The Context:
Following Governor of Texas' emergency order during the corona-virus outbreak the City Council of Laredo met (March 31st agenda ) in their chambers to discuss the "immediate" actions to be taken. Local politicians like George Altgelt expressed the need... "to press upon the public the severity of the situation and to let them know that these directives are not requests but are orders." Eventually this lead to the institution of $1,000 fines to those who refuse to wear a mask when entering & exiting a public building. The City of Laredo became first in the nation to put forth such drastic measure. Additionally, the city also implemented a curfew for minors (17 and under) from 10:00pm to 5:00am. Non-essential businesses such salons, gyms and parks were also off-limits during this local lock down order.
On Monday 27th of April, Texas Governor Abbott announced "Phase One" of a statewide strategy to gradually re-open the state for business. In essence, the executive orders outlines minimalist ..." protocols for all businesses and individuals to follow." This plan to re-open Texas effectively returns some authority back to the individual.
In The (K)Now - Symbolic Use of Masks
In anticipation to PHASE ONE to reopen Texas, Laredo's council members met in their chambers to make "adjustments" to the current local emergency order. The new statewide "minimum standards" in "Phase One To Open Texas" supersedes the City of Laredo's local emergency order.
As Texas begins to gradually re-open, the city of Laredo is taking a vastly different approach by extending its stay-home order until May 30th. As well as continuing the standing curfew, the mandate to wear mask, and the prohibition of social gatherings.
The City of Laredo's Attorney, Kristina Hale, informed the council that the fine for not covering your face with a mask does not follow the spirit of the executive order given by the Governor.
Despite the new executive mandate by the governor local politicians are still finding ways to push the boundaries of their authority. Strip of their power to levy fines on individuals who chose not to wear a mask...they continue undeterred:
From HoustonCHRON : For instance Laredo’s order made it so that anyone who was not covering their nose and mouth in a public space could be cited and fined up to $1,000. Abbott specified that it is now up to individuals to choose whether or not to wear a mask, and that cities or counties cannot administer a penalty for not wearing one.
“Yeah, it’s symbolic. But the mask itself is highly symbolic,” Councilman George Altgelt said.
From LMT:
Laredo City Council on Monday voted to continue to issue citations to people who are not covering their nose and mouth in public, without compelling them to show up to court or pay a fine.
“What it’s symbolic of is that you care. What the citation is symbolic of is, ‘Hey, you don’t care. And we’ve taken notice that you don’t care.’”
While a citation for not wearing a mask may be purely symbolic, let's not forget the power of symbols.
Laredo's City Council's draconian emergency order caught the imagination of this nation during a critical time. Imposing fines under the threat of force & incarceration was seeing as daringly progressive; after-all we need "brutal but effective" methods to save people during this crisis.
Councilman Alberto Torres pointed out that Laredo hasn’t even reached its peak in cases yet, and said it was nonsense that the City Council was considering relaxing the restrictions for which they’ve been championed across the nation .
The use of masks is believed to aid against the spread of the virus, however the reality is very different:
Jenny Harries, deputy chief medical officer, said the masks could “actually trap the virus” and cause the person wearing it to breathe it in.
“For the average member of the public walking down a street, it is not a good idea” to wear a face mask in the hope of preventing infection, she added.
The inaccurate statistics, fallacious models and the counterproductive lock down measures in this crisis continue to be used by politicians. Regardless, of the inconvenient facts the overreach of governmental authority is corrupting the cultural tradition of freedom in America. Ultimately, a new culture is being scripted during this "emergency." By disregarding the latest information on the overblown "crisis," local politicians are following the global trend of authoritarianism. The discussions they hold in their chambers have real consequences that affect individuals and their livelihood. It's critical, especially during times of crisis, that we actively participate in this discussion. Let's not give them the final word on ANYTHING.
Related Articles, Videos and Sources. Please follow the trail of evidence:
- Two Laredoean Women Arrested for Trying to Make A Living
- Economic Consequences of the COVID1984 Lock-down
- The Crowning of the New Corona Religion
- Corona: Anger and Fear | News-Roundup Podcast
Contact Tracing - Mass Surveillance For Your Safety
It is concerning that the City of Laredo will continue to use the color of law to coerce people into using masks. What is more concerning is a new proposal by District Seven Councilman George Altgelt. The councilman used this meeting as an opportunity to introduce a new medical database program ..."to track and digitally model the number and whereabouts of people with COVID-19." Dr. Gonzalez, Health Department Director, opposes such measures because it goes against medical privacy as protected by HIPPA. However, as we've seen in this "pandemic" that does not necessarily derail the Council's pattern of pushing the authoritarian boundaries.
The global trend of digitally tracking people who've become infected with the corona virus is coming down to the local political landscape. Corona spying apps are being promoted as a solution, and George Altgelt is bringing this trend closer to Laredo. At the state level, Abbotts' new protocols further introduce this idea into the lexicon:
The governor also announced a statewide testing and tracing program developed by DSHS that will help public health officials quickly identify and test Texans who contract COVID-19 and mitigate further spread of the virus.
A new deceptive term, "contact tracing," is introducing us to a new set of authoritarian-friendly tools. The expansion of the current surveillance grid is being marketed during this "crisis" as a solution to "flatten the curve" and boost employment. However, its effectiveness like the government guidelines are at best suspect and at worst nefarious.
Israeli Doctors Warn ....Surveillance Actually Hindering Efforts to Combat Coronavirus
Instead of investing in what is required – investigation teams, lab testing and protective gear for staff – they are constantly busy with geolocation .”
Lawmakers warn coronavirus contact-tracing is ripe for abusive surveillance
From YahooNews : Apple and Google, which are leading the efforts to develop tracking apps, have pledged that participation would be voluntary and include guardrails to protect confidentiality. But the inability of Congress to pass meaningful data-privacy rules — and the poor track record of many tech firms in protecting privacy — heightens the risk, lawmakers and outside experts say.
The Silver Lining
The global transformation of society is enticing people into a new brave world with false promises. In the midst of this global reset we are confronted with a critical opportunity. As the mask of tyranny falls away more people are seeing the self-evident truth: centralization of power in the hands of the few leads disaster.
As we enter a new coerced "normal," we must make an effort to connect to the global, national and local trends as they relate to individuals and their respective communities. We must dispense with the use of Orwellian double-speak when we informed our fellow sisters and brothers. As I've written before, the ultimate solution lies in embracing our humanity and transgressing the authoritarian boundaries imposed on us. When we connect dots as it relates to the now we bring awareness to people across all artificial boundaries.