New York’s newly appointed governor, Kathy Hochul, this past week furthered her disgraced predecessor’s unrepentant crusade against the unvaccinated holdouts in state hospitals. Effective September 27, Hochul unilaterally fired the reluctant hospital workers—a draconian move that not only trampled upon their constitutional rights but also made a shameless example of hardworking fathers and mothers, of whom many are the breadwinners for their families.
Last year, of course, these workers were lavishly and deservedly praised by America’s ruling class and medical establishment for their valiant efforts on the frontline of the pandemic. One year onward, that same ruling class has relegated those audacious few who dared buck the party line to the proverbial back of the bus.
At this point, it is well known that these ruling class authoritarian methods are not limited to New York, California, and other big blue states. The Left’s increasingly totalitarian bent is a key component of their playbook that has now become universal and is readily on display wherever Democrats hold power. In Trump-leaning North Carolina, for example, the same thing happened as in New York: 175 noble hospital workers were handed pink slips at the behest of Democratic Governor Roy Cooper.
Cooper, like Hochul, was merely following orders like a good party member—heeding the proselytizing seductions of the cult of “science” while probably also receiving a handsome side bonus from any number of pro-vaccine North Carolinian donors.
In normal times, either of these cases should have provoked a national uproar. Sensible individuals of all ideological and political stripes would recognize them as patent violations of the Constitution and human rights in general, and enter hyperdrive to ensure that such infringements would never happen again.
It need not be said that a reasonable person, particularly one who is young, thin, and otherwise healthy—to say nothing of an already recovered patient whose natural antibodies have been scientifically demonstrated to be more effective than the vaccine—could sensibly disagree with the injection mandate. And the longer they hold out, the more the brave and reluctant “uninjectables” seem to be vindicated in their convictions.
Recently, the FDA vetoed by an overwhelming16-2 vote a proposal to authorize a third Pfizer COVID booster across the general population. Other scientific data, particularly coming out of Israel—whose injection rollout may be described as nothing short of disastrous—increasingly provides evidence for the position that immunocompromising people through intravenous drug treatments should qualify as reckless endangerment. With the attendant risks of heart problems, infertility, and a slew of other chronic and inflammatory conditions—risks that by any reasonable measure, particularly for a young person, are wholly asymmetrical to the alleged benefit of “psychological safety”—it is reasonable to ask just exactly whose safety is being protected? Beyond, of course, the fearsome, overweight, spiritually fraught, boomer overclass who devised this insidious policy in the first place.
Desperate times call for drastic action. Unhappily, the Republican response thus far has been tepid, at best. While not to be unexpected at this point given the Grand Old Party’s absent track record over the past year on issues ranging from combatting election fraud to defending America’s historical statues to protecting children against the transgender lobby in schools, the GOP’s continued negligence emboldens the medical tyrants by the day.
Indeed, the mandate situation is so dire precisely because Republicans, in large part, have remained crushingly mum in the face of escalating madness. And that persists despite the more draconian direction the pro-vaxxers are moving in by the day: the doxxing has intensified to several orders beyond online shadow banning and into the realm of ruining livelihoods. Therefore, the need for Republican lawmakers to do more—much, much, more—in opposing these sinister mandates is now an ultimatum.
New York state’s Republican delegation has done little to draw sympathy from a population that is being systematically decimated under the friendly guise of public safety.
While it would be too much to ask for any great displays of heroism from, say, Representative Andrew Garbarino, who won his Suffolk County seat by a five point Republican majority last year after taking over from long-time occupant Peter King, Garbarino’s silence—on vaccine and mask mandates, teachers being fired for noncompliance, hospital workers being terminated—is unacceptable, and should be met with public backlash.
Garbarino has remained quietly in the shadows, not wanting to upset anyone—seemingly most of all, his Democratic compatriots—or cause major disruptions, since taking control of King’s seat. In times that demand brave-souled warriors more than ever, Garbarino has been meek and silent, refusing to voice as much as a single word of disapproval against Madame Governor’s mandate on Twitter. Since Garbarino assumed office in January, he has remained a total unknown in both Washington and even within his own district—which speaks volumes to the New York GOP’s impotence.
Other New York Republican lawmakers with more distinguished reputations than that of the feckless Garbarino have done little better in speaking out against the tyranny that has engulfed their state and made mincemeat of their constituents. Nicole Malliotakis and Elise Stefanik, two still relatively fresh-faced members of New York’s congressional delegation, each have tried to make names for themselves as party outsiders vying to take on the swamp. In practice, they have been totally derelict in their charge against the COVID madness. Thus far, neither one has mobilized any anti-mandate rallies, fought against the school districts for mercilessly imposing mask-wearing on vulnerable children, or even deigned to criticize Hochul’s insane perorations at the pulpit of the New State Religion.
Finally, Lee Zeldin—arguably New York’s most noteworthy and powerful Republican in Congress, whose sights are likewise aimed on Albany and unseating Hochul—has, to his credit, done a bit more than anyone else in his state delegation. But the totality of Zeldin’s efforts thus far have proven inadequate. A couple of stern tweets and a public statement or two, even speeches at anti-vaccine rallies, make a mockery of all that is at stake. Much more is still needed.
At this point in time, Zeldin, Malliotakis, Stefanik, Garbarino, and the rest of the Republican delegation should be mobilizing a mass movement against the tyranny that has arrived at their doorsteps. They should be deploying every vehicle in the book, setting up fundraisers to cover legal fees to fight this madness out in the courts; using their bully pulpits to launch an unceasing tirade against the governor; helping to organize their constituents into weekly mass protests, encouraging civil disobedience from their supporters when necessary. The scope should be both local and national; there should be no shortage of outrage, and the counterrevolution must commence organically and from the grassroots given the Republican Party’s minority placement in the national legislature.
A prime opportunity was missed at last week’s relatively under-the-radar protest in New York City (which, of course, went uncovered by the mainstream media and enjoyed no support from any prominent lawmaker). There is no excuse for the fact that no Republican lawmaker—,particularly Zeldin, who is attempting to portray himself as the people’s champion and the sensible counterweight to Hochul—was there. To this day, none of them has even retweeted videos of the protest, showcasing their support.
What excuses do these spineless lawmakers have for not doing more to support the people when the times most call for it? Does it stem from cowardice and ignorance, or is something more sinister afoot?
If there ever were a time for quiet diplomacy, now is certainly not it. Lawmakers who cannot grasp this fact, a latent impression felt by many of their constituents that society is soon to bottom out, they should at least have the humility to step down for those who will.
No more excuses for inaction can be tolerated, particularly not the one that the limitations of their offices forbids more active engagement. AOC, being a paradigmatic case of effectively harnessing the powers of the congressional bully pulpit to bring about real and lasting change, is a case in point.
Congressional offices reward boldness and creativity, and a little tactful strategy can still go a long way despite our society continuing its suicidal trajectory. But the moment to act is quickly waning. Republican lawmakers should take heed.