I know people don’t much like the word in this context anymore, but this is retarded. Completely and utterly fucking retarded. So retarded that actual retarded people would look at the person who would make a decision like it and say “what are you, retarded?”
A federal judge has struck down Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolf’s pandemic restrictions that required people to stay at home, placed size limits on gatherings and ordered “non-life-sustaining” businesses to shut down, calling them unconstitutional.
U.S. District Judge William Stickman IV on Monday sided with plaintiffs that included hair salons, drive-in movie theatres, a farmer’s market vendor, a horse trainer and several Republican officeholders who sued as individuals.
Stickman wrote in his ruling that the Wolf administration’s pandemic policies have been overreaching, arbitrary and violated citizens’ constitutional rights.
Wolf has lifted many of the restrictions since the lawsuit was filed in May, allowing businesses to reopen and cancelling a statewide stay-at-home order. But his administration has maintained some capacity restrictions and limitations. A spokesperson for Wolf said the administration was reviewing the decision.
There’s a reason why your country has more deaths than ours does infections, America. And this is a perfect illustration of it. It’s great to be a free country and flap your flags around and cry “Patriotism!” and “Freedom!” and “USA! USA!”, but what good does it all do when you’re dead? What use have you for movies or hair cuts when you’re locked in a box, spending eternity fertilizing somebody’s garden? And just to rub salt in the wound, it’s probably a garden belonging to somebody with a sense of responsibility who chose to take the situation seriously.
Holy shit, am I ever happy I’m Canadian right now. Sure we have our nitwits and covidiots, but for the most part we’ve been willing to make some sacrifices that, while not always ideal or convenient, will do us a whole lot of good in the longer term. I’d rather live in a country that tolerates a few well placed and well meaning restrictions on a few liberties when sensible than one filled with virus ravaged skeletons who give not a single fuck about anyone else but themselves.
