler and spoke of how he and his family chose to relocate from San Diego, California. They homeschool their daughter and are now in the farming industry.
Mary Beth Sallee
Jobe Publishing, Inc.
On September 17, several people gathered along the square in Glasgow to take a stand for their constitutional and medical freedoms.
Although the rally was originally organized to focus on liberty and constitutional freedom in general, many attended in support of Dr. Andy Turner of Glasgow, who stated in a since deleted Facebook post that he was no longer allowed to provide “right to try” treatments for COVID-19.
“Alright, I know most people have heard, but I feel it is only right to make everyone aware I am currently no longer able to offer “right to try” treatments for COVID-19,” Dr. Turner wrote in a post. “When I started this a few months ago, it was really an educational post to say I believe there are safe and effective treatments (and there is literature-based evidence to show this) which turned into an organic COVID clinic. 215+ and counting through this week COVID patients were treated with a 99.5% survival rate and 98.1% hospital avoidance rate. I offered HOPE when all people could talk about (and still do) is fear. God commands us do not be afraid, and I followed His calling and still do today. Tonight, I am being still and listening to Him. I do not know what the days ahead hold, but I trust the ONE who does. I’m heartbroken for you the people and pray God provides, protects, and heals. I am with you and will always stand for the people I was called to care for. Much love and prayers to you all.”
Dr. Turner’s Facebook page has since been deactivated.
One of the medicines that Dr. Turner was prescribing to his patients as a “right to try” treatment for COVID-19 symptoms was the medicine known as ivermectin.
Ivermectin has recently made headlines across the nation, having been labeled as a “horse dewormer” by many in the mainstream media. However, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) website explains that ivermectin use for animals differ from ivermectin use for humans.
The ivermectin for livestock that can be found at most farm supply stores should never be used for human consumption. The FDA states that animal drugs are often highly concentrated because of their use in large animals like cows and horses, which weigh much more than a person. Such high doses can be very toxic in humans. Again, a person should never self-medicate with ivermectin that is intended for livestock.
The FDA further states on its website that, “For humans, ivermectin tablets are approved at very specific doses to treat some parasitic worms, and there are topical (on the skin) formulations for head lice and skin conditions like rosacea…Ivermectin tablets are approved by the FDA to treat people with intestinal strongyloidiasis and onchocerciasis, two conditions caused by parasitic worms.”
The Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has issued guidance regarding “right to try” medicines, stating that “Ivermectin is not authorized or approved by FDA for prevention or treatment of COVID-19. The National Institutes of Health’s (NIH) COVID-19 Treatment Guidelines Panel has also determined that there are currently insufficient data to recommend ivermectin for treatment of COVID-19.”
Ivermectin was discovered in 1975. William Campbell and Satoshi Ōmura won the 2015 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for its discovery and applications. Ivermectin is included in the World Health Organization’s list of essential medicines.
According to the American Journal of Therapeutics website, studies are underway in regards to ivermectin and COVID-19.
“A review by the Front Line COVID-19 Critical Care Alliance summarized findings from 27 studies on the effects of ivermectin for the prevention and treatment of COVID-19 infection, concluding that ivermectin ‘demonstrates a strong signal of therapeutic efficacy’ against COVID-19,” the American Journal of Therapeutics website stated. “Another recent review found that ivermectin reduced deaths by 75%…Meta-analysis of 15 trials, assessing 2438 participants, found that ivermectin reduced the risk of death by an average of 62%…compared with no ivermectin treatment…Despite these findings, the National Institutes of Health in the United States recently stated that ‘there are insufficient data to recommend either for or against the use of ivermectin for the treatment of COVID-19,’ and the World Health Organization recommends against its use outside of clinical trials.”
The issue with Dr. Turner’s COVID-19 “right to try” treatments lie in the fact that ivermectin has not been approved by the FDA to be used for specifically treating COVID-19, although the medicine itself is FDA approved for treatment of other illnesses.
Chelene Nightingale, with the help of Wilma Embry and Sheri Eubank, lead the rally on the Glasgow square last Friday. Several individuals stepped forward and shared how Dr. Turner has helped them.
“I’m vaccinated, fully vaccinated. I had COVID. Shocker, right?” said one individual. “…This isn’t about COVID. We can talk about COVID for 40,000 hours up here. This is about a doctor who listens to you, who listens to God…Pray for Dr. Turner and pray for all those across the world…”
“I’m a patriot. I love my country, but I’m ashamed of our government,” said Matt Reynolds. “I’m here today in support of Dr. Turner and doctors like him that are not following the money. If you will stop and think, no matter what side of the fence you’re on…God gave us all common sense, and if we will slow down long enough to just look back over the last 18 months, follow the trap…This is all about money. It’s about control. I’ve lost friends over it, but I’m gonna stand for what I believe in. I’m not gonna back down.”
Others in attendance declared their rights for liberty and freedom.
“I refuse to be intimidated or afraid,” said Earlene Branstetter, a pastor from Hart County. “I’ve got children and grandchildren. I don’t want them to have to stand out here ten years from now and do the same thing that we’re doing right now. I want to see freedom throughout this nation and come back to the Constitution that gives us the liberty and freedoms that we have today.”
Dr. Turner was not witnessed in the rally crowd last Friday. Also, no members of his practice and no members of his family were witnessed either. Again, Dr. Turner’s only comments as of press time came days earlier from a social media account that indicated he had treated over 215 patients and had a 99.5% survival rate and a 98.1% hospital avoidance rate.
The Barren County Progress has reached out to Graves Gilbert and Dr. Turner to assist in sharing any information they may want to provide to better serve our community and in response to this news report.
Several came together on the square in Glasgow to declare constitutional and medical freedom.
