"Im over it"

[patric]

At a press conference announcing how Oklahoma will be providing masks and Personal Protection Equipment for schoolchildren, Governor Stitt showed up without a mask, despite knowing he had the Coronavirus.

When asked why he still refuses to wear a mask despite the likelihood of him still being infectious, the Governor said "Because I've already had COVID."

https://tulsaworld.com/news/local/gov-stitt-goes-sans-mask-says-ive-already-had-covid-whats-the-cdc-say/article_47769a1d-d0bb-5d8b-8171-607ad517a281.html

[patric]

The Oklahoma Republican Party posted a "call to action" for "patriots" on its Facebook page Friday.

The message, which included a picture of a yellow Star of David with the word "unvaccinated" on it, asks viewers to call Lt. Gov. Matt Pinnell — acting governor while Gov. Kevin Stitt is in Azerbaijan — to request a special legislative session to address private businesses' employee vaccination mandates. Jews were forced by the Nazis to wear yellow stars on their clothing during the Holocaust.
Former Rep. John Bennett, R-Sallisaw, is the Oklahoma Republican Party chairman. He did not respond to a request for comment.



https://tulsaworld.com/news/state-and-regional/jewish-federation-calls-out-state-gop-for-using-star-of-david-in-vaccine-dispute/article_d2d38e28-f16e-11eb-b414-6f6fc6858b69.html

[swake]

The Oklahoma Republican Party posted a "call to action" for "patriots" on its Facebook page Friday.

The message, which included a picture of a yellow Star of David with the word "unvaccinated" on it, asks viewers to call Lt. Gov. Matt Pinnell — acting governor while Gov. Kevin Stitt is in Azerbaijan — to request a special legislative session to address private businesses' employee vaccination mandates. Jews were forced by the Nazis to wear yellow stars on their clothing during the Holocaust.
Former Rep. John Bennett, R-Sallisaw, is the Oklahoma Republican Party chairman. He did not respond to a request for comment.



https://tulsaworld.com/news/state-and-regional/jewish-federation-calls-out-state-gop-for-using-star-of-david-in-vaccine-dispute/article_d2d38e28-f16e-11eb-b414-6f6fc6858b69.html

They have lost their minds.

[Red Arrow]

The Oklahoma Republican Party posted a "call to action" for "patriots" on its Facebook page Friday.

The message, which included a picture of a yellow Star of David with the word "unvaccinated" on it, asks viewers to call Lt. Gov. Matt Pinnell — acting governor while Gov. Kevin Stitt is in Azerbaijan — to request a special legislative session to address private businesses' employee vaccination mandates. Jews were forced by the Nazis to wear yellow stars on their clothing during the Holocaust.
Former Rep. John Bennett, R-Sallisaw, is the Oklahoma Republican Party chairman. He did not respond to a request for comment.



https://tulsaworld.com/news/state-and-regional/jewish-federation-calls-out-state-gop-for-using-star-of-david-in-vaccine-dispute/article_d2d38e28-f16e-11eb-b414-6f6fc6858b69.html

It's amazing how STUPID people can be to not recognize the difference between religion persecution and the desire to kill other people by contagious disease.

[patric]

It's amazing how STUPID people can be to not recognize the difference between religion persecution and the desire to kill other people by contagious disease.

Oklahoma GOP leader defends comments comparing vaccine mandates to Jewish persecution

Despite criticism from top Republicans, the leader of the Oklahoma Republican Party on Sunday defended a Facebook post that compares COVID-19 vaccine mandates to the persecution of Jewish people in Nazi Germany.

In a six-minute Facebook video, Republican Party chairman John Bennett doubled down on the post critics have called inappropriate. 

In the video, Bennett criticized COVID-19 vaccine mandates and said he wrote the controversial Facebook post. Previously, it was not clear who wrote the post on the Oklahoma Republican Party's official Facebook page.

"If we don't do something now, it's going to end in the same exact result as we saw when nobody stood up whenever the Jews were told that they had to wear that star," he said in the pre-recorded video. 

Using a photo of a yellow Star of David with the word "Unvaccinated," the post from Friday likens COVID-19 vaccine mandates to the emblems Jews were forced to wear in Nazi Germany. The post encouraged Oklahomans to ask top state officials to call a special legislative session so lawmakers could prevent businesses from requiring their employees to get vaccinated for COVID-19.

"The Star of David, when they put that on the Jews, they weren't sending them directly to the gas chambers, they weren't sending them directly to the (incinerator), this was leading up to that," Bennett said. "They gave them a star to put on and they couldn't go to the grocery store, they couldn't go out in public, they couldn't do anything without having that star on their shirt. Take away the star and add a vaccine passport."

Nazis used the Star of David — a symbol of Judaism — to brand and control Jews during the Holocaust.

There is no talk in Oklahoma of requiring "vaccine passports," and state law prohibits public schools from requiring such documentation for students.

In the video that ended with a fundraising pitch, Bennett also took issue with Republicans who criticized his Facebook post.

"Instead of supporting liberty and freedom here in Oklahoma, they said I shouldn't have referenced that star," he said. "Well, it's not about the star. What it's about is a totalitarian government pushing communist agenda on top of forcing people, against their own liberties, to get this vaccine."

The state is not forcing Oklahomans to take the COVID-19 vaccine. Gov. Kevin Stitt has repeatedly said he will not mandate COVID-19 vaccines in Oklahoma.

The federal government is only doing so in limited circumstances, such as the Department of Veterans Affairs requiring its employees to get vaccinated.

The Oklahoma Republican Party and a contingent of state lawmakers want the Oklahoma Legislature to prevent local hospital systems from requiring their employees to get vaccinated for COVID-19. A federal judge in Texas previously affirmed the right of hospitals to require COVID-19 vaccines as a condition of employment.

The post was still up as of Sunday afternoon. On Saturday, the party effectively doubled down on the post by trying to fundraise off the controversial comparison.

Bennett was elected in April to lead the party. He has stirred controversy within the party by backing a primary challenger to Oklahoma's junior senator and allowing the state party to attempt to censure Oklahoma's two U.S. senators.

A former state lawmaker, Bennett made a name for himself in the Oklahoma Legislature for repeatedly targeting Muslims, going so far as to say the Islamic faith "is a cancer in our nation that needs to be cut out."

https://www.oklahoman.com/story/news/2021/08/01/john-bennett-oklahoma-gop-defends-comparing-covid-vaccine-mandates-treatment-jews-holocaust/5447961001/

[Red Arrow]

Oklahoma GOP leader defends comments comparing vaccine mandates to Jewish persecution

Despite criticism from top Republicans, the leader of the Oklahoma Republican Party on Sunday defended a Facebook post that compares COVID-19 vaccine mandates to the persecution of Jewish people in Nazi Germany.

In a six-minute Facebook video, Republican Party chairman John Bennett doubled down on the post critics have called inappropriate. 

In the video, Bennett criticized COVID-19 vaccine mandates and said he wrote the controversial Facebook post. Previously, it was not clear who wrote the post on the Oklahoma Republican Party's official Facebook page.

"If we don't do something now, it's going to end in the same exact result as we saw when nobody stood up whenever the Jews were told that they had to wear that star," he said in the pre-recorded video. 

Using a photo of a yellow Star of David with the word "Unvaccinated," the post from Friday likens COVID-19 vaccine mandates to the emblems Jews were forced to wear in Nazi Germany. The post encouraged Oklahomans to ask top state officials to call a special legislative session so lawmakers could prevent businesses from requiring their employees to get vaccinated for COVID-19.

"The Star of David, when they put that on the Jews, they weren't sending them directly to the gas chambers, they weren't sending them directly to the (incinerator), this was leading up to that," Bennett said. "They gave them a star to put on and they couldn't go to the grocery store, they couldn't go out in public, they couldn't do anything without having that star on their shirt. Take away the star and add a vaccine passport."

Nazis used the Star of David — a symbol of Judaism — to brand and control Jews during the Holocaust.

There is no talk in Oklahoma of requiring "vaccine passports," and state law prohibits public schools from requiring such documentation for students.

In the video that ended with a fundraising pitch, Bennett also took issue with Republicans who criticized his Facebook post.

"Instead of supporting liberty and freedom here in Oklahoma, they said I shouldn't have referenced that star," he said. "Well, it's not about the star. What it's about is a totalitarian government pushing communist agenda on top of forcing people, against their own liberties, to get this vaccine."

The state is not forcing Oklahomans to take the COVID-19 vaccine. Gov. Kevin Stitt has repeatedly said he will not mandate COVID-19 vaccines in Oklahoma.

The federal government is only doing so in limited circumstances, such as the Department of Veterans Affairs requiring its employees to get vaccinated.

The Oklahoma Republican Party and a contingent of state lawmakers want the Oklahoma Legislature to prevent local hospital systems from requiring their employees to get vaccinated for COVID-19. A federal judge in Texas previously affirmed the right of hospitals to require COVID-19 vaccines as a condition of employment.

The post was still up as of Sunday afternoon. On Saturday, the party effectively doubled down on the post by trying to fundraise off the controversial comparison.

Bennett was elected in April to lead the party. He has stirred controversy within the party by backing a primary challenger to Oklahoma's junior senator and allowing the state party to attempt to censure Oklahoma's two U.S. senators.

A former state lawmaker, Bennett made a name for himself in the Oklahoma Legislature for repeatedly targeting Muslims, going so far as to say the Islamic faith "is a cancer in our nation that needs to be cut out."

https://www.oklahoman.com/story/news/2021/08/01/john-bennett-oklahoma-gop-defends-comparing-covid-vaccine-mandates-treatment-jews-holocaust/5447961001/

STUPID is still stupid.

[patric]

They have lost their minds.

And the world noticed:


Oklahoma Republicans: vaccine mandates like Nazi persecution of Jewish people
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2021/jul/31/oklahoma-republicans-vaccine-mandates-nazi-persecution-jewish-people

Oklahoma GOP Posts Facebook Meme Comparing Unvaccinated to Jews in Nazi Germany
https://www.newsweek.com/oklahoma-gop-posts-facebook-meme-comparing-unvaccinated-jews-nazi-germany-1614865

Oklahoma GOP fundraising off vaccinations, yellow stars
https://thehill.com/homenews/state-watch/565827-oklahoma-gop-fundraising-off-vaccinations-yellow-stars

GOP Chairman Defends Comparing Unvaccinated to Jews in Nazi Germany
https://www.newsweek.com/oklahoma-republican-party-chairman-john-bennett-star-david-covid-vaccines-1615151

Oklahoma GOP leader compares vaccine mandates to the Holocaust: 'Take away the star and add a vaccine passport'
https://www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2021/08/02/oklahoma-gop-john-barrett-vaccine-holocaust/

'Ghoulish' GOP blasted by CNN host for fundraising off COVID vaccine fears as infection rates explode
https://www.rawstory.com/anti-vaccine-republicans/

Oklahoma GOP likens vaccine mandates to Nazi persecution of Jews
https://www.timesofisrael.com/oklahoma-gop-likens-vaccine-mandates-to-nazi-persecution-of-jews/

Talks underway to potentially remove Bennett as chair
https://www.normantranscript.com/news/sources-talks-underway-to-potentially-remove-bennett-as-chair/article_9a24888a-f30c-11eb-a08b-2752a565ed2a.html

'It is about making sure that people stay mad and scared': Scholars say anti-Semitism in politics not new, but a tool of radical right
https://www.normantranscript.com/news/it-is-about-making-sure-that-people-stay-mad-and-scared-scholars-say-anti-semitism/article_9d1b74e6-f18f-11eb-818b-ffb0a23f4865.html

[heironymouspasparagus]

It's amazing how STUPID people can be to not recognize the difference between religion persecution and the desire to kill other people by contagious disease.

Not so amazing.  It's Oklahoma and a whole lot of the rest of the country!   And all ya gotta do is look for the (R) behind their name as representative or office holder to identify....   Maybe they should be required to wear a yellow star with an "R" in the middle of it so thinking people can stay away from them!

[tulsabug]

He's certainly earned his "Stittler" moniker.

[whoatown]

They just passed a bill to prevent harassment on the basis of whether you've been jabbed or not. 

[patric]

He's certainly earned his "Stittler" moniker.

OKLAHOMA CITY – Republican Party Chairman John Bennett on Wednesday encouraged attendance at a freedom rally after claiming that Democrats were responsible for the current explosion in COVID-19 cases.

In a social media post, he also accused the federal government of attempting to shut down the country by pushing the "fear" of COVID-19.

"I mean it is only a matter of time before you won't even be able to do anything without the permission of a communist government who will require proof of vaccination just to enjoy our freedoms," Bennett said.

He claimed President Joe Biden and the Democrats are facilitating the spread of COVID from illegal aliens.

"We in Oklahoma, we refuse to be locked down," Bennett said. "We will not be forced to be vaccinated against our will."

White House press secretary Jen Psaki said recently that the country is not headed toward more lockdowns despite a near-record surge in coronavirus cases.

Oklahoma has not mandated COVID-19 vaccinations for state residents, although some private businesses have made it a requirement for employment.

Bennett recently made national headlines by comparing possible vaccine passports to persecution experienced by Jewish people during the Holocaust.

"The Republican Party should be joining us by calling for citizens to listen to the guidance of the CDC, follow the science and protect themselves and their neighbors by getting vaccinated so we can defeat this pandemic and move our country forward," said Oklahoma Democratic Party Vice Chairman Eric Proctor.

https://tulsaworld.com/news/state-and-regional/oklahoma-state-gop-chair-claims-democrats-spread-covid-19-in-social-media-post-promoting-freedom/article_79d9dd14-fae1-11eb-b7df-9f18a9fbf57d.html