EDITORIAL: Oh Gina, What Are We Supposed to Believe?

EDITORIAL: Oh Gina, What Are We Supposed to Believe?

For months, we have listened to your guidance “based on science” as you are a “data geek.”

We believed you that we needed to close our schools, our businesses,  and our houses of worship for months.

The result of your executive orders was to force businesses to close. As a result, some have now closed permanently.

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We believed you when you told us that it was not safe — not safe to be near one another.

You said it was not safe to be with each other and not wear a mask.

We believed you that it was critical for the limitations of gatherings for graduations and saying goodbye to our most cherished family members who died.

Dozens of businesses have lost hundreds of millions in revenue. The state’s revenue’s losses now edge towards $1 billion.

Rhode Island’s economy is devastated by record unemployment.

More than 300,000 claims have been filed for unemployment, gig support or temporary disability insurance since March first.

You have held more than 100 press conferences — more than 150 hours of you claiming you were providing “the most trustworthy information.”

You have used emergency powers given to curtail commerce, limit the powers of the media, and to restrict many basic rights.

Your behavior Friday night seemed to be politically expedient. Nearly all of the crowd had dispersed, the protest had been peaceful, your presence was unnecessary and your behavior -- unmasked, joined in close contact, holding hands with others -- was in violation with your repeated directives and the law per your use of the most extreme emergency powers of the government.

By the way, the science was right — the coronavirus can be deadly. There are now more than 700 Rhode Islanders dead and so is your credibility.

Oh Gina, knock it off.