SD Gov. Kristi Noem Will Not Be Social Distancing For Mt. Rushmore Fart-Lighting Party With Trump

A good bleeding was good enough for the Founders.

South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem, who has actively resisted promoting public health in her state, made clear that this Friday's Independence Eve event at Mt. Rushmore will not indulge in the anti-American practice of socialist distancing, because whether one chooses to spread a deadly virus is a matter of individual choice. As NBC News reports , Noem says if anyone thinks infectious diseases are infectious, they can just miss all the fun. On Monday's edition of the "Laura Ingraham Caucasian Butthurt Hour" on Fox News, Noem explained,

We will have a large event at July 3rd. We told those folks that have concerns that they can stay home, but those who want to come and join us, we'll be giving out free face masks, if they choose to wear one. But we will not be social distancing.

State officials have told the people of South Dakota "to focus on personal responsibility," said Noem, adding, "Every one of them has the opportunity to make a decision that they're comfortable with."

It's a pretty weird take on "personal responsibility," since in this case if people make bad choices, it's other people who suffer , but freedom to spread respiratory droplets is what America is all about, isn't it?

Donald Trump Himself is scheduled to be at the event, where he'll deliver remarks in front of the massive desecration of Lakota Sioux holy ground . The festivities, to include a fireworks show in the evening, are limited to 7,500 winners of a lucky lottery drawing that was held in June, according to the event website, which doesn't say dick about social distancing, masks, or hand sanitizer, because this is America, damn it. But the site does have lots of details about parking and what if it rains, so really, that covers all you need.

If you bother going to the larger Mt. Rushmore site run by the National Park Service, and then follow a link to the Park Service's coronavirus page, you'll eventually get to a message where you're informed, "We ask the public to be our partner in adopting social distancing practices when visiting parks," so how's that for keeping visitors safe?

Last week, you'll be glad to know, Noem took a far more active stance on a different matter involving the monument, promising that as long as she's governor, nobody's going to get away with blowing up the big sculptures of dead presidents, although nobody's actually threatening to attack the site with explosives. It's certainly reassuring to see Noem promise she'll keep the granite safe.

As for the health and safety of people coming to the Independence Day party, they're on their own, because nobody ever said government had any obligation to do that.

[ NBC News ]

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