Stan Pulliam, the mayor of Sandy, Oregon, is encouraging the residents of his town to ignore Governor Kate Brown’s lockdown orders. Instead, Pulliam wants residents to socially distance themselves, wear masks, and for businesses to open at a reduced capacity in defiance of the governor’s stricter orders.
Pulliam noted that despite asking for it, the governor still hasn’t provided scientific evidence that supports the strict lockdowns in his town. When he was asked what happens if his policy leads to more coronavirus infections, Pulliam made an extremely relevant point that many of us have been making since very early on.
“We talk about spread coming from our local main street and locally owned businesses, but pay very little attention to the big-box stores that are packing and supporting corporate America.”
Wal-Mart, Home Depot, and these giant grocery chains are all “essential businesses” that get to remain open, while small businesses are being closed by government edict. The evidence that people have been getting COVID-19 in most small businesses is thin indeed. Yet, they’re being shut down anyway. It’s the basic idea behind memes like this one.
All of this really boils down to one of the best quotes from P.J. O’Rourke,
There is only one basic human right, the right to do as you damn well please. And with it comes the only basic human duty, the duty to take the consequences.”
It’s not the government’s place to force anyone to wear a mask, shut down businesses, or to try to force you to stay home indefinitely “for your own good.” A government that does that is not your friend and should be undermined any time you can get away with it. There is nothing more American than defying a government behaving in a tyrannical manner and it’s good to see a mayor doing his part to make that happen.
John Hawkins is the author of 101 Things All Young Adults Should Know. You can find him on Parler here.
