Republican-led States Move to Limit Public Health Measures in the Name of Freedom!
At least nine Republican-governed states in the U.S. have passed laws, or are in the process of passing laws, that limit the ability of public health departments to impose measures to limit the spread of contagious diseases like Covid-19 in health emergencies, such as a pandemic. Currently, six other Republican states are considering such limitations.
It appears that they are taking the motto on New Hampshire’s licence plates – Live Free or Die – quite literally.
No state governed by the Democratic Party is imposing or considering such laws. If you are planning to move, this could be used as a handy way to discern which state to consider moving to, depending on which side of the continuum you come down on: Live free and die from Coronavirus and other epidemics, vs. Temporarily give up a little freedom for the good of the community and to live another day.
Montana has barred quarantines by local health authorities for anyone “exposed to or infected by a contagious disease.” Thus, an extremely effective public health practice used since plague times, specifically the “Black Death” of the fourteenth century, is now illegal. Remind me not to visit Montana again.
North Dakota has banned health authorities from “requiring a face covering for any reason.” Remind me…oh, yea, said that already.
Florida has given the governor the power invalidate any local health emergency order. That means the person who can decide what is in the public interest in the case of a major outbreak or other public health emergency, is, ah…Ron DeSantis. Uh, oh.
Perhaps, though, we should not be concerned about this; after all, this could be a textbook example of Darwinian selection at work. But no, please allow me to take that back: that notion is without human compassion, especially for all the poorer or disenfranchised people in those states who lack the resources to protect themselves.
Please! Remind me!
Source: Glenza, Jessica. “Republicans Bid to Limit Health Officials Could Cause ‘Preventable Tragedies’ – Experts.” The Guardian, July 23, 2021.
Belinda says:
I’m out of words to respond to the absurdity of those Republican States… God Bless us all…we are surrounded by a Confederacy of Dunces.
😜Belinda
peterscottcameron_tq252m says:
Hi B: It is hard to conceive — that “politics” (political ideology rather than public service) is resulting in laws limiting common sense responses and even making long-standing beneficial public health measures illegal. It does boggle the mind, and is a sad state of affairs, I fear. PSC