1/ Thread. Hi @GovStitt. I'm an elected official from Canada - kind is the equivalent of an American Congressional rep. However, I have have a big problem that only you can solve. It's close to my heart, and is causing me no end of anxiety, and it's related to COVID-19.
2/ You see, I got married to one of your electors about a year ago. He voted for you, and he proudly served your country for over 24 years in the army. I have three step kids by him, and I'm worried because of the lack of state clarity on isolation measures related to COVID-19.
3/ Like you, my days are spent fielding countless calls on how to protect our community from the spread of COVID. Like you, I come from an oil producing fly over region that is routinely overlooked by the elites in the populous power bases in costal regions of our nations.
4/ But back to COVID- there's overwhelming evidence that if we stay at home, we can flatten the curve in the short term. Here's my problem. I'm a new stepmom, and I don't believe that my stepkids really understand the threat of COVID. I need your help.
5/ I'm trying to keep one of them at home, and she's been more obedient than most. She even took a leave from her job at my request because there were no state guidelines for ppe in the industry that she's in. I'm not sure she'll have a job to go back to.
6/ But because of the lack of statewide rules on staying at home, she can dismiss our rules. "This isn't Canada, Michelle." She's 19, and she loves hanging out with friends. She thinks that being at someone's house means she's not at risk.
7/ Even my husband has said that because there aren't state wide stay at home rules, forcing her to stay at home is hard. This struck me so deeply that I'm breaching protocol and reaching out to you directly.
8/ Trust me, I know the path is not easy - every close down measure we take affects the livelihoods of the workers of our community. But I'm speaking to you as a mom. I'm begging you to come up with a state framework to address stay at home measures to save lives.
9/ I need to be able to point my family to your leadership and advice when telling them to stay at home. I can't do that right now, because your rules aren't clear. It's frustrating because as a legislator myself I keenly understand how deadly and profound this virus is.
10/ Please....for the next few weeks and for the sake of our families and their safety, ask the kids and people of your state to stay at home. Tell them the truth - that their in person time with friends can wait, and that every gathering has profound risks.
11/ Get them to give you the time you need to ramp up testing and other resources to contain the spread of this virus. Please, shut things down.
12/ I'm looking to you even though I'm not a citizen, to say that it's not ok to gather, and to implement the measures other jurisdictions have taken before it's too late, because we're all in this together.
13/ Our countries share the same land, long border, trade, friends, and families. If there is anything I can do to help, let me know. But please, please, take more action to get the people of your state to stay at home, as quickly as you can.
14/ My best, and everything above said not out of criticism but out of deep concern for those I deeply love, whom you have authority to govern over. ~ Michelle
