Rhymes with "Stitt"

[patric]

 (CNN) The Pentagon said it would respond to Oklahoma's Republican governor after the state's National Guard indicated it would thwart a Defense Department mandate that troops be vaccinated against Covid-19.

The Department said it was "aware" of a memo issued this week by the Oklahoma National Guard's recently installed adjutant general which said the organization would not enforce the Department's vaccine mandate for its troops. The Pentagon mandated in August that US military service members get fully vaccinated against Covid-19.

The news in Oklahoma comes as multiple Republican-led states and other groups have filed suit to stop the Biden administration's vaccine requirement for federal contractors. And a federal appeals court on Friday reaffirmed its earlier decision to freeze a separate vaccine mandate that private businesses employing more than 100 workers require vaccination or impose testing guidelines for those not vaccinated. The two rules, slated to go into effect in January, cover about 100 million Americans.

"We are aware of the memo issued by the Oklahoma Adjutant General regarding COVID vaccination for Guardsmen and the governor's letter requesting exemption. We will respond to the governor appropriately," Pentagon spokesman John Kirby said in a statement to CNN. "That said, Secretary (Lloyd) Austin believes that a vaccinated force is a more ready force. That is why he has ordered mandatory vaccines for the total force, and that includes our National Guard, who contribute significantly to national missions at home and abroad."

In the memo to Oklahoma National Guard members issued Thursday and obtained by CNN affiliate KOKH-TV, Army Brig. Gen. Thomas Mancino said the Oklahoma National Guard has rejected the Defense Department's requirement that all service members receive the coronavirus vaccine and will allow personnel to opt out of the policy without repercussions. According to the memo, however, if they are federally mobilized, members must be vaccinated.

Earlier this month, Oklahoma Republican Gov. Kevin Stitt sent a letter to Sec. Austin requesting Covid-19 vaccine mandates be suspended for members of the state's National Guard.
"We estimate that over 800 Oklahoma guardsmen have not and do not plan on receiving the COVID-19 vaccine. This constitutes 10% of Oklahoma's overall force," Stitt wrote. "It is irresponsible for the federal government to place mandatory vaccine obligations on Oklahoma national guardsmen which could potentially limit the number of individuals that I can call upon to assist the state during an emergency."

Earlier this week, Stitt named Mancino to be adjutant general for Oklahoma and commander of the Oklahoma Army and Air National Guard.

Mancino's appointment requires confirmation by the Oklahoma State Senate. The former adjutant general Mike Thompson, who was abruptly relieved Wednesday, was a supporter of the Covid-19 vaccine and received a booster shot last month.

CNN has reached out to Stitt's office and the Oklahoma National Guard for further comment on this matter.
Earlier this year, Stitt signed into law SB 658, which largely prevented school boards from mandating masks or vaccinations, except under specific circumstances.

In August, Sec. Austin said in a memo he was directing the Military Department services to "immediately begin full vaccination" of all Armed Forces members or those in the Ready Reserve, including the National Guard, who are not yet fully vaccinated.
"After careful consultation with medical experts and military leadership, and with the support of the President, I have determined that mandatory vaccination against coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is necessary to protect the Force and defend the American people," he said.
https://www.cnn.com/2021/11/13/politics/pentagon-oklahoma-national-guard-vaccine-mandate/index.html



OKLAHOMA CITY — Maj. Gen. Michael Thompson said Thursday that he was relieved of his duties as state adjutant general by Gov. Kevin Stitt.

Stitt announced Wednesday that he had appointed Brig. Gen. Thomas Mancino, assistant adjutant general, to replace Thompson as adjutant general and commander of the Oklahoma Army and Air National Guard.

Thompson said Stitt called him Wednesday to tell him he was relieved of his duties effective immediately. He learned from social media that his friend Mancino had been tapped as his replacement.

The outgoing adjutant general said Stitt had previously asked him to resign. Thompson said he asked Stitt if he could stay until Jan. 15 and that the governor agreed and that he had submitted a resignation letter.

"Everything changed after that," Thompson said.

Stitt's office was asked Wednesday for a copy of Thompson's resignation letter but has not provided it.

Thompson said he is not yet ready to discuss why Stitt wanted him to resign.

Asked to describe his relationship with Stitt, Thompson responded, "I wouldn't."

Thompson also was asked about what he thought about the governor's handling of the situation.

"He is the boss," Thompson said. "That is his style. At the end of the day, nobody can tell him differently."

Stitt recently sent a letter to U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin requesting that COVID-19 vaccine mandates be suspended for members of the Oklahoma National Guard.

"This mandate violates the personal freedoms of many Oklahomans, as it asks them to potentially sacrifice their personal beliefs in order to not lose their jobs," Stitt wrote.

Oklahoma Attorney General John O'Connor, who was appointed by Stitt, has sued the federal government over vaccine mandates.

Thompson said he had no comment on the letter but was doing everything he could to get compliance with the federal requirement for vaccinations, as "is everyone in the U.S. military."

"It is a requirement," he said.

Charlie Hannema, a Stitt spokesman, said the governor's replacement of Thompson wasn't related to vaccine requirements. He said Stitt had started a search for Thompson's replacement and decided on Mancino.

The governor felt it was time to make the change for the "continuity of operations," Hannema said.

Thompson, 58, was with the Oklahoma Highway Patrol for 28 years, seven as Department of Public Safety commissioner.

He has been with the Oklahoma National Guard for 38 years and had served for four years as adjutant general.
https://tulsaworld.com/news/state-and-regional/govt-and-politics/state-adjutant-general-says-he-was-relieved-of-his-duties-by-gov-stitt/article_790f1450-433c-11ec-baa0-636951325a47.html

[tulsabug]

Simple fix - Biden should activate the Oklahoma Guard for one day which forces them all to get vaccinated by Stittler's "rules". Any unvaccinated Guard members who think they're going to buck the system by not showing up will be considered AWOL, court-martialed, given a dishonorable discharge and lose all benefits.

[dbacksfan 2.0]

Simple fix - Biden should activate the Oklahoma Guard for one day which forces them all to get vaccinated by Stittler's "rules". Any unvaccinated Guard members who think they're going to buck the system by not showing up will be considered AWOL, court-martialed, given a dishonorable discharge and lose all benefits.

So submit or have your life ruined. Didn't realize that the Pinochet rule of law was now in effect in the US. What's next, march everyone into vaccination stations and those that resist are exiled to camps?

[TheArtist]

So why is this vaccine different than all the dozens of others people the military have to get? 

I was in the army and they literally have you walk past a long line of doctors giving you shots. Frankly I don't know what they all were and I don't think anyone cared, we had plenty other things on our mind lol.  And there are a lot of countries that if you are going to get deployed to, you have to get shots protecting you from specific disease threats known to be in that country (and lord knows what else you are going to be exposed to in those places, just part of the deal and you know it going in).

[tulsabug]

So submit or have your life ruined. Didn't realize that the Pinochet rule of law was now in effect in the US. What's next, march everyone into vaccination stations and those that resist are exiled to camps?

Look - this isn't facebook or nextdoor or anything like that, even in the political forum area. I think basically we're all more or less Tulsanow friends and have respect for each other due to that. So - respectfully - what is the issue you have with a vaccine mandate? Like William said, vaccines are already mandated in the military - currently it's about 17 of them. And not following a direct order is how you get kicked out of the military without benefits and they've already said that doing so isn't off the table in this regard. So why is a mandate on this vaccine a problem and not any of the other ones? And we're only talking about the military and military contractors - not the population at large.

[whoatown]

If I remember correctly, the NG wasn't going to get vax until June next year.  Now all of a sudden it's immediately.

[swake]

Look - this isn't facebook or nextdoor or anything like that, even in the political forum area. I think basically we're all more or less Tulsanow friends and have respect for each other due to that. So - respectfully - what is the issue you have with a vaccine mandate? Like William said, vaccines are already mandated in the military - currently it's about 17 of them. And not following a direct order is how you get kicked out of the military without benefits and they've already said that doing so isn't off the table in this regard. So why is a mandate on this vaccine a problem and not any of the other ones? And we're only talking about the military and military contractors - not the population at large.

All medical workers, all public school employees and school children have always had vaccine requirements. Colleges have always required vaccines. There's been no issue with that for the last 50+ years. 

[heironymouspasparagus]

So submit or have your life ruined. Didn't realize that the Pinochet rule of law was now in effect in the US. What's next, march everyone into vaccination stations and those that resist are exiled to camps?

Oh, ppuuullllleeeeaaaasssseeeee.....!   Extremist right wing hyperbole much??

None of those guard troops are allowed to deploy without the vaccine, so what Stitt is literally doing is keeping the OK Nat Guard from being at the ready and able to do it's primary job!  By definition.  So, if they are not going to obey their sworn oath to follow lawful orders from their commanding officers, they absolutely should be dismissed with dishonorable discharge for several things like disobeying a direct order, dereliction of duty, and probably some more that I just can't think of right now.   With loss of benefits.

And your statement seems to imply that you think the individual has some right not to participate that outweighs public health concerns.  Which he/she does not.  Never has, in this country or ANY other civilized country for at least a couple thousand years, and hopefully never will!  This is the same garbage I expect to hear when smallpox gets out again and they start trying to vaccinate for it, and see the same resistance to that vaccine.

As an aside - this is also just another Stitty thing that clown has done.  On top of so many more!

[heironymouspasparagus]

If I remember correctly, the NG wasn't going to get vax until June next year.  Now all of a sudden it's immediately.

Various guards have been getting it since spring.  Two grandkids who were deployed to Iraq both vaccinated at first of year as they left from a different state.  And it has been ongoing in guard units since then.  Across the country.

[heironymouspasparagus]

All medical workers, all public school employees and school children have always had vaccine requirements. Colleges have always required vaccines. There's been no issue with that for the last 50+ years. 

True!   This is just more anti-vaxxer BS, spewed by extremist right wingers who by the way just happen to all have been vaccinated.

[whoatown]

https://www.ntd.com/hospital-system-that-operates-in-19-states-blocked-from-firing-workers-over-vaccine-oklahoma-ag_701802.html

Hospital system that operates in 19 states blocked from firing workers over vaccine mandate.  Filed motion by the Attorney General in Oklahoma.

[tulsabug]

Also - the Supreme Court already decided that states can enforce compulsory vaccination laws in 1905 during the smallpox pandemic.

The Court's decision articulated the view that individual liberty is not absolute and is subject to the police power of the state.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jacobson_v._Massachusetts

[tulsabug]

https://www.ntd.com/hospital-system-that-operates-in-19-states-blocked-from-firing-workers-over-vaccine-oklahoma-ag_701802.html

Hospital system that operates in 19 states blocked from firing workers over vaccine mandate.  Filed motion by the Attorney General in Oklahoma.

Incorrect. First line of the article - "Oklahoma was granted a temporary restraining order that blocks Ascension Healthcare from terminating employees who were denied religious exemptions from the firm's COVID-19 vaccine mandate."

Even this is problematic as:
1) You can't argue your religion doesn't allow vaccines if you've gotten other vaccines. Or if you have a tattoo. Or if you eat pork. Or if you're wearing polyester. Cherry-picking random lines from the bible doesn't equal an exemption.
2) Oklahoma is a "Right to Work" state. Ascension can simply say to those people "You're fired because you drove a Ford to work". That's how 'Right to Work' works.
3) Even if Ascension can't fire them, it doesn't mean they have to put them on the schedule. Or they can suspend them without pay. Or a million other ways you can make an employee leave when you can't fire them.
4) I thought the general Republican view is businesses shouldn't be regulated and the free market should decide it's own fate. I guess that only applies when they get a large enough campaign donation from the businesses.

[heironymouspasparagus]

https://www.ntd.com/hospital-system-that-operates-in-19-states-blocked-from-firing-workers-over-vaccine-oklahoma-ag_701802.html

Hospital system that operates in 19 states blocked from firing workers over vaccine mandate.  Filed motion by the Attorney General in Oklahoma.

Amazing the lies spewed by the satanist anti-vaxxer right wing extremists!  

There is NO real religion in this country that says there is a "religious exemption" to vaccines.  None.  So if the Church's aren't saying that, there is only one other possible source.



On the other hand, one real Church offers Official letters for those who would like to be exempt from working in proximity to unvaxxed....

https://www.spaghettimonster.org/

[whoatown]

Incorrect. First line of the article - "Oklahoma was granted a temporary restraining order that blocks Ascension Healthcare from terminating employees who were denied religious exemptions from the firm's COVID-19 vaccine mandate."

Even this is problematic as:
1) You can't argue your religion doesn't allow vaccines if you've gotten other vaccines. Or if you have a tattoo. Or if you eat pork. Or if you're wearing polyester. Cherry-picking random lines from the bible doesn't equal an exemption.
2) Oklahoma is a "Right to Work" state. Ascension can simply say to those people "You're fired because you drove a Ford to work". That's how 'Right to Work' works.
3) Even if Ascension can't fire them, it doesn't mean they have to put them on the schedule. Or they can suspend them without pay. Or a million other ways you can make an employee leave when you can't fire them.
4) I thought the general Republican view is businesses shouldn't be regulated and the free market should decide it's own fate. I guess that only applies when they get a large enough campaign donation from the businesses.

The only one that was offered a religious exemption was for the Catholic troops over a matter of aborted fetus parts in the vaccines themselves.  That sounds like a rather narrow exemption.