Don't feed the trolls

Right now there is a massively dangerous astroturf campaign funded by the Kochs and the DeVoses intended to force vulnerable workers to put their lives at risk for the sake of some bosses' profits. It's a national campaign that, like many similar billionaire-funded stunts enjoys the support of the cable news networks and the President of the United States.  Locally it has found voice in the form of a sparsely attended protests at the state capitol last week, a statement from the Jefferson Parish Chamber of Commerce  as well as a full page ad that the Advocate decided to publish for some reason.
 
The campaign's messaging is built around an obscene death cult that equates the most brutal forms of capitalism with FREEDOM.  The death cult propagandists want you to associate public health directives meant to slow the spread of a pandemic with totalitarian police state surveillance tactics.  The smart response to this inflamed rhetoric would be to ignore it entirely and remain calmly focused on giving people the information and support they need to stay healthy.  Naturally, our local leadership has decided, instead, to take the bait.

During the press conference, Cantrell cast her critics as out of touch with the city's public health needs. She also suggested they were prioritizing money over people's lives.

"To the citizens of the city of New Orleans, please know that I will and have always continued to put the health of the people first. They are the priority. And not only that.... but you can be reassured that I will not be bullied," Cantrell said.

She's right, of course.  But it would be much more helpful if she didn't put it in these personalized Trumpian terms that center individual conflicts.  It makes her sound defensive when she doesn't have anything to be defensive about. The people attacking her are trolls. Responding to them like this just validates their obscene argument.  They're trying to say your public health policies resemble the behaviors of a dictatorial police state.  That's absurd. So just don't give them anything to... oh goddammit....

New Orleans police plan to set up checkpoints throughout Orleans Parish to "verbally provide information" about the current stay-at-home order related to the coronavirus pandemic.

Police also will check that everyone is wearing seatbelts, the driver is licensed and the vehicle is registered and insured.

Nothing makes me feel safer in a time of crisis than a random stop and frisk operation.  That will definitely help everybody calm down.