Time to tear a page from a Burbank restaurateur. Carl Durrek at NOQ Report has the inspiring development:
Civil disobedience has been a
staple of American culture since before the nation broke free from England. It
is a necessary component of our freedom as government tends to lean towards
authoritarianism whenever it sees a clear path. Covid-19 has opened up such a
path for many authoritarians across the nation with California leading the way
towards a dystopian near-future.
The city council of Burbank,
California, has been in a mini-war with businesses from the beginning of the
pandemic. One business in particular, Tinhorn Flats Bar and Grill, has
chosen to fight back. Following yesterday’s unanimous vote by the city council
to shutter the oldest bar in the city, the response from the local business was
short and sweet:
As promised, the bar opened for
business as planned. An hour after opening, there had been no word from the
city or visits by law enforcement. So far it appears the civil disobedience is
happening unimpeded. But that likely won’t last long as the strongarm of the
law will soon step in. Very similarly to the infamous Hank Rearden speech in Atlas Shrugged, owner Baret Lepejian believes if government wants to stop
them from doing business, they’ll have to do so with more than just an order.
“The pathetic-losers on the Burbank
City Council had obviously made up their minds way before the ‘meeting'” ever
started,” the bar posted on Facebook. “This was nothing short of a vicious mob
with pitchforks coming for that who stands against their campaign of fear. I
WILL NOT COMPLY AND I WILL NOT CLOSE MY BUSINESS TO THESE PATHETIC, UNAMERICAN
SOCIALIST COWARDS. If need be, I will go down with my ship..”
This isn’t the first attempt by the
city to shut them down. Last month, they revoked the restaurant’s public health
permit in hopes of bullying the establishment into shutting its doors. But as
noted by attorneys for the bar, they have never had a health violation. This
latest move to revoke their business license has brought the city and bar
national attention. Burbank City Attorney Amy Albano said that if the
restaurant’s owners do not comply a lawsuit will be filed and a court order
will be sought to close the business.
We wholeheartedly stand with
Tinhorn Flats Bar and Grill as they fight to keep their rights to operate
safely and within reasonable guidelines that follow medical science. Their
story is America’s story. Their fight is our fight.
Which is why I posted this.
We’ve let the owners of our favorite neighborhood bistro know that if they
want patrons who will refuse to wear a mask or to practice social distancing,
we’ll be there. In the meantime, I continue to wear my [useless] mask like a
beard across my chin.
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