*By Julie Barrett, Founder, Conservative Ladies of Washington
Yesterday the King County vaccine mandate took effect for businesses. You now have to show your vaccine record, or a negative Covid-19 test to enter almost every establishment in King County. You must show your “papers” to show that you are clean. Many restaurants and bars are offering outdoor seating for the dirty people.
I am deeply grieved by what I see going on in Washington state right now. We know that when leaders grab power, they do not relinquish it back to their “subjects.” Anyone who believes that “just going along” with these mandates will make get us closer to getting back to normal or putting an “end” to Covid-19 is sadly mistaken. Normal is not returning…especially as the masses comply so they can continue with their comfortable lives.
I don’t know why people go along with these mandates, perhaps there are many reasons. We have enjoyed many luxuries with our American freedoms and it’s not easy to give up that lifestyle, especially if we can find a “work around” by complying in some way that doesn’t seem like “all the way.” I think many people are in disbelief. This is America. Communism, socialism, tyranny…that can’t possibly happen here. But if you look back in history, you can see it repeating itself right here in Washington and America. It’s difficult to process the reality of what is happening here.
I understand the idea of wanting to compromise somehow so you can still live the life to which you’ve been accustomed. After a year and a half of lockdowns and isolation, we are craving those coffee dates with friends and dinners out in our favorite restaurants. Many of our favorite establishments are now falling in line with the government’s mandate to require us to provide proof of something – proof of the jab, or a negative Covid test. Never before have we been required to prove that we were not carrying a transmissible virus – and there are viruses that are far more deadly than Covid-19. Those who think it’s “not a big deal” to show a negative Covid test are missing the bigger picture: it’s all about power and control. If you permit this, they take more.
If we’ve learned anything since March of 2020, it should be that with every act of compliance by the people the government is emboldened to crack down even more. This doesn’t end until the people decide they are done playing the game. We the people must decide that we are unwilling to compromise. We eat dinner at home. We meet our friends for coffee in our homes or in a coffee shop that allows us to walk in the door the same way we did in 2019. “Oh but we must support these poor businesses!” Stop. These businesses are no different than any other citizen – until they stand up to this and say “NO, we’re not complying!”, it just continues.
I get it. Taking a stand has consequences. And to be honest, it’s disheartening to see how many people are unwilling to take the stand and endure the consequences for the good of this country and the future of our children. Sometimes I feel like I need to scream it from the rooftop: “DON’T YOU SEE WHAT’S HAPPENING HERE??!!” We have men and women who fought and died for this country and yet we’re unwilling to give up our happy hours at our favorite bar or allow people to freely enter our business? That is about as unAmerican as it gets friends.
I’m sure my words will offend many. Perhaps they seem insensitive. I’m okay with that. We don’t have the luxury of time and niceties anymore. We are at a cross roads (we’ve actually been here for a while) and it’s time to draw the line in the sand. Which side of the line will you choose? If we want to have anything left for our children and grandchildren, we must stop compromising for temporary comfort and fun. Please consider the bigger picture and the impact our compliance now has on our tomorrows. We must take responsibility for the fact that our compromise got us where we are today and make a plan, once and for all, that we will no longer compromise. As my friend Rep. Brad Klippert says: “We’ve got a country to save!” We don’t save America with compromise.
