'Psychological warfare'： Jailed anti-lockdown activist exposes Australian COVID tyranny
Summary
In this episode of the John Henry Weston Show, we speak to the great Australian hero, Monica Smith, who was recently released from jail. Monica talks about her experience in jail and how she was able to stand up to the government and fight for freedom of speech.
Transcript
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Hello and welcome to this episode of the John Henry Weston Show, which you are definitely
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going to want to stick around for. We have with us the great Australian hero, Monica
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Smith, freshly out of jail. And as you know, you might have seen her show, this show I
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did with her parents while she was in prison. And just, she's been one of the great heroes
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in Australia fighting against the COVID madness. And we're going to talk to her about Australia,
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that what's going on there is just absolutely unbelievable. I know many of you are looking
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at Australia with horror in your eyes, figuring we're on the same trajectory. We're going to find
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out from Monica what's going on there in detail, but also how she maintains hope. Stay tuned.
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Monica Smith, so good to be with you. Thank you so much for having me. I'm really excited
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to be on your show. Well, let's begin as we always do with the sign of the cross. In the
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name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost. Amen. So Monica, I just last week
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spoke with your parents while you were in jail still. And right after the interview, actually,
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we got the awesome news that you had been released on bail. Maybe you can start with
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that. What happened? You were arrested. How'd you get there? And what were things like in
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jail? Incitement is something that the Australian government and police have actually been using
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since the beginning of COVID to basically squash any influencers' platforms and people organizing
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what they consider illegal protests and things like that. So it was shocking to me when I got
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arrested. But also, it also wasn't shocking because I'd seen it happen to a lot of other
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people. Of course, I was trying to avoid it. But my platform was getting bigger and bigger.
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So I kind of was just waiting for that to happen in some ways. So when I got arrested, I was pretty
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calm. I never got angry or anything like that. I just kind of let it play out. Obviously, it was
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pretty confronting, you know, seeing my name signature next to prisoner, you know, but that was
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that was fine. You know, there was a slight moment where I thought I might get out on bail. But that
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that dream was squashed very quickly when we had the bail hearing. And the first condition of the bail
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was that I had a curfew from 7pm to 6am, regardless of the chief health officer directions, which in
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Victoria, right now we we have a curfew that is applied to the whole state. But I wanted to submit
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would have my own curfew. And it would it would go all the all the way till my trial, which could be a
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year and a half 7pm to 6am every day. So as soon as I saw that condition, I was never going to sign
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those bail conditions. But secondly, the really scary conditions were were that I was not able to
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incite opposition to the Cho directions, that's chief health officer direction. So there's a very
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big difference between inciting someone to break the Cho directions or inciting opposition. So
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basically, if I had signed that bail condition, it would have meant that, you know what, government
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and police, it's okay to put bail conditions that limit someone's opinion and their ability to for
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freedom of speech. So there was there was no way I was ever going to sign that. But also, they wanted
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me to delete past posts on my websites that incited opposition to the Cho directions, which by the way,
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most of my website does, because I am the vice president of a newly formed political party.
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If I wasn't opposing the current government, I wouldn't be doing a very good job. So basically,
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my whole business, the political party, everything would have shut down, I have seven staff members,
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it would have decimated their livelihoods. So there was no way I was going to sign those bail
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conditions. They made it really easy for me to say no. So I was kind of thankful for that, because
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I was able to make that stand. Before I knew it, I was in a prison transport truck. And I was just,
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that was the only moment I let myself cry for a little bit. And because crying takes a lot of
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energy. And I just figured that there's no point. But in that moment, I was on the way to the prison.
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And I was like, Oh, my goodness, have I really done this? You're going to prison? What's going to
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happen? Are you crazy? And I just kept saying to God, please don't let this be in vain. Just just make
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it mean something. Please make it mean something I'm and I kept reassuring myself that I wasn't doing it
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for me, I was doing it for Australia to make a stand for God, you know, like it wasn't. I was
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trying to make sure it wasn't a prideful thing, because it was it's easy to do that in this
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situation, because I already had a decent profile at that point. So I did have a feeling that it would
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have an impact. So I just kept telling myself that I'm doing it for the right reasons, not because I'm
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just arrogant or like a spoiled brat or anything like that. So then I was in jail. I was in isolation.
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The entire time 22 days, because I didn't want to take a COVID test because I don't I don't think
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they're accurate. And they're a part of the problem. So I didn't take the test. So I was in a three and a
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half meter by three meter cell for for 22 days. And to be honest, the way that I got through it
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mentally is I just chose to look at it as as a as a rest. I was working really hard before that. And I
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was, you know, in some really bad habits of just like working 1214 hour days and thinking that,
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you know, the Australian fight is all on my shoulders. And I really needed a break. And I
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think God was like, well, you need to go to prison for that, because you're not taking a break. So it
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was a very shocking thing. And, and I kept saying to myself, well, I really needed a break. It's not
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really my choice of location. But but I'll take it anyway. And, you know, I've stayed in worst
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hostels around the world. So I figured, I'll just pretend I'm on a holiday. And I just can't leave
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this room, but that's okay. And I just made the most of it. I, I fasted, I exercised, I wrote a
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book, actually, so that will be coming out. And I tried to have routine in prison. And the prison
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staff were fantastic. So I'm really blessed about that. There was some people in there that were on my
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side and were, you know, giving me extra little things and, and the staff, the staff were fantastic.
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So that I'm really blessed about that. And yeah, that's pretty much the story. I'll tell you about
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getting out. I mean, on so on Wednesday, basically, 10 out of the 15 bail conditions were wiped by
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so we appealed to the Supreme Court, which is where precedences can be made, which is a really good
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thing that we got to that point. And the only bail conditions I have a very basic, just basically
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follow the law and don't incite people to break the Cho directions, which I was already trying not to
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do. So, so it's totally fine. And after about three days after my hearing, someone else got arrested
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for the same thing. And they got the same bail conditions as me without having to go to jail
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for 22 days. So it has set some sort of standard. And so that's really exciting. Although I don't think
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I should be have any bail conditions because I'm not a criminal, but we are fighting a fight here.
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And we have a big legal legal battle ahead of us to set a precedence that they cannot criminalize
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a finable offense. So basically, if the audience can think of it this way, if you tell your friend,
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oh, just park in that no parking spot, because it's closer to the shops that we're going to.
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That is the same thing that I'm basically being charged with, because I'm being charged with
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inciting people to break the Cho directions, which is only a finable offense. It's not a jailable
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offense. So I've already had a bigger punishment than the crime itself. If I was to actually plead
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guilty, I would get a fine and get to go home. So it's, it's, the government has found a loophole
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in the system, and we need to close that loophole. And that's what my case is planning to do.
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In addition to setting a precedent so that others aren't persecuted, it got you your holiday.
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And yeah, I have a fresh, fresh new look on life. It's, it's what I needed.
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Well, very good. That's how all things work for good for those who love him. Just, just amazing.
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Basically, the government in Australia, and particularly what we've seen in video coverage
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of what's going on there has been brutal. We have watched police shoot innocent people,
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women, even children with rubber bullets. We've seen them take people to the ground in ways that
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are almost indescribable. It's very, you look, you feel like you're looking at a communist country
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or Nazi Germany. It's that, it's that bad. But this is the same kind of treatment that you received
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in terms of its vehemence, its readiness to strip people of all their rights and just treat them like
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cattle. In the face of that kind of insanity, which you see all around you, how do you maintain hope?
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You're, you're a very happy, hopeful person yet in a country where, and just having experienced a crush
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on freedom and yet you're hopeful. Where does that come from?
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Obviously I have some sort of gift to be hopeful, even in the face of craziness. Um, but to be honest,
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I play quite a few mind tricks with myself and I just look for the positive in everything. And also,
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although I haven't been a leader for very long, for some reason, it, it seems to come naturally to me.
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And what I realized is that no one wants to follow a leader that's depressed and can't see us winning.
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Um, they, they, people need at least me to be positive, even if I'm faking it once in a while.
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And I, and I find that that works really well because if I can't be positive, then the people watching me
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can't be. And also what I think is we're in a psychological warfare and especially in Melbourne, Australia
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in general, um, they're trying to break our will, our soul, our spirit that, um, once you break the mind,
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then you've basically won. So what I see is even if you have to play mind tricks, you have to say,
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stay strong and not feel defeated because then we're surely going to lose. And it's like, if you,
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if you're fighting with a sword, you need a sword to fight the sword. They're fighting with us
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psychologically. So we need to fight back psychologically. And I think that collective
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courage of conviction is, is going to be what wins this battle. And our self-respect is so important
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so that we fight for what we believe in. And it's just so important to just stay positive. Now in
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saying that, trust me, I get down sometimes and it does feel overwhelming. Then I take a day. I feel
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depressed for a day. I don't make a video. Then the next day I wake up and I'm ready to go. Um, the second
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thing is, well, third or fourth, I don't know, but, um, it's also taking that negative, um, emotions,
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the anger or any, any of those emotions and trying to transport them into action. So solutions. So
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if you're angry, email your local member of parliament, um, uh, do a video online to tell
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your friends how you feel, um, or do something charitable for someone. And it's just like, um,
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taking those emotions, transporting them into something else. And you're always going to feel
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better after that, any type of action. So with my platform, that's what I do. I provide ideas,
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campaigns, um, things for people to do like, Hey, why don't you talk to your neighbors today
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and tell them how you think about this or whatever it's yeah. It's, it's, it's a, it's a mental
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gymnastics to stay positive in the face of this. But I think, um, we have to it. Cause if we aren't
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positive, if you aren't as a leader as well, and your followers, then how are we going to influence
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other people to wake up to anything? No, one's going to want to listen to you. If you're sulking
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and crying and depressed, not saying that there's, there's not, there's obviously a time for that,
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but if you want to influence people, you just have to be positive.
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Tell us from on the ground in Australia, what is happening there? Um, you know, we're seeing the
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reports, we're seeing a few things, but in the mainstream media, anyway, it is totally restricted.
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We almost see nothing. Describe for us, if you will, what's really happening on the ground.
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Look, it is unfortunately as bad as what you've been seeing in all, in the alternative media.
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Um, and I've seen, you know, five foot, nothing business owners, women crying that they've lost
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their business and then just getting arrested for it. Um, you know, I've, I've seen it all. Um,
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obviously what I've been through myself, but, um, basically what I think it is, is a premier,
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especially is he is a point blank tyrant. He's a dictator. He's a narcissist, et cetera. So people like
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that, they don't negotiate with people that are trying to fight back against them. They just double
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down. They just double down. And of course they're using public health as a, as a reason and excuse
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to do that. I, um, there was one protest where, uh, they started using the rubber bullets and the, um,
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the tear gas bullets. And, and, um, the next day I, I, I was really, um, disgruntled. Okay. I was
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quite emotional because I feel like these protesters are my family, you know, my people
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in a way. And, and I thought, Oh my goodness, someone's going to get, someone's going to die
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if this keeps happening, whether it's a police officer or a person or a protester. So I went to
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the police station. I tried to reason with them. I have a liaison within the, within the police force.
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And I called her and I said, please, we have to negotiate. Please just give us, give us one day
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a month where we can walk the streets and practice our human rights of, of protesting. And she said,
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well, but what, we're in lockdown. And I'm like, well, yeah, yeah, I know. But like the movement's
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getting bigger and bigger and bigger, please. We have to do something. She's like, no, we're in
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lockdown. And I was like, I was like, so there's no negotiation. She's like, no. And I'm like, so you're
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telling me that because of COVID our human rights can be suspended full stop. There's no
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negotiation. She's like, that's correct. I was like, well, where do you go from there?
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That there's nowhere to negotiate. So they absolutely wholeheartedly believe that our
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human rights are in just like, they can just stop them. So this is a problem. And since then,
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that was before I went into prison, it's just gotten worse and worse and worse. So again,
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I just have to be hopeful, but it is like a war zone in those, in those protests. It's absolutely
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a war zone. I don't know what's going to happen. One of the beautiful things you said
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was, uh, God is on our side. And I think, uh, that a engendered a lot of support and B told
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them this is ultimately what this is about. This is this, because it's global, um, because
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it is obviously agenda driven because it's not based on health, even though that's the
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excuse. Um, it is, uh, a nefarious agenda that's happening everywhere. But with Australia,
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it seems to be the tip of the spear that they're sort of pushing the envelope there more than
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anywhere else and doing it in such a fashion that even what we do see is it's, it's incredible
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to see what's going on there. That's why your story is so fascinating. Uh, you know, you're
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a young person, you are vibrant, you're ready to battle this in, in a way that's so encouraging
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for people. And, uh, you know, your clips, your encouragement to others has been incredible.
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One of the last things I wanted to ask you about was you've got all of these groups around
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Australia, which you sort of corral together that are working together. And I think that's
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an essential model for the various countries that are fighting this, all the countries of
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the world. Tell us a little bit about how you got there and what you do with them.
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And on a side note, if there is someone passionate enough to replicate anything that I'm doing
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in America, I'd be happy to assist them. Okay. So the community groups, yeah, we have almost
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100 groups around Australia. Um, how I did that? Well, to be honest, it takes a lot of administration.
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So quite frankly, you do need staff members. Okay. Basically I asked people to put their
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hand up to be a leader. Um, and then I used my database. I can segregate my database into
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location, um, post postcode zip code. Um, and then they would have a, an event at a park and
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I would let everyone know in the area that there was this event. I promote, promote it once
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or twice. And then they have that they have 30 people show up. It's, it's incredible. Um, so
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you need to have a database with, uh, you know, that's quite well, um, put together. So, but
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this took a year to, to build this database. And then I was able to put the community groups
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in place. You don't need a hundred though. Five community groups is amazing because what
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I realized is everything, especially in Victoria, they're trying to, everything that makes us
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stronger and better people has been taken away from us. So church, um, exercise, um, psychology,
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community, uh, community gathering, school, et cetera, et cetera. But the bottle shops are open
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and everything that's anti-health is open. So having these community groups, um, it empowers
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people because they find people that are like them and who knows what that's going to create.
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Like who knows how, what, what strength is going to come out of that one person in that group,
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because they've been inspired by the group. Um, on top of that, you've got the mental, um,
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stability of being within a community group. And some of them have plans. If, if, you know,
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if things go to, uh, go really bad and, uh, you know, there's food shortages or anything like
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that, they've got exit plans, you know, so there could be little communes all over Australia because
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of these groups. So it's really important to empower each other. So does that answer your
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question of, of, of what that's about and how I created it? Absolutely. And we do need people to
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emulate your example and, and start these groups all over. I know there are some already, but, uh,
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very, very important. It's key to a survival, if you will, but also to conquering this beast in the
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end. So Monica, any, any parting thoughts for all of us here, uh, in America and for all of our
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LifeSite News audience who, uh, is newly following, you know, we're all born with different abilities
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and characteristics, of course. So, um, we all have different things that we can do to, um, contribute
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to this global battle, um, for freedom and for good. Um, I was, I was blessed to be able to make
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a big stand, a public stand, but that's because I don't have children and I didn't have a job that
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I needed to be there for. And my family are supportive. So I was able to do that, but we all
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can do more in our own states of life and it can be a very small thing, but I think we all have more
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strength than we think we do. And I haven't always been like this. I had to work really hard on it.
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And what I'm, what I'm hoping that my sacrifice will do is inspire people to find a little bit
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more of their own strength that's already in there, but they just need to start practicing
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using it, or maybe they've been waiting for a, um, an excuse to cross that line and stand up and
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tell people how they feel. And hopefully maybe my influence is something to do with that. And if we,
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if we do practice our strength, we will be such happy, so much, so much happier and so much more
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fulfilled when we're actually doing what we know we're capable of, because I feel like
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deep down, we all know what we can kind of do, but we're kind of scared to do it because it might
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take time. And I think as Catholics, it's our duty to listen to that conscience, which is God
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obviously talking to us saying, Hey, you can do more. You can do more. If you don't listen to that
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voice, you're never really going to be fully fulfilled. And I would like everyone to feel the
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way that I felt in prison, which was totally at peace because I knew that I had done the right
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thing. And I knew that it was for God. And I knew that it was, um, through him that I was able to do
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it. So I just, I want people to reach in, find a little bit more of their inner strength and start
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practicing how to use it because we're going to need it. It's crunch time soon and we need every
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single person. So that's my last comment. That is awesome. Monica, Godspeed. God bless you.
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Thank you for joining us on the John Herb-Weston show. And, uh, I hope we can have you on again soon.
00:20:40.100
Definitely. Thank you for having me. And God bless all of you.
00:20:44.200
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