Now it’s personal.
And now I’ve run out of patience for dumbasses in general and Republican legislators like Reps. Michael Echols (R-Monroe), Raymond Crews (R-Bossier City), Robert Owen (R-Slidell and Rick Edmonds (R-Baton Rouge).
And most especially for that idiot Jeff Landry who, like Donald Trump back on Jan. 6, met with a mob this morning for the express purpose of inciting them to near violence at the State Capitol.
More on that later but first, an explanation of why it’s now personal.
In 1973, my wife Betty and I and our then-one-year-old daughter moved to Baton Rouge so I could begin my job as a reporter for the Baton Rouge State-Times.
We moved into Shay Rentals, a duplex off Florida Boulevard, until we could settle in and then spend time house-hunting.
Across the street from us was a single mom and her three children. The oldest was a cute 10-year-old boy. He also had a sister and a brother. He had personality to spare and was always smiling and joking and chock full of “Sirs” and “Maams” to us. Two other Ruston natives, Reg Cassibry and Don Howard just happened to also live on either side of us, so we spent a lot of Sundays playing touch football. Simmitt was right there with us every time.
We moved back to Ruston for a while, but soon returned – this time to Denham Springs. That was in 1981 and we’ve been here ever since.
A few years ago, I happened to run into Simmitt at a convenience store in Denham Springs. I didn’t even recognize the now muscular young man who towered over me (at least 6 feet tall, probably a little taller) grinning, and calling out to “Mr. Tom.” Thrilled to see him, I gave him a copy of my first book that had just been published.
This morning, Betty called me from the funeral home where she works. Simmett, age 59, was the latest victim of COVID.
My heart broke.
Other than my own four grandsons, he was as close to a son to me as I ever had.
Now, at a time when he should be looking forward to retirement with his wife of 30 years, his daughter La’Riene and his grandson Wyatt, he’s gone.
And it was all so unnecessary – unnecessary because people are so bullheaded and determined not to wear masks or get vaccinated.
The inexcusable spectacle that took place during today’s meeting of the House Committee on Health and Welfare is illustrative of just how inconsiderate of others people can be – and that includes the aforementioned members of the committee and Jeff Landry who insists on becoming Louisiana’s designated fool. If Marjorie Taylore Greene and Ron DeSantis had a baby, it would look, sound, and smell like Jeff Landry.
Why am I so down on Landry? Simple. As if Trump’s pep talk to the rioters on Jan. 6 wasn’t enough, our pseudo-attorney general met with a mob of protesters at the Capitol prior to the beginning of today’s committee meeting to encourage their ass-clown disruption of the meeting.
I will give the protesters a point when they pointed out that neither Echols, Crews, Owen nor Edmonds was wearing a mask.
Seriously? The House Committee on Health and Welfare in a state with the highest – I’ll repeat that, the HIGHEST – per capita COVID infection rate in the nation, and these morons weren’t wearing a damn mask? Are you kidding me?
ENOUGH! If you don’t care about your own health, that’s one thing, but at least give some consideration to those around you. And don’t feed me that crap about masks being ineffective. Why the hell do you think doctors and nurses wear masks in OR, for the fun of it? No! It’s to protect your sorry ass when you’re under the knife.
You don’t think vaccines should be mandatory? Well, how do you feel about smallpox, measles, and polio, you stupid s**t? Those dreaded diseases – and others – were wiped out by vaccines, or you just too full of the toxic Trump virus to get that through your thick skull?
I’m not a smart person and I may get COVID tomorrow. If I do, it’ll be because someone a helluva lot dumber than I either refused to wear a mask or get vaccinated – or both. You’re not brave and that macho John Wayne persona you’re trying to project only shows that you’re an inconsiderate ass and a walking, talking endorsement for birth control.
It’s not child abuse to insist that kids wear masks. It’s just the opposite. It’s protection. Allowing them to be exposed to a virus that has already killed more than 600,000 Americans is child abuse. And there is no natural immunity, as one uninformed mom testified today. She’s been watching too much Tucker Carlson and Sean Hannity.
And please, you religious zealots, don’t feed me that line about certain elected officials wanting to deprive you of your rights to worship. That’s a load of B.S. and you know it. No one is depriving you of that right. In fact, unless I’m way off base, the Bible tells us to worship and pray in private – not make a show of it by trying to wave your arms higher than the person next to you as the choir sings. The only thing those elected officials – not those named DeSantis, Abbott, Taylor Greene, Trump or Parson, but those with a modicum of sense of responsibility – are trying to do is save your pathetic life.
Simmitt’s gone and I hold the likes of Echols, Crews, Owen, Edmonds, Landry and those maniacs in that committee room responsible. And if you have a problem with that, I won’t hide behind a pseudonym; I’ll gladly say it to your face.
Louisiana Voice 
Sorry for hear about your friend. God Bless
Amen, Tom!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I find myself exponentially angry every day at anti-vaxxers, anti-maskers, and even more so with the amoral elected officials who court them for votes. If 38% of Louisianans are vaccinated, that means 62% aren’t so how might they vote? If the scales tip the other way, you can bet these same elected officials will be singing from another hymnbook immediately and, guess what, their constituents won’t even hold their former stances against them. In the meantime, who else will be unnecessarily infected and die?
You can’t be this stupid.
No more stupid than you, who won’t even use your real name. You’re a damn fool. When you lose a close friend or family member, we can talk. Until then, why don’t you stick to reading the Hayride? That’s more in line with your thinking disability.
Thank you, I’ve been feeling a little depressed lately and after reading a couple of your columns the mood lifted (compliment). So sorry about your friend (sincere). Everything you say is true. I did get tickled by just about how hard it is to convince people that the shot and mask are prevention measures/tools. Of course sometimes the easiest way to get someone to do something is to tell them not to do it (reverse phycology). Have a good day.
L(oser)… you can’t be that predictable. It takes a real mental giant to say ignorant shit like that… at a time like this. Congratulations you coward.
I feel for you. I had similar loss of friends to Covid. It’s sad when the leading public institution of higher education in the state is rendered virtually leaderless in this crisis. I don’t care if they are dumb, political cowards, or antivaxxers. They are blowing it. Students are going to get sick, and some will die because of the lack of leadership.
It’s a phone call that I dread receiving. I’m sorry about to hear about Simmitt. He sounds like a great man.
Tom, you have expressed your pain and the political problems perfectly; as well as point blank calling out those responsible for the continue spread of the virus and the danger these people pose to the rest of us. Theirs is a sickness too and perhaps one just as harmful. Ignorance is not bliss, it is dangerous.
Please accept my sincere and heartfelt condolences.May he live forever in the love of every heart he touched. I am so very sorry.
Tom, we send you our deepest condolences on the tragic loss of your friend. I just read his obit; he sounded like a loving and wonderful man. Like you, we know so many people who have had covid, many more sick and hospitalized now.
I am beyond frustrated and disgusted by the ignorance, stupidity and total lack of concern for the common good displayed by the antivaxxers. They can’t honestly claim that their refusal to get the shot is out of fealty to trump – he was quietly vaccinated before departing the White House and even now whispers that vax is good. The problem is the sadly large number of people in this country who think they are superior to all others and for whom the ideas of “common good” and community are completely alien. The crazies will be the death of this country yet. Unless they die off before they can do any more damage. Darwin’s law of natural selection has consequences. Dead people don’t vote.
Jerel Giarrusso
Should I make you have a medical procedure? Should I make you write only articles that I agree with? Should I make you budget you finances a certain way? Should I make you wear certain clothing that makes your skin cells or germs not leave you body? Should try to instill fear and guilt on you to make you do something that could be bad for you? The simple answer is no. I should leave those decisions up to you. I’m saddened to hear about your friend, we have all been touched by this in many ways. Emotional decisions are rarely the right decision. Respectfully. Jim
You ask a lot of questions that are not relevant to the issue at hand and that is the transmission of a virus from an irresponsible person to someone else. There are decisions that are made for the good of all: DWI laws, zoning laws, immunization requirements (see my comments on smallpox, polio, etc.), permits to drive, to operate certain professions (would you like a surgeon operating on you who never finished Med school?) like airline mechanics, dentists, etc. Funny how those now screaming “My body, my decision” don’t express those same sentiments when it comes to women’s reproductive rights.
But to answer your questions, when those decisions affect the health and welfare of others, then yes, there is an overriding right of the many that outweighs the right of the individual.
What the hell’s the big deal about masks anyway? It may make breathing a little stuffy, but it it helps me prevent a deadly virus, I’m all for it. If there’s even a small chance that a vaccination will protect me, then I’m rolling up my sleeve. To think otherwise is just narrow-minded and selfish. Sorry to be so blunt, but I suspect if Trump were to come out tomorrow praising masks and vaccinations, there would be a 180-degree turnaround with the anti-vaxxers and the anti-masks. You’re allowing a demagogue to do your thinking for you and that’s always a dangerous path.
And, by the way, this wasn’t a kneejerk, emotional outburst. I’ve been stewing over this issue for some time. Simmitt’s death and todays juvenile tantrum at the committee hearing just served as the catalyst to write it a little sooner than I originally planned.
You are quite selfish.
Condolences Tom……and thanks for your uncommon sense honestly put.
Very sorry about your friend. I share your anger and outrage. Every time I see Landry on TV I just want to scream. What a dangerous fool! I once thought Jindal was the worst thing that happened to Louisiana, but now I know better – Landry is BY FAR the worst. Even the buffoon Kennedy is just mainly useless and isn’t doing the harm that Landry is. I do not know how he sleeps at night with all the Covid deaths and other consequences on his head. And I greatly fear that we are about to see a wave of horrible consequences for the children of this state due in great part to his stances. I think I may even hate him more than Trump, and that is really saying something.
This is a tough call. I would say Jindal has done more damage to Louisiana than Landry, but Landry has the potential to do an order of magnitude more if elected our next governor. It’s hard to imagine the electorate being foolish enough to elect Landry governor, but Tom’s post provides ample evidence they might be.
If he does, I’m moving.
“Trump virus” !!! Now Tom, that is an outright lie and you know better.
Were it not for him, there would be no vaccine yet, as you certainly know, the average time to develop a vaccine i around 10 years. Trump relaxes procedures and testing to speed up development, which no Democrat would ever do (Dems love regulation – more money to be made). And the highest percentage of non-vaccinated persons are minorities, who do not really trust government in the first place (and majority are democrats).
Do you realize that we do not know what effect vaccine would have on pregnant or future mothers yet, or how vaccine might interact with other medicines ? You should not be so judgmental when you do not recognize all of the facts. There may be valid reason for many to delay taking vaccine.
I know you like to criticize Trump and other Republicans at every opportunity, but the fact is, errors in judgement are not limited to Republicans. We could start with Joe Biden who contradicts himself nearly daily. You could understand why many do not take him (or Dr. Fauci seriously anymore).
COVID is a horrible virus, likely foisted upon the world with American money funding disease creation (under direction of above named doctor) by Chinese and covered up by WHO. That is where your bitterness should be directed. Many have lost friends and loved ones. This is NOT political. No one wants this running rampant but blaming this on Trump (or Biden) is not justified in any way. It must be taken seriously, while at the same time, Americans right to choose must be protected. And before you ask, yes, I have rec’d vaccine, and yes, I have COVID as we speak (hospital is full of it – go figure).
Great…. more trumpsplanations, and the same old bald faced conspiracies. Sorry hun… but we’re not buying the trash you’re selling.
Pretty much the level of comment one would expect from you.
I am not “selling” anything. I simply made a comment agreeing that the virus is horrible, that if there is a blame, it should be placed on the Chinese Government who created virus in a lab in Wuhan,China; to blame Trump or Biden for virus is not reasonable, Do you actually believe that the China source for virus is a fiction fabricated by Trump?
Keep your head placed where the sun does not shine, it seems to suit you. And please keep blaming Trump for all that is wrong in the world, as Joe Biden is certainly showing the world what he is capable of.
You certainly shouldn’t expect a serious response to those old conspiracies. And you are selling something, but you’d have better luck with a local farmer looking for fertilizer.
So Kam, you do not accept that the virus was created in a lab in China although all evidence points that way ? And you call this a conspiracy ? I would suggest that you do a slight bit of research before you make such comments or suggest that I am “selling trash” or perhaps fertilizer. You really do not understand the biology of a virus, do you ? Comments made on an emotional basis or political philosophy are often off base and without merit.
Sorry lady, but that ship is already sunk. I recognize the wailing and gnashing-of-teeth from a few loudmouths to try and resurrect that well-debunked garbage, but it won’t get any traction from me. We’ve followed the advice of COMPETENT Medical Authority & RESPECTED Scientists, and my household has remained without COVID as all three of my kids work in retail sales. You can keep that social media dumpster diving that you call research. Besides… you’ve been peddling fertilizer so long that I doubt you even recognize the smell. And there’s no emotion from me on your situation. I’ll sleep well regardless of your beliefs,
So Zoe, who made you the instant authority on everything? Tom probably called it the trump virus because it was trump who assured us early on that only a couple of people had it and it would disappear in a few days, that it was a “democratic hoax” orchestrated to defeat him. As usual, it was all about him. Yes, he may have allowed development of a vaccine more quickly, but he also sat on his big fat orange ass, playing down the effects of the virus even as people were dying.
It’s really amazing how you can pick out all of Biden’s flaws while overlooking those of trump. But that’s typical of shortsighted people like you. Biden has his shortcomings but to defend trump by pointing to Biden is a juvenile defense more appropriate to playgrounds than an adult forum.
Mag, I never said I was an “instant authority”; that was you, and we both have opinions. And thanks for telling us what Tom thinks, as we are unable to decipher on our own. In case you have not noticed, people are still dying after Biden came aboard and that is with the benefit of a vaccine, which as I recall, both Uncle Joe and Camel Harris said they would refuse if Trump endorsed it. But I also noticed they were the first in line to take it.
Where exactly did I “defend” Trump ? All I said was errors in judgement have been made by people in both parties. He “assured” us and was proven wrong. Well, Joe “assured” us if we took the vaccine which he previously said he would not take, we would not have to worry about infection and masks would not be necessary. Right.
Why does anyone make things like medical opinion political when it should be a matter of personal choice. Wasn’t Trump relying on Dr. Fauci just like Biden ? Why does everything have to have politics injected ? Why aren’t you mad at the Chinese Communist Government ? And how do you know Trump has an orange A– ? Do you know the difference between defending and comparing ?
And really, is it difficult to pick out Biden’s flaws ? Can you name a single positive thing he has done as President ? Literally everything is worse in case you don’t get out much, and once (if) the infrastructure bill ($5 TRILLION) is passed, watch what inflation does (Jimmy Carter years ring a bell). And I am sure you will defend that down the road. Or blame Trump.
Its not im refusing vaccination its is only approved for emergency use by the FDA what give you the right to blame someone who isnt vaccinated. Did you ever think that the side effect and al the lies were a mask dont wear one. Think look and ask for all the information. Oh i forgot there is no information made avaliable on whats in vaccine, side effects, or medication that have adverse effect with shot. Stop trying to force people and provide information and more people would take vaccine with FDA approval.
Well, Diane, you raise a lot of points – none of which make any sense. You’ve been watching too much Fox News when you should be learning about spelling, punctuation, syntax and grammar. You’re practically illiterate and yet you’re trying to give me science lessons.
The information is readily available to anybody willing to look. One of the big problems in this country is Willful Ignorance, i. e., choosing to not even try to find the truth.
Sorry for double-posting, but the opposing views on this are further evidence that a very large number of people in our country, if not the whole world, have gone mad. Even just looking at Louisiana, I find it incomprehensible that Landry, Scalise, Higgins, and J. N. Kennedy are admired by anybody. Almost as unbelievable as the fact our immediate past POTUS was even elected and, after the most horrible presidency ever, still has a following. It’s a mad, mad, mad, mad world and, by no means, in a funny way. And, if I have TDS, I also have LDS, SDS, HDS, KDS and a lot of other DS’s.
Well, at least you have the courage to admit you have DS’s !
Why is it that if one disagrees with you that they have gone “mad” ?
Zoe, now you’re oversimplifying to suit our own agenda. Steven’s not calling people mad because they disagree with him. Everyone you know is going to disagree with you on some issue, so it’s a tad dumb for you to say that.
What he’s saying is that anyone who can look past pussy-grabbing, contractor-cheating, student-swindling, Russian-dealing (don’t even deny that; he gets loans from Russians, he sells property to Russian oligarchs for inflated prices – which can only be for the purposes of money laundering), business-bankrupting, handicapped-mocking, Gold Star-ridiculing, and an armed invasion of the U.S. Capitol and still support Trump is….well, mad.
You can deflect all the blame you want onto Biden. I’m not a particular fan, but my God, he’s so much better than Trump. And you can’t get around the fact that it was Bush who got us into Afghanistan and it was on the Bush administration’s watch that the 2008 Wall Street collapse occurred and it was Obama who had to pick up the pieces after Bush. And the brain-dead Trumpsters continue to deny it, but the Wall Street gains were greater under Obama than under Trump. That, dear lady, is a fact. Yes, Obama continued the war in Afghanistan and if there’s is one thing I am in total agreement with Trump on, it was his decision to get us out of there. But it was Biden who did get us out, sloppily it may have been. It certainly could’ve been handled better. And while it was Trump’s idea to get out and Biden simply carried the task out.
Trump promised Mexico would pay for a wall (that, incidentally, was never built, though some existing fence was replaced), he promised an infrastructure plan but never came through (Biden did), he promised to abolish Obamacare (even with a Republican majority in the House and Senate, he couldn’t pull that one off), he talked about our Air Force during the War of 1812, he talked about nuking hurricanes, he even tried to re-route a hurricane with a Sharpie, he disrespected our intelligence agencies but embraced tyrants. Before he was elected, he criticized Obama for excessive tweets and golf outings but in his 4 years he completely eclipsed Obama’s 8 year totals for both tweeting and golf – and he made the American taxpayers pick up the tab for those golf outings at his own golf clubs, which resulted in his lining his pockets with taxpayer dollars. Nice.
He promised to “drain the swamp” but instead, he loaded up his cabinet with ass-kissers. And while you will continue to deny it, he did in fact, try to get a foreign government to interfere in the 2020 election. And let’s please not forget that it was Trump who said the coronavirus was just like the flu, and was limited to only about 15 cases and would soon disappear.
I could go on and no doubt, you will have an answer for all of this, including the usual fallback tactic of dredging up Hunter Biden while conveniently ignoring Donnie Jr., Eric, and Ken and Barbie (Jared and Ivanka). But the fact is, the events I cited above (along with literally dozens of others) are why Steven thinks you die-hard Trump supporters and science deniers are mad.
Yes, you’re correct; we don’t know all the side-effects of the vaccines, but neither did we know the side effects of the Salk Vaccine or many other vaccines. We also know the side effects of smoking and alcohol and pain killers but some of these same deniers continue to smoke, drink and consume pain killers. And we do know the side-effects of COVID is quite likely death at worst or long-term health issues at best.
Think about it: anyone who at this stage of the game, after more than 600,000 deaths, still refuses to wear a mask or even consider vaccination is not only mad, but a moron.
I don’t usually respond to comments, but I, like many others, lost a good friend and I’m more than a little pissed at the ignorance promoted by the likes of Jeff Landry and legislators who won’t even mask up during a Health and Welfare Committee meeting.
Decades-old wisdom from an American hero , lost on at least 30% of the U. S. population:
“I realized up there that our planet is not infinite,” Commander Shepard recalled. “It’s fragile. That may not be obvious to a lot of folks, and it’s tough that people are fighting each other here on Earth instead of trying to get together and live on this planet. We look pretty vulnerable in the darkness of space.”
Alan Shepard (1923-1998)
I like this guy! He hit the nail on the head!❤❤ And I’m sorry about your friend @tomaswell.
Well bud,all I can say is once a socialist demoncrat, always a socialist democratic. You people scream and holler at the top of your lungs about, it a woman’s right to choose to kill a baby or not. Well my friend, it’s my right to choose to get an unknown drug in my body or not. Oh and PS I got vaxxed for my elderly n laws. And I also had this crap in March 2020, and for 20+ years I have been taking the individual vitamins that was given to MY President, President Trump. Get off you high horse and read the truth about mask that your own fauci said in early 2020 that mask don’t do crap AT ALL. Just remember this that if you pass someone that sneezes and you have a mask on it does not cover the particles that will float in the air and what about your eyes those same particles can go straight in your eyes. So really tell me what a mask is doing for you not a damn thing. I do say if you want to get vaccinated you should well got vaccinated when I was a kid for polio and all my kids had to get vaccinated for MMR. So please do your homework instead of crying like a newborn baby that didn’t get aborted.
If a person walks past me and sneezes, you’re right, it doesn’t protect me if HE is not wearing a mask. But if he is wearing one, it works. Here’s an explanation you may can understand (maybe not): If you’re naked and someone pisses on you, you get wet; if you’re wearing pants and someone pisses on you, you’re partially protected; if you’re both wearing pants and he pisses, only he gets wet. Got it?
Did you bitch about having to have immunizations for polio, smallpox, measles? I have every right to complain if some brain dead idiot who is infected chooses not to wear a mask or chooses not to be vaccinated to help prevent the spread of a deadly virus. It’s called responsibility, you knucklehead.
Maybe you need to reread what a vaccine is. This is an experimental gene therapy using mRNA. Not yet approved by the FDA and the documentation still states that it is in early trials. It’s is causing many complications and casualties. Any other so called medication that caused this many issues would be yanked from the shelves. Also, where is the Flu, did it magically disappear? Or do we not want to acknowledge that the CDC themselves admitted current testing can’t tell the difference and has stated that all current tests have to stop being used in a few months. I studied Biotechnology and genetic research, I believe in vaccines. But not in one that is not backed by good science but is backed by politics. The Covid virus is real there is no doubt of that, the response is not. The numbers have been grossly incorrect (which was admitted). Has you watched the press conference where the White House Press Secretary stated that they will not require the staff to be vaccinated and refused to state what percent of the staff was? What does that tell you? Garth Brooks just held 2 concerts totaling about 160k people but you can’t go to a restaurant and my kids can’t go to school. Nurses lose their job over this mandatory vaccine crap, but the highest office in the land doesn’t have to do it? We need nurses, we don’t need more politicians and extra White House Staff.
Yes, there have been reactions and side effects, just as there were with Salk’s polio vaccine. But to say there are “many,” as you have, would be something of an exaggeration and not entirely accurate. And yes, when considering more than 600,000 dead and the long-term effects of the virus, I would say it’s idiotic not to have the vaccination and certainly less than smart or heroic not to wear masks. The protection offered by the vaccine far outweighs the very slight risks of side effects, your biomedical studies notwithstanding.
The bull being posted here is killing people and making others sick. It does no good to argue science and facts. I give up and I hope the deniers are happy.
Trying to have a reasonable, intelligent, fact-based conversation with the anti-vaxers/mask wearers is like butting a rubber stump and after a while even the most persistent of us figure out the results of doing this…this is just a very sad, dangerous and unnecessary state of affairs.
Please accept my condolences for your loss.
Masks are a great way to prevent the spread of any airborne disease. If you can smell someone else’s cologne or perfume, or even the produce in the grocery store, your mask is not as protecting of you or others as it could be. Get a better quality mask.
And wear it even you have been vaccinated. Typhoid Mary was known to be an asymptomatic carrier of salmonella and passed it on unknowingly. We have lots of COVID Carriers out there thinking they can’t spread the virus because they got the vaccination or had COVID already and so don’t wear their mask. It is a virus. It will spread.
Thank you, Tom, for trying to spread the word that the virus is real. A brand new virus that we are still trying to figure out. Lots of unknowns out there so please protect one another.
I am vaccinated. I am willing to be one of the millions receiving vaccines because of the protection it has demonstrated. If something happens to me because of the vaccine, then that is one more bit of science for the scientists to add to the pile of information that may one day help humanity fight this awful virus. I don’t mind being a guinea pig. I recognize that others do mind. But like you, I don’t understand why they won’t wear a mask.
Sorry for your loss Tom, best I can do is paraphrase what we learned in Sunday School in North La.(I admit I paid more attention to my friend Nancy-not her real name)when she got tits) and the promise of a heaven if we could “love always”, here it is, Love circles never end.. I totally agree with you and Mr. Winham. Get “Educated” by Tara Westover. We must keep learning and keep loving. Love the quote from A. Shepherd, It may not be true, but I use the one he said just before he blasted off, when someone told him he had to say a prayer….God don’t let me fuck up now. love always ron thompson ps. I actually tried to get in the Astronaut program, was rejected.
Tom I barely got to the bottom of the comments but I agree with everything I read you said or Mr. Winham. The points need not be repeated here. The arguments against cannot be defended unless against being made to wear clothes to school or not allowed to drive 100 miles per hour on our roads “Because I am sure that our citizens would make mature decisions” logic heard by our politicians. Of course that also goes for Clay-more mines, 105 howitzer shells and fully automatic machine guns, as the first to simply pop into my head.. Of course there other concepts like the right to sell known tainted food to unsuspecting persons…. This must represent Atty Gen Landry’s permanent mantra or he has no legal continuity for which to stand. Thanks for your good work and keeping my sanity…..
Tom, I’m sorry for you loss of a stellar human and a very close friend.
Here’s a story about the Texas Governor. Had this brilliant thought. We have a statewide electronic sign system run by TxDOT. I sent a message to the governor with my suggestion to use these for Covid communications to the public. No extra expense — FREE. In the following month, ninguno. So, three weeks ago I wrote a letter that was published in the Austin Statesman. I hoped, that someone close to him or TxDOT management would bring it to their attention. Now three weeks later, nula…
I just sent a PIA request to the Gov’s office and the TxDOT asking for documents and comminiques regarding my suggestion. Would love to surface something and turn it over to a local news channel.
If people are so independent and express a willingness to die, because of God’s choice, why would they bother to call 911; regardless of the situation.
Why did the guys willingly register for the draft?
Why do – the majority of – car owners carry auto insurance?
Why do 98% our eligible population have a driver’s license?
Why do you get your vehicles inspected?
Want to travel and explore the wonders of our world? Try that with no Passport!
Why Register your vehicle?
I had a friend who owned a small plane and kept it in his barn. He failed the license exam twice. Decided he would fly anywhere he wanted. Don’t know if he was ever caught. Would you ride in a private jet with an unlicensed pilot?
Fishing & Hunting are God Given Rights! But buying a cheep license is easy and less expensive than getting caught by a warden and fined!
In Louisiana and likely all other states, you cannot hunt most game without a shotgun limited to 3 shells, and nothing larger than a 10 gauge. Why? In ancient times, people used Punt Guns. We’re talking INCHES and not GA. Look at the pictures https://bit.ly/3kvUrc7 . One shot and 50 to 100 Ducks.
Claim to be independant sole, free of concern for your health… Why do you ignore the possibility that your choice may result in the death of others; especially those you love?
Do the Anti-vaxers and No Maskers plan ahead. Funeral expenses are outrageous. Soon Cemeterys will be at capacity! BTW, survivors may have to pay the horrendous medical bills.
I’ve a SIL in SE Idaho who lost her husband to cancer a few years ago. She had good insurance from her long time employer at the Idaho National Laboratory (INL), in the desert, a few miles from Arco. Neither, signed up for Medicare Part B, until he was near death. Even with her company coverage, the bils were horrendous and the collection calls were constant. She was responsible! They had just spent money to redo the home and had nothing: but a home loan to pay with the medical… She set up a plan and pays a small amount every month; until she dies. The Coup de Gras. After her husbands death she was crafting a piece of wood trim to finish the renovation. The power planer took off three fingers.
In HS I worked for Burger Chef. Had to go to the Parish Health Dept. to have a blood test. No test, No job.
Lots of words that likely mean nothing to those who refuse Covid protection. Damn, the vaccine is FREE.
Bob Mhoon
I’m pretty much neutral on mask theory and wear one to comply. I have been vaccinated too. Your outlandish and slanderous attacks are showing your true character. When someone shows you who/what they are, believe them the first time.
And you displayed your true character with your comment, which I edited in the name of common decency. Now all you need to do to keep from being offended is simply refrain from reading these posts that you obviously don’t have the maturity to handle.
Tom you expressed my personal feelings PRECISELY!