You have likely heard all about the chaos taking place in the far northeastern states of Washington and Oregon. Nightly protests, daily “demonstrations,” looting, rioting, and a massive increase in crime seem to have become the norm. However, it’s really only taking place in bigger cities like Seattle and Portland.
Smaller cities and more rural locations, especially those not quite as far west, are much more peaceful. And by peaceful, I mean actually peaceful. Life, for the most part, goes on as before, without much concern for racial injustices or police brutality.
But that’s not to say they are without their problems.
Take the smallish city of Pullman, Washington, for example.
Pullman sits in Whitman County, which lies directly to the west of the state’s border with Idaho and just about as far away from Seattle as you can manage while staying in the state. However, even this far east, its citizens cannot escape the effects of the state’s ever leftward leaning leadership.
As you may know, Democratic Governor Jay Inslee mandated early on that all citizens must wear face masks when in public, as well as adhere to current social distancing guidelines. And as of right now, this still includes the prohibition of gatherings over ten people.
Now in towns like Pullman, where the left has much less of a presence than in their most western counterparts, these mandates are not always followed very closely. In fact, in some local leaders and law enforcement officials have stated that they will not be writing citations or arresting anyone because of a failure to wear the “proper” protective gear.
However, you might be surprised to hear that this is not the case in Pullman. Far from it actually. Instead of being more lax about the social distancing guidelines and mask mandate, as you’d expect from a more conservative area, Pullman city officials are now threatening fines up to $5,000 and even a full year in jail for not doing so.
According to local news station KREM-TV, the Pullman Police Department issued a statement recently that outlines the “consequences of violating face mask, social distancing, and other health guidelines” will be in place until the virus is no longer a threat.
The news release given by Police Chief Gary Jenkins stated, “Violations of the Governor’s proclamations not only put the violator’s health at risk but the health of our entire community. We implore everyone to abide by Governor Inslee’s declarations. It is the right thing to do for you; it is the right thing to do for your community. We are in this together, and Pullman Police officers are here to help in keeping our community members safe and healthy.”
I think someone has been drinking a bit too much of the Kool-Aid, don’t you think?
The statement goes on to include the punishment for various violations:
Not wearing a face mask or social distancing as “proclamation requirement” will be classified as a “gross misdemeanor punishable by a fine up to $5000 and/or 365 days jail.”
However, not doing the same as a violation of an “order issued by local or State Board of Health or by local health official is just a misdemeanor and is punishable by a fine of $100 and/or 90 days jail.”
You can also be fined various amounts, up to $350, and/or sent to jail for up to 90 days for allowing a party with 10 or more people or failing to “disperse a party.”
Seems a bit rough, huh?
I mean, not even CHAZ/CHOP threatened these kinds of measures on their residents. And in Seattle and Portland, wearing a mask and not social distancing is just about the last thing on the minds of city officials and law enforcement. Instead, people are allowed to run around looting, rioting, setting fires, and even assaulting people in public. And all of it pretty much goes with punishment.
But not in Pullman. Here you can get tossed in jail for an entire year for forgetting your mask at home while walking outside.
Maybe the town should trade names with one of its closest neighbors, a small town just inside Idaho named Moscow. At least then, we might not be so surprised to hear about its totalitarian ways.
