I just got a couple of texts from family warning that the nation would be shut down by the military in response to COVID-19. Everyone nationwide would be forced to quarantine themselves in their homes. All businesses nationwide would be forced to close. Trump invoked the Stafford Act to do this and would announce it over the weekend. The problem with this, (aside from it being hilariously impossible), is that the Stafford Act only involves funding for FEMA and the lifting of restrictions on the medical community…not quarantine. Not Martial Law.

I went to a reliable source (REUTERS) to learn that this farce originated from a Facebook post by Jasmine Morgan of Richmond, Virginia at 8:16am on Monday morning. I went to Jasmine’s Facebook page to confirm this and there was the warning, supposedly from a friend in the military and advising everyone to buy and hoard two weeks worth of food and supplies. Just what we needed to hear when shelves are already bare. NOTE: Actually, the language in this particular post displays far better grammar than her other posts, so I wonder if SHE actually wrote it or whether they are someone else’s words posted to her account.

Jasmine (or whomever) has the right to free speech, just like every other citizen, but this post doesn’t fall into that category. It falls into the category of yelling “FIRE” in a crowded theatre. But this is even worse. The supremely stupid behavior can easily be considered treasonous due to the enormous damage and possible loss of life it may cause by those who believe the lies.

Trump also invoked the Defense Production Act ( a wartime tool) to address COVID. After all, we are at war with this virus. Treason during wartime is punishable by…guess what?

Jasmine (or whomever) should certainly be arrested and charged. The person responsible is, of course, entitled to due process. If convicted, I’d have my own opinion as to their punishment and it wouldn’t stop at the loss of a Facebook page.

Trump warned of getting information from reputable sources. He warned about the likelihood of disinformation being spread through social media. He gave good counsel.