Democrat politicians have apparently found a way to ensure their festivities are COVID-immune, but the rest of us have to make do with “virtual” dinners.
With Thanksgiving approaching, establishment and left-wing officials are urging Americans not to engage in the usual seasonal get-togethers, warning that such events could spread coronavirus. Yet these same public figures have had no qualms about participating in and promoting large gatherings of their own in recent days.
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.), for instance, defended holding a dinner for new Democrat members of the chamber, even though it is Democrats who largely push for strict coronavirus restrictions and have repeatedly berated President Trump for not imposing such measures at the national level.
Pelosi reportedly justified the dinner by claiming seating will be “very spaced” and the dining room has “enhanced ventilation.”
The news provoked outrage from observers, with one Twitter user writing that “If the Capitol Hill physician signed off on this, he is dangerously misinformed. How is this modeling good behavior in the lead up to Thanksgiving. @SpeakerPelosi change your mind on this right now. It is beyond reckless.”
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“But seriously, terrible. And sets an awful example when you’re asking families not to get together for Thanksgiving. Find another creative way to welcome new folks, just as all companies are having to do with new employees,” another added. “I can’t fathom who approved this asinine idea.”
Still a third wrote: “The rest of us are going to have sad little Thanksgivings without our families, but you do you, I guess.”
But Pelosi isn’t the only prominent Democrat who expects regular Americans to follow “social distancing” protocols while failing to abide by them herself.
New York Mayor Bill De Blasio joined in massive, crowded celebrations for Joe Biden’s “victory” and then brushed off concerns that the gathering could lead to more virus cases. Because he and his fellow celebrants were outdoors and wearing masks, the mayor said, it didn’t matter that they were packed tightly in huge numbers.
“This is really what we’re seeing decisively. Those outdoor gatherings, always something to keep an eye on. But if people keep a mask on and they’re outdoors, we haven’t seen too much will come of that,” De Blasio said. “Increasingly the concern is, more and more people are indoors, fewer and fewer … wearing a mask. That’s overwhelming where our concern is.”
Washington, D.C., Mayor Muriel Bowser likewise disregarded the social distancing she has forced upon her constituents when she traveled to Delaware to attend Biden’s “victory” speech. Curiously, Delaware is on a list of states deemed “high risk” that Bowser’s office released just last week.
The guidelines state that “anyone coming into Washington, DC from a high-risk state (within the prior 14 days) who was traveling for non-essential activities will be required to self-quarantine for 14 days from their arrival in the district.”
But the D.C. mayor defended her trip to the Biden speech as “essential travel.”
In some parts of the country, Democrat leaders are attempting to put a stop to Thanksgiving observance.
In Chicago, Mayor Lori Lightfoot announced a stay-at-home advisory set to last for 30 days beginning November 16. She flat-out told the city’s residents to “cancel traditional Thanksgiving plans” and “stop having guests over.”
New York Governor Andrew Cuomo put new restrictions in place on Friday that limit private indoor gatherings to 10 people. Additionally, gyms, bars, and restaurants must close each night at 10 p.m.
Meanwhile, Illinois Governor Jay Pritzker (D) in October ordered Chicago restaurants and bars to stop serving customers indoors and limited gatherings to 25 people or 25-percent capacity.
Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), urged Americans to consider the supposedly dire consequences of gathering for Thanksgiving.
“You may want to make a decision that you’re just going to forestall it,” he said at a forum. “Now every time I say that I’m the Grinch that stole Thanksgiving.”
In short, Black Lives Matter riots and Democrat victory parties are no cause for concern. But patriotic American traditions such as the Fourth of July and Thanksgiving (and, likely, religious holidays such as Christmas) must be stamped out to prevent mass COVID-19 deaths.
It’s good to know where their priorities lie.