Seriously, What is Wrong With You People

So the storm came.  Elected officials from all over the eastern half of the country have been preparing for what has become a crippling and deadly storm.   Mayor Bill DeBlasio, in a statement to the people of New York, asked people to stay indoors during the storm.  He wanted to avoid people being hurt or trapped because of the wind and snow.  The storm, a blizzard, with wind gusts up to 50 mph.  To put that into perspective this is a tropical storm force wind speed.  Also the snow coming down at a rate of 2 inches per hour is not easy to deal with even for someone like me who lived in Northern New York for the first 20 years of my life.  But the mayor's statement to protect people had to be answered by  John Podhoretz, a member of the right wing noise machine.  He argues that this is another example of the nanny-state and that the mayor or elected officials have no business telling people what to do.  He argues in the city so few people drive that being out wouldn't be a problem for rescue workers and first responders to get around.  He actually complained that this is government overreach.  He wrote:  

To DeBlasio and other pols who tell people to stay indoors during a snow storm: You work for US. Therefore, shut the hell up.

Think about that for a minute.  He complaining that the mayor of the biggest city in the country telling people to stay home and be safe is a problem.  I could inform Mr. Podhoertz of the dangerous of being outdoors during a blizzard.  Not just driving and getting stuck.  Wind blowing things around at 30mph can do damage, trees in the park can fall, lose branches and fall and kill people.  That has happened.  But John is worried that if you listen to the government the terrorists win or something.  And this is the state of American political discourse now.  We have a leading Presidential candidate who retweets white supremacists on his twitter feed and calls people who don't endorse him losers.  We have so-called journalists who continue to run cover for a Michigan Governor who's actions poisoned and likely killed citizens of Flint.  

I understand that back and forth of politics and I partake in it regularly.  Sometimes it can be fun, you know when two people see the same facts differently can have a valid discussion. But when your politics encourages you to challenge a public declaration for safety and help make people act stupidly because you told them it will fine perhaps  you should take a break. Maybe leave the business and maybe get some help.  Because as I watched the news from New York today, I saw people jogging in center park and I hope I don't hear that one was hit by a falling branch, or that someone in Brooklyn was electrocuted by downed powerline.  I wonder if John Podhoertz would see that as a victory for liberty.