Tulsa 9-12 Activist Angers Hundreds
with Advice Opposing Trump's Advice to Stay Home and Not Gather in Large Groups
Ronda Vuillemont-Smith, the long time leader of Tulsa 9-12 and a frequent candidate for public office, stepped into a buzz saw last week over a post claiming credit for the Broken Arrow businesses remaining open. Her Facebook post said that she had spoken at the Broken Arrow City Council meeting and convinced the officials to keep the town's businesses open and she encouraged others to visit Broken Arrow to dine and drink at the local restaurants.
Immediately hundreds of comments were posted slamming her for ignoring Trump's leadership and advice to stay home and away from crowds. Others called for her resignation from the Tulsa County GOP Executive Committee. She was accused of making it a publicity stunt, that the City Council never actually voted on keeping the businesses open.
Some of the comments were brutal: “My mom lives, works, and shops in BA. She’s an immuno-comprised cancer survivor...This goes directly against EVERYTHING the CDC and other health experts have been telling us to do.“
The post was taken down shortly before midnight that day but not until hundreds of angry Oklahomans blasted the post for ignoring Trump's leadership and the medical advice of the experts.
No doubt Ronda meant well and thought she was doing a good thing. We realize that this is a novel situation for Americans and also the need to watch out for slippery slopes and our civil liberties. Yet a public health emergency like this is no time to be playing civil rights lawyer. The Bill of Rights is sacred to us but even the courts realize that common sense should and would take charge in emergencies and few more so than a pandemic. So far the government has asked us to stay home and that is good advice. Many people and businesses will suffer temporarily but that amount of suffering will pale in comparison to that we will suffer if we act like everything is normal and we don't whip the virus spread before it runs like wildfire through our nation.
Go to work if you can avoid interacting with others. Eat at home instead of stopping for breakfast at a fast food joint. Take your lunch, maintain six feet distance away from everyone, pay with credit or debit cards instead of cash, wash your hands and use hand sanitizer as well. If you don't have any we have a small amount for sale, $24.00 for 96 half ounce bottles. But there is no need to risk others by going out to party or eat meals in public. Stay home if you aren't earning a living.
If enough of us have the responsibility and self disipline to act like adults then the government might not need to treat us like we are children. This isn't about liberty or the Constitution, this is about having the decency to think of the effects of your actions on others for a few weeks while the emergency clears. If you are a politician, instead of using the misery of others for political gain considering just being that helpful person and not using an emergency to attack someone or gain votes because it might just backfire.
