A doctor familiar to millions of Americans has just called the LA Mayor’s Independence Day lockdown due to the increase in coronavirus cases “deceptive.” That’s not all. Dr. Drew Pinsky, of TV, radio and social media fame, says, you can add a heaping helping of hypocrisy on the side.
Look I found a picture of it… no wait, nevermind that's a pic of a large group of protestors squeezed together and not wearing masks with Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti last week… nothing to see here, move along. pic.twitter.com/x6fyYQq5cT
— Christy Campbell⭐⭐⭐ (@CampbellCLC333) July 2, 2020
LA Mayor Eric Garcetti condoned and encouraged the deadly demonstrations by thousands of Los Angeles residents against the Minneapolis police killing of George Floyd. Garcetti also added fuel to the flames during a time of actual fire-setting, looting, and violence by calling his own LAPD officers – who had nothing to do with the Minneapolis incident – “killers.”
Besides that cluelessness, Garcetti just can’t come clean about what supposed science and data he claims to have to lock down LA again.
LA’s Mayor ‘Inconsistent’
The LA mayor publicly has been cagey about whether the increase in the number of cases had anything to do with the mass protests and rioting. Garcetti is hoping no one notices. It’s a bad look for the mayor, who’s gone so far as to set up a snitch line for COVID scofflaws, cut off the power and water to businesses breaking his edicts, and who, without scientific evidence, ordered LA residents to wear masks at the Pacific Ocean but said nothing about the health ramifications of the protests.
As I reported, the county health director, Dr. Barbara Ferrer, said that it was “highly likely” that Black Lives Matter and antifa protests and riots caused the spike in the number of new cases.
LA’s Mayor Confesses
It took Garcetti nearly a week to admit that there was a connection, and only then when he was shutting the city down.
I talked again with Dr. Ferrer about that this morning. She does think some of the spread did come from our protests.
It’s not the act of protesting – that’s a great and American thing to do no matter what your opinion is… but protesting without maintaining physical distancing, without wearing your mask, without having sanitizer – we just have to be smart. Whether you’re at a protest or at your home, whether in your workplace or whether you’re out shopping, these rules don’t change.
We do believe there is a connection, we don’t believe that everybody has been doing this safely and wherever you can, please stay at home.
It’s unimaginable that looting and arson weren’t done in a safe manner. Thousands of people clogging up a section of Hollywood streets cheek by jowl might not be socially distancing. He’s shocked. Shocked.
Garcetti’s answer to the increase in cases with no corresponding increase in death rate is to lock down LA residents again for July 4th. Wouldn’t want people to gather to celebrate America. That just won’t do. Restaurants and bars are now on restriction. Beaches are closed. Beaches.
Dr. Drew Says LA’s Mayor ‘Deceptive’
Fox 11LA Reporter Elex Michaelson showed a video of Garcetti ordering LA residents not to have birthday parties or other kinds of get-togethers due to the spike in the number of cases. Then he said to Pinsky:
So literally while he was saying that there was a demonstration with Black Lives Matter organizations right outside City Hall and they’re not doing anything about it. At the same time they’re shutting down beaches, they’re shutting down businesses and yet they’re allowing this. That’s what is frustrating about this … Why is it OK in one situation and not OK in the other situation?
Pinsky replied:
I’ll tell you one thing people cannot tolerate is hypocrisy or inconsistency. Then they will just not listen to you. And I think that’s why we’re getting some of the resistance to the thing we really need people to do: to distance and wear a mask and go about their life a little bit. But they have been so inconsistent and, frankly, let’s just call it what it is: they’ve been deceptive on this and unwilling to answer it…
No one who’s a freedom-lover wants the kibosh put on protests for the coronavirus any more than they want a shutdown of the beaches for the July 4th holiday.
The LA mayor needs to do at least these two things. 1. Be honest about the supposed science and data supporting masks at the beach. 2. Remember that citizens should be treated equally, even ones who don’t share the mayor’s political viewpoint.
This person suggested people in LA hold a protest in favor of freedom and business at a business of your choice.
How about your favorite protests you asked for? Can we have those? You will do absolutely nothing about that. Why not gather together and say it’s a peaceful protest for justice. Business freedom and justice!!!!
— ebur (@Ebur9447) July 2, 2020
On the issue of viewpoint, the political calculation allowing the protests is viewpoint discrimination in favor of the protests, while shutting down America’s Birthday Party.
This woman plans to go to the beach and take her “BLM” protest sign with her.
Beach Lives Matter
I’m going to the beach with my protest sign since it’s okay to attend protests. My sign will say… BLM Beach Lives Matter.
— Sharkey Shyster 🦈 (@SharkeyShyster) July 2, 2020
What a politically tone-deaf move. It’s exactly the reason why, as Dr. Drew predicted, so many people will ignore Mayor Garcetti’s edicts. Any punishment for that should be exactly what Garcetti’s minions doled out to the peaceful protesters: nothing.
Rarely do I get angry on air. But this was frustrating. As Mayor Eric Garcetti told Los Angeles: "You still can't gather in groups…that is still prohibited."Meanwhile, protesters were steps outside & officials did nothing. My question: Who gets to gather & who doesn't?Obviously, the right to protest is protected by the Constitution and these issues are complicated. But talk about that honestly. The bottom line is it’s hard for people to hear they can’t see their friends or families…when they saw so many images of others doing the opposite. Let’s be real about the science and have an adult, nuanced conversation about this public health emergency.
Posted by Elex Michaelson on Thursday, July 2, 2020
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