Former Texas Official, Who Cannot Spell, Blames Winter Storm Destruction on Socialism and Laziness: 'Only the Strong Will Survive'

Tom Boyd, the former mayor of Colorado City, Texas, was rightfully eviscerated this Tuesday after sharing a bizarre Facebook post blaming the fallout from unprecedented freezing temperatures and snowstorms, which are currently overtaking his state, on the population’s lack of perseverance. The post, which has now been deleted, complains about the ungrateful Texas residents who want their government to do things like, I dunno, ensure they have access to water and power in below-freezing temperatures. How dare they demand access to basic services?

Boyd started off his typo-ridden post with the line “Let me hurt some feelings while I have a minute!!” which has to be one of the most ominous ways possible to begin a Facebook rant. It only got worse from there.

“No one owes you or your family anything; nor is it the local governments responsibility to support you during trying times like this! Sink or swim, it’s your choice! The City and County, along with power providers or any other service owes you NOTHING! I’m sick and tired of people looking for a damn hand out!”

I’m so curious what this man believes the responsibility of government actually is, if not to help residents through an unprecedented natural disaster like this one. I could be wrong, but I’ve been led to believe that the power providers actually do owe people…. power.

Boyd’s post continued on in a similarly deranged manner:

“If you don’t have electricity you step up and come up with a game plan to keep your family warm and safe. If you have no water you deal with out and think outside of the box to survive and supply water to your family. If you were sitting at home in the cold because you have no power and are sitting there waiting for someone to come rescue you because your lazy is direct result of your raising! Only the strong will survive and the week will perish.”

If you don’t have electricity, why don’t you just go FIND SOME? The rest of Boyd’s rant is pretty predictable—some nonsense about “God has given us the tools,” blaming the “socialist government” that has led people to become “dependent for handouts.” (I’m leaving in the typos for dramatic flair.)

Boyd’s “survival of the fittest” comments might be funny if natural disasters like these didn’t disproportionately impact people experiencing homelessness, disabled people, and the elderly. For some people, it’s tempting to minimize the seriousness of the situation Texas is in, but for a state unprepared to handle the effects of snow and ice, even just a few inches is no laughing matter. Not only is the weather causing mass power outages and widespread panic throughout Texas, but it has already led to a number of deaths.

After the understandable outrage that arose in response to his comments, Boyd made a second Facebook post on Tuesday afternoon clarifying that he was speaking as a private citizen in the first post. He claims to have filed his resignation as mayor on February 12th, meaning he was no longer officially mayor when he called people freezing in their homes across the state of Texas “lazy” for wanting things like heat and running water. Ah, what a relief to know that a public official who clearly resented the people he was “serving” while in office waited a whole four days after quitting to publicly express that resentment. During a natural disaster. My faith in humanity has been restored.