Washington, D.C., following the example of other leftist-run municipalities, has just implemented a COVID-19 mandate. This mandate requires anyone who wants a meal at a restaurant, a movie, or a workout at a gym to present proof of vaccination.
The media tend to overlook the fact that this majority-black city is run by a black mayor. To prove that they are the true owners of the vaccination cards, the government requires that people show a photo ID.
Hold on! Wasn’t it just a few short months ago—as the battles over election reform raged in the states—that we were told requiring photo ID to vote was racist and discriminatory because black folks couldn’t get IDs? It was so racist, that entire states were boycotted by celebrities, businesses, and sports teams.
Now, by the left’s own definition, Washington just instituted a whole new level of systemic racism. And it’s certainly affecting the black population—the district’s largest racial group—disproportionately.
Since the mandate’s announcement in late December, I’ve been scouring the legacy media looking for news reports and media pundits who are labeling this new photo ID requirement racist, “the new Jim Crow 2.0,” the marginalization of people of color, and the other assorted slurs that were hurled at proponents of voter ID just months ago.
Not surprisingly, I haven’t seen one such headline.
Back in December, district officials initially said citizens wouldn’t be required to present an ID with their vaccination card. Although this absurdity seemed to make sense to the left it rendered the vaccination card system completely useless. You could borrow the card from a friend or relative to have full access to the city.
One local news outlet raised eyebrows when the idea of unverified vaccination IDs was presented. When Washington’s ABC affiliate questionedDemocratic Mayor Muriel Bowser was upset by the inconsistency and said that photo ID would be required.
Of course, requiring proof of identification—whether along with a vaccination card or at the voting booth—is not and never has been racist, and this majority black city run by a black mayor just proved it. The real problem here is the government’s attempt to coerce citizens into getting injected against will. They also want to take away their rights to use public accommodation if they refuse.
The district has granted exemptions for religious and medical reasons to the mandate. However, individuals must take a COVID-19 exam and present it within 24hrs to be eligible to enter a covered company. These tests can be expensive and are often difficult to find. Compliance will become more difficult if tests are required every 24 hours.
Perhaps that was the intention.
The mandate will hit Washington’s black population the hardest. Nearly half of Washington’s black population is black. And according to the district government’s own coronavirus statisticsIt is the least vaccinated group of racial groups, with only 49% of the population fully or partially vaccinated as at last week. The government has now banned over half the black population from going out to eat or to the gym.
Essentially, Washington is forcing its largest—and its most vaccine-hesitant population—to either get vaccinated or be barred from most indoor venues. This is hypocrisy that only lefties could manage.
But it’s not just hurting patrons. Hundreds of thousands of tourists from across the country who would normally come to the nation’s capital and patronize restaurants, bars, and museums but aren’t vaccinated now won’t be patronizing them at all. What’s the result? Another economic blow for district businesses—nearly 30%Of which, black-owned.
I won’t hold my breath waiting to see the massive protests form in the streets, as happened in many cities over voter ID requirements. I’ve heard zero calls for woke companies to stop doing business or hosting conferences in the district. It is not like celebrities or politicians are condemning the mayor and the city council, or threatening boycotts.
Is it because they actually realize that requiring photo ID was never racist to begin with and they’ve simply been using that lie to scare people into fearing common sense voting reforms? Is it because they use the photo ID argument to demonize or marginalize people with whom they disagree politically? Or is it because, in the end, they really don’t care about the plight of black people or anyone else who gets in the way of their sacred leftist policies like vaccination mandates?
The answer is yes, all of the above.
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