The Swamp Monster and the Covid Boogieman

BY: WESLEY HUGGETT

Governor Newsom. Photo courtesy of CalMatters.

Amendment 1: Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press, or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances. When the Novel Coronavirus first made its way to America, people panicked, holed up in their homes. California Governor Gavin Newsom became the first governor to institute a lockdown order while reassuring everyone that “I don’t believe the people of California need to be told through law enforcement that they need to home isolate.” But two weeks later, the San Diego County Swine Farm was writing tickets to people watching the sunset from their cars. Outside of California, governors also imposed harsh restrictions; Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer, who mandated a set of strange and bizarre rules, which included not being able to fish in a boat with 25 or more horsepower and not allowing “essential businesses” to sell products like paint and garden supplies. Gavin Newsom’s COVID rules arbitrarily restrict people’s freedoms. To allow the readers to fully understand how overthe-line our state regulations are, I will be listing all of the requirements to have a state-approved gathering. You cannot gather with three or more households, even if they are members of the same family; the host must then collect all attendees’ names and contact information. All gatherings must be held outside, however people are allowed inside to use the bathroom. When it’s time for dinner, Gavin and his goons require that people be seated 6 feet away from anybody else, and food must be served in single-serve containers. According to the state health department website, there can be no singing or playing of wind instruments. Your gathering must be shorter than two hours and end by 10 pm because we all know, the COVID Boogie Man only attacks in the dead of night. These guidelines probably seem hard to follow. Don’t worry, you’re not alone; even the person who made the guidelines has had trouble following them. On November 6th, a photo surfaced that seemed to show

Governor Newsom eating inside the French Laundry, shoulder to shoulder with a group of healthcare lobbyists. Newsom also encouraged the Black Lives Matter rallies, which drew millions of people into the streets for his political cause, showing he has little to no respect for the people he serves. I’m going to say something controversial: you are in complete control of whether you get COVID or not. It’s simple; if you don’t want to get the disease, go hide in your basement and have your groceries and other necessities delivered. People ought to be free to weigh the risks and decide whether or not they want to expose themselves to the disease. For example, my grandparents live in Northern Wisconsin, an area that had the highest amount of per capita COVID cases in America a month ago. They look out for themselves by going to a smaller town to get groceries and only shopping in the early morning. Personal responsibility is what should be prioritized, instead of the government putting everyone on house arrest with a gun to their head. If Walmart and Target are allowed to celebrate Black Friday by packing 1,000 people into their stores, why can’t I celebrate Christmas or Thanksgiving with my family? If Gavin Newsom is allowed to go out to dinner with his lobbyist buddies, why can’t I? If a strip club is allowed to be open indoors, why can't a church or a school? These are the questions that we have to ask ourselves when we let politicians turn us into wet robots. Unfortunately for Gavin Newsom and the other politicians with a misplaced sense of self-righteousness, we live in a free country that respects the rights of the individual and a person’s ability to make choices for themselves.

Gavin Newsom and other government officials at a Napa dinner party. Photo courtesy of Fox11.