#51: Is Sanity... Returning!??
Do my eyes and ears deceive me? Or could this be the long-awaited return of common sense?
Hello All,
You know, one of the first tips they give bloggers is to create “sexy headlines” to attract more views. Here we are on post #51, and I still don’t know have a sexy headline to share - so I’ll keep trying on that front.
But what I DO have, however, are some signs of sanity returning. Yes, glimmers of societal common sense and rationality that have been collectively abandoned over the course of two years - don’t call it a comeback, friends!
First, a quick update on the latest events in Canada - yesterday’s story was more than a bit jarring with Prime Minister Trudeau invoking the Emergencies Act, granting the government extraordinary powers to seize assets and freeze accounts. But despite the federal government of Canada’s insistence on maintaining COVID-19 mandates and restrictions in the face of massive, peaceful pushback from the Freedom Convoy, the Canadian provinces continue to make moves in the opposite direction of the Prime Minister. From Newsweek:
The Canadian provinces of Ontario and Quebec recently announced they will gradually end their COVID-19 vaccine passport systems.
Quebec's passport system will no longer be in effect in public places by March 14, according to officials. In Ontario, the proof-of-vaccination mandate will end at the beginning of March.
These decisions come as COVID-19 cases fall from their Omicron highs and the Canadian trucker protest against vaccine mandates continues. Quebec and Ontario are joining Alberta, Saskatchewan and Prince Edward Island in eliminating the passport system. Canada's CTV News added that Nova Scotia is also in the beginning phases of easing restrictions.
Canada has 10 provinces (and 3 territories)… the article above lists 6 of those provinces in various stages of easing restrictions and/or eliminating the vaccine passport system.
And the Premier of one of those provinces, Doug Ford of Ontario, delivered with my favorite clip of the day. It’s worth a view for those of us that are absolutely starved for a commonsensical message from politicians… and I live in Illinois, so sometimes I have to look over the border for one of those!
(From what I hear in the clip): “…But we also know that it doesn’t matter if you have one shot or ten shots! You can catch COVID! See the Prime Minister he has triple shots, and I know hundreds of people with three shots that caught COVID… We can’t stay in this position forever. We gotta learn to live with this and get on with our lives… And there’s every single person, including myself, knows people that are unvaccinated. Ya know, sure there’s the rabblerousers. And then there’s just hardworking people that just don’t believe in it. And that’s their choice. This is about, again, a democracy and freedoms and liberties. I hate as a government telling anyone what to do. We just gotta get moving forward, and get out of this… We are done with it. Let’s start moving on… The world is done with it.”
Ahh… I can watch that clip all day. I chuckle every time he says “rabblerousers” in the context of the unvaccinated. You know what, I like that better than blogger. You should see me late into the evening, typing away… rousing rabble at the Decency house. It’s wild, I tell ya!
But anyway, what I REALLY like is that he’s sounding like a politician from the old, nearly-forgotten times pre-COVID. Democracy, freedom, liberties. CHOICE! Admitting that as a government, he hates telling people what to do. This is 2022, folks - surely our eyes and ears deceive us, right?
But no, it gets better. And even closer to home for those of us in Illinois. With his school mask mandate scrapped by a state judge, and an appeal ongoing, Governor Pritzker attempted to reissue emergency rules and another five month school mask mandate. In response, an IL Legislative committee voted to suspend the Governor’s attempt with a bipartisan vote (9-0-2)!
Headline (and linked story) from The Center Square:
Bipartisan legislative committee blocks Pritzker's emergency mask rule for schools
The governor’s latest school mask mandate rule was blocked by the Joint Committee on Administrative Rules (JCAR).
The bipartisan committee of Democratic and Republican lawmakers from the Senate and the House voted 9-0 with two not voting to block Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s reissued emergency rules requiring schools to enforce his mask mandate despite a recent court ruling. Pritzker's emergency rule was filed Monday.
“Today, the Joint Committee of Administrative Rules made it clear that we would not accept the Governor’s attempts to go above a court ruling made by a co-equal branch of government,” state Sen. Sue Rezin, R-Morris, said in a statement.
Senator Rezin had more stern words for the Governor: “In his quest for power and control, Pritzker and his Administration was willing to further the chaos and confusion for schools throughout the state,” Rezin said. “With this bipartisan vote, I hope that the governor finally recognizes that his go-it-alone tactic is not in the best interest of our state or its people.”
A bipartisan vote to block the Governor from reissuing a school mask mandate… in Illinois? What is this strange sensation in my chest… dare I ask, is it hope for my home state? Or is it heartburn? (I overdid the salsa tonight…)
Republican challenger for Governor in Illinois, Gary Rabine, featured the JCAR decision on his Twitter account - noting that both Democrats and Republicans played a role in stopping the Governor from going above the court ruling.
Governor Pritzker’s response following the decision drew criticism on Twitter, as exemplified below.
Sometimes, I struggle to wrap-up a post when the day’s stories are dreary. NOT TODAY, friends. Because on Monday, we saw signs of sanity from our government for the first time in a long time. As we’ve learned over the course of two years, we’re on a slippery slope and things can quickly move backwards. But it’s impossible to deny the winds have shifted in recent weeks… I don’t care what happened on Groundhog Day, when bipartisan winds blow in Illinois, that should be a pretty good indication that COVID-winter is nearing completion and freedom spring is around the corner.
Let’s hope that happens - and if it does, our work will transition to making sure this type of catastrophe never happens again. Or you know, I could always start writing about all the other topics I thought I’d be writing about by now! Health, science, human interest… all that good stuff! But let’s not get ahead of ourselves - there’s still plenty to do on the COVID-front.
Thanks for reading! More to come.
-G