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The longer local and state government officials keep the country shut down, the more they risk the ire of the American people, who are, for the most part — except for parts of the Democratic Party base — not accustomed to sitting on their backside awaiting government handouts.
Especially when the handouts are spotty at best, and they are about to lose everything they have worked so hard to build.
Shelly Luther, a salon owner in Dallas, is drawing a line in the sand. Behind on her mortgage and no Small Business Association funding in sight, Luther has decided to re-open her business Friday, April 24, in violation of the stay-at-home order in Texas that has closed all non-essential businesses, Inside Edition reported.
https://twitter.com/KelemenCari/status/1253694378532573192?s=20
“I’m behind on my mortgage,” Luther said. “I know a lot of my stylists haven’t paid their mortgage. It’s either come in and make money to be able to feed your family or stay home and freak out.”
A mother of three, Luther has 19 stylists who make their living at her salon.
“Obviously I don’t want anyone to get sick and I don’t want the virus to spread,” the business owner told Inside Edition. “It will be one of the safer places for people to go rather than going to Walmart or Home Depot.”
And Luther is willing to risk her freedom as an American.
“No one wants to go to jail, but if push comes to shove I’m willing to take that risk,” she said.
Which is the question podcast host Cari Kelemen asked in a tweet.
Noting that Luther’s schedule was “PACKED,” Kelemen asked how local authorities would respond to this carefully calculated violation.
“This morning, a single mom Salon Owner in Dallas, who cannot afford to stay closed another day, is opening her salon ‘ahead of schedule.’ Her schedule today is PACKED with happy women. Will sheriffs be there to arrest her? How will the women with appointments respond if they do?”
This morning, a single mom Salon Owner in Dallas, who cannot afford to stay closed another day, is opening her salon “ahead of schedule.” Her schedule today is PACKED with happy women.
Will sheriffs be there to arrest her? How will the women with appointments respond if they do?
— Cari Kelemen (@KelemenCari) April 24, 2020
Noting that stylists have been going into clients’ homes to provide services, Luther says reopening the sanitized salon provides a safer environment for all involved.
She said that most of cosmetology school had to do with sanitization. Everyone will be wearing a mask and sanitizing all equipment between clients. Stylists have been going into clients homes to provide services and she felt it was safer to have them work in a sanitized salon.
— Cari Kelemen (@KelemenCari) April 24, 2020
Kelemen characterized the decision as “a hard, but brave & compassionate” thing to do.
Governor Abbott just clarified that a business that is given an Executive Order green light to reopen on a statewide basis cannot be obstructed from reopening by local authorities.
— Cari Kelemen (@KelemenCari) April 24, 2020
Non-essential businesses in Texas are being allowed to reopen Friday, but customers are to order online or over the telephone and pick up their order, instead of being let inside, according to CBS Austin.
The next step in reopening the Texas economy is reportedly to allow customers to go inside non-essential retail businesses — perhaps in limited numbers.
Here’s a sampling of responses to the story from Twitter, which proves that Luther has more people behind her than she may think:
Now there’s an American Patriot!!! We are not suppose to be afraid of the government. That’s tyranny.
— Mimi pat (@Vhomudbq) April 24, 2020
We are smart people! No one wants to get this nasty virus. I’m sure they will take every precaution. People with any symptom or in the high risk group should stay home. We are all in this together!
— W. Dale Reneau Jr. (@wdalereneaujr) April 24, 2020
Good for her! Other local businesses should show solidarity with her.
— Scott Bradshaw (@scottb939599) April 24, 2020
Praying for her; more business owners need to do this; defy them, they can’t arrest everyone.
— Kenneth Sudduth (@KennethSudduth) April 24, 2020
the salon that I go to hear in Harrison Arkansas will not be reopening when I drove by yesterday the sign was down they weren’t able to bounce back
— April Lopez Hutchens ❌ (@Dallasneedslung) April 24, 2020
Whatever happen to my body my choice? Just for abortion or for freedom to decide?
— C. Edward Moore Jr (@CEMooreJr) April 24, 2020
A group of women who have waited this long to get their hair done? If I were the police? I’d stay far away. Hahaha. Any married officer will know to back off that one.
— 2DoodlesRule (@LilBuff9) April 24, 2020
In Louisiana the state board has posses of inspectors patrolling salons constantly. If they catch you it’s a $2,000 fine, loss of license pending an appeal to the state board. But our Governor has a nice fresh haircut and so did two of our state Reps I saw.
— Karl Vincent (@cajunhossman1) April 24, 2020
I don’t think we should follow these lock down orders anymore. Civil disobedience. Closing the economy is one of our biggest blunders in history. It also shows most our politicians aren’t very smart.
— Corporal King (@thedriverprofit) April 24, 2020
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The longest-tenured writer at BizPac Review, Tom grew up in Maryland before moving to Central Florida as a young teen. It is in the Sunshine State that he honed both his passion for politics and his writing skills.
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