On Saturday, state representative Mary Franson attracted some attention on Twitter:
Rep Franson must be channeling Caleb Wallace.
— Keith Nordeen (@delasalle72) August 28, 2021
A letter to the editor from Esther Mehrer in the August 31 Alexandria Echo Press, A sad irony to Medical Freedom Rally in St. Paul picked up the Caleb Wallace connection:
On Saturday, Aug. 28, State Rep. Mary Franson, R-Alexandria, spoke at a Medical Freedom Rally in St Paul.
The irony of this event is that on this same day, [Caleb] Wallace died of COVID. Who was [Caleb] that makes his mentioning relevant?
[Caleb] was a anti-masker, anti-vaxxer who organized a Freedom Rally in Texas last year. Once he contracted COVID in July of this year, he prolonged going to the doctor because "he didn't want to be a COVID statistic" per his wife. Instead he took high doses of vitamin C, zinc, aspirin and an inhaler. He also took ivermectin (an antiparasitic drug meant to be a horse dewormer).
He leaves behind a pregnant wife, due in September, and three young girls. Uninsured, Jessica set up a GoFundMe account, or what I refer to as the Republican health care plan.
In the past, I have read Franson refer to medical freedom as "the hill to die on." Ironic that Calab died on the same day Franson attended and spoke at a Medical Freedom Rally.
We fact-checked Mehrer's story and aside from the misspelling of his first name, it checks out. There's a touching story about Wallace in the San Angelo Standard-Times, updated with news of his death, ‘He loved his family’: Caleb Wallace dies after battle with COVID-19, pregnant wife says.
A quick assessment of Saturday's rally:
2,000 rally at State Capitol against mandates for masks, vaccinations including:
— Conquistador Jones, M.D. (@devomase) August 29, 2021
- Rep. Mary Franson
- Rep. Eric Lucero
- Sen. Jim Abeler
- GOP governor candidate Scott Jensen
- GOP governor candidate Neil Shah
Today's GOP has gone fully Ludditehttps://t.co/UAJKamLy9H
As readers learned in the related posts below, Franson has peddled her "medical freedom" schtick for months.
Related posts:
- Local journalist thanks Franson for the fodder
- Local doctor scolds Rep. Mary Franson for sharing complete quackery on thermometer guns
- Contact tracing: Is Mary Franson's circle of conservative friends metaphor for COVID romp?
- Mask-shaming Franson doesn't get file photos, deleted anti-Walz take at local paper's Facebook
- State rep hosts meeting in county making national news as COVID hotspot, slams Walz order
- Mary Franson calls Echo Press non-endorsement for MNHouse 8B "an endorsement of sorts"
- Small town MN freedom fighting restauranteur's anti-vaxx pals make us pause about her savvy
Photo: State representative Mary Franson with Lynd MN part-time restaurant owner Larvita McFarquhar, outside an October 2020 anti-vaxx conference in Alexandria MN. Via McFarquhar's Facebook page. Read more in Small town MN freedom fighting restauranteur's anti-vaxx pals make us pause about her savvy. We'll have a fascinating post soon about a recent anti-vaxx speaker at Larvita's bistro, Havens Garden, soon.
If you appreciate Bluestem Prairie, you can mail contributions (payable to Sally Jo Sorensen, 600 Maple Street, Summit SD 57266) or use the paypal button in the upper right hand corner of this post. Those wishing to make a small ongoing monthly contribution should click on the paypal subscription button.
Or you can contribute via this link to paypal; use email [email protected] as recipient.
NEW: I'm now on Venmo for those who prefer to use this service: @Sally-Sorensen-6
Comments