The Patriot Post® · The Sturgis 'Super-Spreader' That Wasn't

As thousands of bikers converged in the Black Hills of South Dakota for the annual Sturgis Motorcycle Rally during the second week of August, they were dubiously branded by the Leftmedia know-nothings as dangerous COVID “super-spreaders.” The Washington Post provided the typical hysteria with an articled titled, “Sturgis Motorcycly Rally revs up, drawing though sands and heightening delta super spreader fears.”

But it wasn’t just the Leftmedia that blasted South Dakota for allowing the rally. Dr. Anthony Fauci offered this politically tainted prediction: “I’m very concerned … that we are going to see another surge related to that rally. I mean, to me it’s understandable that people want to do the kinds of things they want to do. They want their freedom to do that. But there comes a time when you’re dealing with a public health crisis that could involve you, your family, and everyone else that something supersedes that need to do exactly what you want to do.”

Fauci’s authoritarian fearmongering came through especially strongly, likely because South Dakota Republican Governor Kristi Noem has steadfastly refused to encroach upon her constituents’ constitutional rights.

Further demonstrating that Fauci’s concerns are tied more to politics than science was his silence over Barack Obama’s 60th birthday bash. Hundreds of guests turned up to celebrate at the former president’s estate on Martha’s Vineyard, yet not a peep came from the doctor over it being a potential super-spreader event.

Now that the end of the Sturgis rally is 14 days past — the accepted incubation period for the manifestation of COVID infections — has the event lived up to the Leftmedia’s hype? It sure doesn’t seem so.

As John Hinderaker observes: “The U.S. as a whole averaged 276 new covid cases per 100,000 population over the last seven days, while South Dakota averaged only 156. South Dakota has fewer new cases than all surrounding states except Minnesota and Iowa, which have 5% and 4% fewer new cases per 100,000 than South Dakota, respectively.”

Did the Leftmedia talkingheads admit that their super-spreader concerns were much ado about nothing? As everyone already knows, the answer is no. And there will be no follow-up mea culpa, because the issue isn’t really COVID at all. The real issue is Americans being free to engage in their constitutionally protected right to assembly. That’s a freedom leftists don’t believe Americans should be able to exercise without permission.