Ravalli County health officer unhappy in a republic

The Ravalli County Public Health Officer is fully resigned to her ignorance of the ineffectiveness of masks against Coronavirus and the well-documented negative health effects on wearers.

Fortunately, she has also resigned from a local position of influence in that area of her ineptitude.

from the Ravalli Republic
Dr. Carol Calderwood gave Ravalli County Commissioners a letter of resignation over the weekend as the county’s public health officer of 13 years, stating she feels she has been placed in “another no-win situation by the locally elected officials’ decision to disobey the Governor’s directives without my input.”

The resignation letter followed a July 15 directive from Gov. Steve Bullock requiring indoor mask wearing for every county with more than four active cases of COVID-19 and an announcement one day later from the Ravalli County Commissioners and Sheriff’s Office stating business owners could decide whether to require masks.

In quoting local commissioners and law enforcement leaders, the newspaper did actually trip over the truth:

“Private business owners may choose to enforce the Governor’s directive,” said the joint press release. “Everyone has the right and ability to shop or patronize businesses they feel comfortable in. Criminal citations will not be issued for violations of the mask directive.”

Today I sent the following letter to the Ravalli Republic Letters Editor:

“The Ravalli Republic coverage of our county government response to the governor’s mask dictate clearly supports a state dictator rather than a governor administering its laws.

There is NOBODY anywhere within our Constitutional Republic with the lawful, moral or physical power to order mask wearing. The commissioners and peace officers read us right. The vast majority of Bitterrooters will not kneel before self-appointed emperors. The handful eager to do so should find a more compatible community.”

It really wouldn’t be much better if he was correct in implying mask wearing was constructive for health. While he would find more willing followers, he would still be wrong for issuing an edict that so grossly oversteps the boundaries of his office.