Texas official on reopening country: 'There are more important things than living'

In late March, Texas Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick (R) said elderly people at risk for infection and subsequent death from coronavirus should nonetheless return to work.

Patrick was widely criticized and condemned for his stance.

Appearing on Fox News on Monday night, Patrick made clear he remains devoted to his potentially deadly position.

From the April 20 edition of Fox News’ “Tucker Carlson Tonight”:

TUCKER CARLSON, Host: You’re going to see a lot of people out of work, and you’re going to see the economy crushed. Do you think you’ve been vindicated?

 

DAN PATRICK, lieutenant governor of Texas: Well, I’m sorry that I’m vindicated. I wish it hadn’t happened, Tucker, but I’m a small business guy and I’ve been around the block long enough to see what was going to happen. When you start shutting down society and people start losing their paychecks and businesses can’t open and governments aren’t getting revenues, and go on and on and on.

 

So, I’m sorry to say that I was right on this. And I’m thankful that we are now, Tucker, finally beginning to open up Texas and other states because it’s been long overdue.

 

You know, they told us, Tucker, to follow the science. But what science? I mean, at the end of January, Dr. Fauci, who I have great respect for, said this wasn’t a big issue. Three weeks later we were going to lose 2 million people. Another few weeks later it was 1 to 200 thousand. Now it’s under 60,000. And we’ve had the wrong numbers. The wrong science. And I don’t blame them, but let’s face reality of where we are.

 

In Texas we have 29 million people. We lost 495, and every life is valuable. But 500 people out of 29 million and we’re locked down and we’re crushing the average worker, we’re crushing small business, we’re crushing the markets, we’re crushing this country.

 

And what I said when I was with you that night: There are more important things than living, and that’s saving this country for my children and my grandchildren and saving this country for all of us.

 

And I don’t want to die, nobody wants to die, but man we’ve got to take some risks and get back in the game and get this country back up and running.

Published with permission of The American Independent Foundation.