Kansas Mayor Who Voted for Mask Mandate Resigns After Receiving Death Threats

The mayor of a Kansas town has stepped down after receiving death threats over a city commission vote requiring everyone to wear masks in indoor public spaces. What a normal and cool country we live in!

At first, Dodge City Mayor Joyce Warshaw saw only the usual complaints after the vote last month, your run-of-the-mill “but my freedoms” and “you should go to jail” garbage consistent with people who believe that their right to leave their faces uncovered trumps the rights of healthcare and frontline workers to live, and who are extremely confused about the democratic process, respectively.

But it wasn’t until after the city was featured in a USA Today story that a larger contingent of psychos stepped up to the plate, writing things like, “Burn in hell,” “Get murdered,” and ‘We’re coming for you,’” the Washington Post reports.

“They were loud, and they were aggressive, and they frightened me and my family,” said Warshaw, who had been serving her second stint as mayor. “There’s a strong part of me that wants to say they are only words. But people are angry right now, and I don’t know that for sure.”

Mind you, the decision to require masks inside came only after Dodge City saw a renewed surge of cases, and also after Warshaw’s daughter contracted covid-19 and her aunt died from it. “We just felt like we had to do something so everybody was aware of how important it was for everybody to be responsible for each other’s health and well-being,” she told USA Today.

Police are investigating the email threats Warshaw received; nevertheless, she decided that existing in such a small town while threats against her loomed was not feasible.

“I do not feel safe in this position anymore,” she wrote in a resignation letter, “and am hopeful in removing myself this anger, accusations and abuse will not fall on anyone else and will calm down.” She probably shouldn’t hold her breath.