Reopen Alabama Press Release
- Nov 18, 2020
- 4 min read
NEWS RELEASE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
November 18, 2020 Facebook Group Link Contact the Administrators:
Clayton Bodley
Group Administrator (256) 758-9817
bodl8222@lbc.edu
Daniel Bearden Group Administrator (256) 513-2456
danielbearden@protonmail.com
Business Council of Alabama’s “Keep Alabama Open” Effort is Dishonest
The Reopen Alabama Facebook Group and its more than 35,000 members are correcting the record. Founded on April 14, 2020 we are the grassroots organization pushing back against lockdowns and mask mandates. On April 3, 2020 Governor Kay Ivey announced a Stay at Home order which was set to end on April 30, 2020. We know that Ivey still has restrictions on businesses in the state today. The abrupt closing of small businesses and lingering restriction renewals have dramatically harmed countless Alabamians. These restrictions have forced the destruction of numerous sources of income for entrepreneurs and employees. Furthermore, the science supporting lockdowns and masks does not exist. Epidemiologist experts from Harvard, Oxford, and Stanford Universities have documented the harm of policies like those currently imposed by Governor Kay Ivey which restrict the actions of the healthy while ignoring focused protection on vulnerable populations. These experts have definitively declared that:
“Those who are not vulnerable should immediately be allowed to resume life as normal. Simple hygiene measures, such as hand washing and staying home when sick should be practiced by everyone to reduce the herd immunity threshold. Schools and universities should be open for in- person teaching. Extracurricular activities, such as sports, should be resumed. Young low-risk adults should work normally, rather than from home. Restaurants and other businesses should open. Arts, music, sport and other cultural activities should resume. People who are more at risk may participate if they wish, while society as a whole enjoys the protection conferred upon the vulnerable by those who have built up herd immunity.”
Unfortunately, countless healthy people in this state are working from home, schools are going virtual, mandatory mask orders exist, and separation is mandated forcing businesses to turn away customers. This anti-science approach to handling a respiratory virus is unconscionable The arbitrary and capricious application of mask mandates causes alarm for those who love liberty. These dictates undercut confidence in our elected officials. While Governor Ivey assumes authority to determine what we wear on our faces under penalty of fine, she has repeatedly ignored the order herself. Here are samples of Kay Ivey’s mask mandate hypocrisy:
Real people are being harmed by the Governor’s mask mandates. People who have a real medical issue and cannot wear masks are being harassed. Some have lost their jobs because of the mask mandate. Business owners are unable to recover from Ivey’s crippling orders since April and closed their establishments for good. Today, one member of the Reopen Alabama group indicated she has closed two of her locations due completely to Kay Ivey’s lockdown and says she is likely to close a third. The special needs community is also uniquely impacted by mask mandates since those on the autism spectrum have specific issues with sensory stimulation while wearing masks. The economic and human impact of not following the science is harming real people. Now that the record is clarified regarding how Governor Kay Ivey is harming Alabamians it must be said that AL Senate President Pro Tem Del Marsh and AL House Speaker Mac McCutcheon are complicit. When the Covid restrictions began the AL Legislative branch decided to go home early and not address the Covid response with any legislative action to curtail the power of the Governor to rule by fiat. Since that departure, neither leader has stood up and sought to return the state to the normalcy required for the citizens to live a free and prosperous life. Neither of these leaders publicly demanded the Governor call a special legislative session to address making laws to replace endless emergency orders. Finally, the Business Council of Alabama (BCA) on November 17, 2020 issued a statement with several absurd claims. Those malicious, half-truths, lies, and outright ridiculous statements are listed below:
“The Business Council of Alabama today launched the grassroots movement...” (This statement is false because as the largest issue advocacy organization in the state the BCA is incapable of being “grassroots”.
“Governor Kay Ivey’s administration has proven that the State is perfectly capable and willing to make the tough decisions needed to save lives and livelihoods, utilizing Alabama solutions tailored specifically for our unique situation and needs.” As indicated already the blanket orders which were instituted by Ivey and those which remain today are not tailored to a specific need. Those orders are arbitrary orders impacting healthy and ill citizens alike.
“Personal responsibility and buy-in is needed to Keep Alabama Open.” As indicated already Alabama is not fully open.
“At the end of the day, a shutdown could not only put Alabamians in severe financial distress, it could also produce adverse health outcomes, even deaths.” This statement is true. Shutdowns cause unrepairable harm. Unfortunately, the BCA did not consistently apply this observation to Ivey’s policies by stating: “BCA commends Governor Ivey and her administration for continuing to exercise thoughtful leadership in this unprecedented time.” These statements are not compatible since the BCA cannot rightfully claim that Ivey exercised thoughtful leadership without admitting that her lockdown decision produced adverse health outcomes and death.
The BCA’s “Keep Alabama Open” movement is focused on steering attention away from Kay Ivey’s poor management of the Covid response. The purpose of the movement is to make people think that the ruling class of the state is against lockdowns from a President Biden administration which has not yet begun. This red herring is designed to allow Alabama lawmakers and the Governor to paper over prior bungling. The BCA is attempting to create the illusion of resistance to another round of deep lockdowns while ignoring the poor policy making decisions which harmed so many this year. There is no immediate threat of more strenuous lockdowns from the Federal government and using that as a foil is dishonest. The lead from behind strategy being employed by the BCA is despicable. Where were they in April when Kay Ivey was forcing our citizens into bankruptcy.
The Reopen Alabama Facebook Group members will continue our efforts. We will contact our Governor and elected officials to insist that we are made free once again. Please join us on Facebook at the link above, then contact your local AL Legislator and demand an end to Kay Ivey’s rule by fiat at the link here.
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