In California, Gov. Gavin Newsom already required through a mandate for the schoolchildren to get COVID-19 vaccine, and Oroville Vice Mayor Scott Thomson regarded this as the breaking point.
A father of two sons, Thomson believed that it is not the government’s position to demand something to be put into the children’s bodies. He gathered approval from several of his constituents on this stance, SFGATE reported.
This led him to make a bold move and declare the small Northern California city as a constitutional republic. Local leaders here vow to go against the over-the-top mandates.
“Any executive orders issued by the State of California or by the United States federal government that are overreaching or clearly violate our constitutionally protected rights will not be enforced by the City of Oroville against its citizens,” part of the City Council-passed declaration read.
“The desire here is dialogue,” Thomson said.
While others view the declaration as freedom, some locals in town said it was an irresponsible move as the present health crisis already took the lives of over 73, 000 in California.
The lowest vaccination rates are recorded in Butte County which houses about 220, 000 people. Only 47 percent of its population are fully vaccinated as of Saturday than the 64 percent of the California population.
Over the last week, Enloe Medical Center in Chico, being the biggest hospital in the county which has 298 beds, has hit 26 average COVID-19 patients.
One of the residents, Celia Hirschman, has lost a loved one from the disease three months ago. For her, the resolution is an insult to the residents who have lost a family member or those who are at risk of getting infected.
“It says we’re cowboys, and we’re not going to live by your rules,” she said. “I don’t think it’s about open dialogue at all. I feel it’s a dangerous measure that they have no business adding to our charter.”
