As Kristi Noem tries to make sure that as many South Dakotans die from COVID as humanly possible, she's also putting out an imaginary threat of mandated vaccine by the Federal government, something the Biden administration says it won't do.
As with the rest of these horrible Republican governors, most of this is for show. Either to excite the anti-vaxxer MAGA crowd and/or to further their credentials for a possible 2024 run. The health and welfare of her constituents just doesn't enter the calculus for her own selfish ambitions.
One might also ask why South Dakota mandates vaccines for children to enter school against: poliomyelitis, diphtheria, pertussis, measles, rubella, mumps, tetanus, meningitis and varicella (South Dakota Codified Law 13-28-7.1). Or the fact that there'd be nothing "illegal" about a vaccine mandate anyway, as that's been settled since 1905 after a smallpox epidemic.
And with South Dakota now experiencing a 312% increase in cases the past few weeks, and a CDC finding that the unvaxxed are 5x more likely to get infected and 29x more likely to be hospitalized that people who are vaccinated, many wonder why there isn't already a vaccine mandate in place.
But there's not and neither is there likely to be. Kristi Noem and others of her ilk are just stirring the pot while people die as a result of her own negligence.
Noem was widely panned on Twitter for her absurd comment.
Source: Daily Dot
South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem (R) is being mocked online after vowing to “take every action available” to “protect” her state in the hypothetical event that President Joe Biden mandates COVID vaccines.
The governor’s tweet vowing to “protect” her state caught people’s attention as it comes as her state sees a massive surge in COVID cases.
“If @joebiden illegally mandates vaccines, I will take every action available under the law to protect South Dakotans from the federal government,” Noem tweeted on Monday evening.
If @joebiden illegally mandates vaccines, I will take every action available under the law to protect South Dakotans from the federal government.
— Governor Kristi Noem (@govkristinoem) August 23, 2021
And some of the choice responses.
No.
You don’t protect South Dakotans from anything.
You don’t protect “their freedoms”.
You don’t protect their “rights”.
You certainly don’t protect them from Covid.
You’re more concerned with fireworks.
Monuments.
And motorcycles.
You’ve failed them.
You FAIL them.
Every.
Day.— Jo (@JoJoFromJerz) August 24, 2021
In 1905, the Supreme Court upheld a state’s mandatory compulsory smallpox vaccination law in the case, Jacobson v. Massachusetts (1905). There is precedent for mandatory vaccines. Try to keep up.
— HawaiiDelilah™ -- Fully Vaxxed -- (@HawaiiDelilah) August 23, 2021
"The feds can't stop me from killing people!" isn't usually something we hear from elected officials, but good luck making that your brand.
— Kevin M. Kruse (@KevinMKruse) August 24, 2021
What about this?
South Dakota Codified Law 13-28-7.1 "requires that any pupil entering school…receive immunization against poliomyelitis, diphtheria, pertussis, measles, rubella, mumps, tetanus, meningitis and varicella , according to the recommendations of the State”— Michael J. Stern (@MichaelJStern1) August 23, 2021
