…meet some folks who are doing it in their part of the Country.

I just returned from a meeting with Mayor Ketron that was arranged by Andy Olsen, and it was also quite telling. Essentially, Ketron has passed the buck to Gov Bill Lee, explaining that the Gov. had asked all the state’s mayors to support this mandate, in a meeting they held on Monday. So, he’s going along with this until August 3rd, in light of “the increase in Covid cases” in Rutherford County. He also mentioned that he personally had a good friend that was just placed on a ventilator.

I explained to him that the increase was only in “positive results” from an increase in testing and not actual confirmed cases of Covid. Further, I made note that masks are proven not to be effective in stopping the infected from passing the virus or preventing the uninfected from catching it.

Something else I addressed was the fact that he was penalizing the greater majority of the population, since 99 percent of those who catch the virus survive, noting that of some 4700 cases in Rutherford County only 43 have died – equal to 1.1 percent mortality rate from this virus, with national figures actually even much lower at .05%, and as such, his imprimatur on the masks has given added incentive for groceries to carry on with their own private policy requiring masks.

Ketron initially responded that he mandated the mask because so many people were ignoring his guidelines under “Rutherford Responsible”, which got an uproar from people in the group, such as Jay Hill. All of us were of the same mind that we all, each and every single one of us have the moral and intellectual capacity to decide what is right and proper for our own health care and concerns. As one young lady noted, she doesn’t wear a mask, but she does respect other people’s space and tries to “social distance” if someone is nearby and wearing a mask, as she takes that as a sign, they have greater concerns over the lethal nature of Covid than she does. The point being, we just aren’t going to wear the mask.

His answer was, “I won’t be enforcing it”. Officers will only stop people to ‘educate’ them” to the dangers of the virus, which I said was a violation of our civil rights too. If he isn’t going to enforce the mask mandate, then why even bother stopping anyone? It’s all a great show and it’s like I wrote in the article. He must be seen as doing something.

He said his order came after groceries started this, to which I told him that some groceries in Rutherford Co were not mandating masks, like Jrs Foodland, until he issued his order. Along with all the other mayors’ illegitimate “orders”, groceries now feel justified in following suit.

Many in attendance also addressed the religious rights aspect of this and the harmful effects that occur from catching the virus waste inside a mask and constantly rebreathing it, along with the lowered levels of oxygen. Several women with young children were in attendance and were actually concerned over known damage to a human body from wearing masks over extended period of times, and they didn’t want their children wearing them.

Bill Ketron stated that children under 12 are not in the order and do not have to wear a mask in school, as his own order countermands the School Board’s decision to require masks. So, we have competing government entities mandating several different things.

As reported by WKRN: “The Rutherford County School Board voted unanimously Tuesday night to require students to wear masks in schools. The decision came after a nearly two-hour discussion by school board members, who at first were divided on the issue.”

One woman, Melissa, thanked Bill Ketron for taking the time to listen to everyone, and to his credit, he did stand there on the steps of the Courthouse, in the heat, and actually gave everyone an opportunity to voice their concerns and be heard. After I made mention of all the Left-wingers and communists at MTSU who had probably burned his phone lines up, he gave a little chuckle and said “yes .. last week this side got chewed [slapping his left backside] and today this side is getting chewed [slapping his right backside].” (…how appropriate ~ Ed)

At that point, Mrs Audra Spence asked if he was aware that many of the doctors and other proponents in the group advocating for the mask mandate were leftist Democrats who had donated funds and raised money for the Biden campaign.

In the end, he said he will be listening to all sides and make a decision whether or not to extend the order past August 3rd, when that day arrives, after someone in the crowd said that Governor Bill Lee was looking at extending the mandate past that point.

One woman, Audra Shelley Spence, a business owner in Shelbyville, drove to Murfreesboro to attend this, as did another young lady from the Manchester area. It wasn’t a large crowd, but it was a great crowd of fine patriots who knew their minds and the issue at hand and made an outstanding showing and a firm and strong stand for Liberty.

It’s not over by a long shot, since Andy Olsen, the event organizer, is filing a lawsuit to halt the mask mandate in Rutherford County. All those who understand that this is about so much more than a fairly survivable virus had better be standing up and being recognized, by throwing all the support they can his way. This is about stopping an unconscionable, reprehensible overreach of power by the state and county governments, that can and will have severe detrimental repercussions and consequences in the future, if left unanswered, as if it were “normal”

Lick My Boots or Get On the Train

July 23, 2020

~ The Author ~
Justin O. Smith has lived in Tennessee off and on most of his adult life, and graduated from Middle Tennessee State University in 1980, with a B.S. and a double major in International Relations and Cultural Geography – minors in Military Science and English, for what its worth. His real education started from that point on. Smith is a frequent contributor to the family of Kettle Moraine Publications.

Photo courtesy of Audra Shelley Spence – That’s her, knelling and wearing the pink shirt with the flag. Andy Olsen is the Big Guy wearing the dark blue shirt with III 1776 on it to my left – if You’e looking at the pic, he’s to the right of the pic. That’s Jay Hill to the far right in the light blue shirt. Mike Johnson is to the left of me, looking at the pic. And that’s Breanna King from LaVergne, kneeling in the blue dress, who was highly displeased with the answers she was receiving from Mayor Jason Cole of LaVergne. Sara in the Old Navy shirt. Melissa in the red. Unfortunately, I can’t recall the other two ladies’ names – only that the lady wearing the striped shirt is a nurse, who hit Ketron hard with some real science. And of course, that’s me in the “Born Ready” shirt, looking homely as all hell.