Governor Kristi Noem shrugs at the obvious coronavirus risk of crowding thousands of people together at Rushmore to watch her cuddle with Trump under the firework-scorched visages of four great Presidents: “[W]e’ll be giving out free face masks, if they choose to wear one. But we will not be social distancing.
Congressman Dusty Johnson at least tacks a “should” in front of “wear a mask.” Rapid City mayor Steve Allender speaks a bit more forcefully about visitors’ need to mitigate real public health risks:
“I think the jury is in on what we should be doing. I think it makes good sense for us to be wearing masks when we are going to public places,” Allender said during a news conference. “Especially in places where we cannot control the distance between us and other people.”
…”We’re going to have thousands of people, shoulder to shoulder at these events — someone in line to see a president and being able to see fireworks at Mount Rushmore — they are probably not likely to disqualify themself because they developed a cough the day of or the day before,” Allender said. “It’s obviously an apparent health risk, but I’ll let you know in a couple of weeks after if it was really a health risk. Between that and the other special events we have here, if in fact it will cause an infection, we should be seeing those results within a couple of weeks” [Nathan Thompson, “Mayor Urges Residents to Wear Masks When Attending Independence Day Events,” Rapid City Journal, 2020.07.01].
Keep your fellow Americans healthy. If you insist on crowding into events this weekend, wear your mask.
Kristi Noem’s mantra, like the rest of the hard-core right wing, is:
“It’s inconvenient / politically incorrect / wimpy, etc. for me to wear a mask, and I don’t want to see anyone else wearing a mask because I HATE to be reminded of anything I don’t believe in or offends me, and my rights are more important than yours, so YOU must stay home for my convenience, personal comfort, and safe feelings… But I’ll word it to make you look like the wimp – or worse – for not wanting to catch a virus that has no treatment, cure, or vaccine.”
Well, you have to understand Noem will taking both knees three inches from Trump’s groin. If she wore a mask it would have to have a hole cut out around the oral cavity so she could do her duty.
There are good reasons to wear masks and keep social distance from other humans, 131k plus reasons in Amerika alone….
Deaths:
131,118
Eve makes an interesting point about how Noem’s worldview cripples her ability to govern. Coronavirus is a painful indictment of the rugged individualism on which she bases her appeal. We can’t beat coronavirus with Freedom; leaving virus response to the free market and individual choice will result in the Invisible Hand scything down two million Americans. We can only beat coronavirus through sacrifice, science, cooperation, and really big government action to support everyone until we can vaccinate everyone and relaunch a somewhat normal economy.
Coronavirus shows vividly that Kristi’s gods (Jesus, capitalism, Donald Trump) won’t save us. She’s sitting in Pierre having a religious crisis.
Wait until she finds out that the COVID-19 numbers are going up, and she doesn’t have a chance at a VP spot or a cabinet post.
For most people who have acceded to the level of what civilized society requires, responsibility = responsible behavior, even if it crimps our style.
But according to Gnome: “In South Dakota, we’ve told people to focus on personal responsibility. Every one of them has the opportunity to make a decision that they’re comfortable with.” https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2020/07/01/kristi-noem-social-distancing-mount-rushmore-trump/5354257002/
In other words, for Noem responsibility = the decision to do whatever you want.
Only a farm girl whose main skill is dressing a downed pheasant could hold such an insular, cockamamie, and just plain warped interpretation of what civilized society requires in terms of personal responsibility.
Watching her most recent “performance” as she played footsie with Hannity I wanted to just plain vomit on my shoes. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tgp7fgXWdaI
Bet these stoopidents in Alabama would vote for Noem Nothing if they could.
https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/alabama-officials-warn-students-holding-coronavirus-parties-intentionally-get-infected-n1232760
They hand out cash prizes to the first to intentionally get covid-19.
It’s all so damn dumb. Kruel Kristi’s fireworks kiss up, Orange Imbecile’s fear of smearing his make up, GOP ignorance and 131,000 dead Americans. One hundred thirty-one thousand people.
The GOP has caused such pain and suffering, they must be eliminated as a viable political party. Seriously. Such viciousness and cruelty has no place in the USA or any other nation. Are they aiming for Pol Pot numbers? How many dead will satisfy Moscow Mitch, Terrible Toddler, #2, Jim Jordan and other GOP monsters?
Yes, if you play a role in enabling 131,000 deaths, you are a monster. Turning your head does not absolve you. Bastards.