Over the past few weeks, states across the nation have been violating your civil liberties, while you are being told that it’s for your own protection. It’s for your own protection that you blindly follow the “suggestions” from those in charge and do not question a single thing that they say in this time of “crisis”.
I get that we need to take precautions. I get that those with a compromised immune system should be encouraged to stay at home as much as possible, and if you go out, you are taking a risk. I have no problem with the social distancing guidelines that the CDC has been suggesting that states follow. I don’t really even have a problem with things like sporting events and concerts being canceled in a time like this. I would love to go to a hockey game or a concert under normal circumstances, but in a time like this and it being impossible to follow the social distancing suggestions at a crowded venue, those might have to be canceled for a period of time. But we have crossed a line and it’s encouraging to see people from Seattle to Pennsylvania saying enough is enough. It’s encouraging to see people across the country saying that we want a definite date on when they will be allowed to go back to work and this “just two more weeks” every two weeks isn’t good enough.
If you question anything the elected authorities have been doing, you are accused of wanting people to die. If you suggest maybe taking a step back and looking at the long term impact of shutting down the economy would have on people’s lives and families, you are accused of denying science and only caring about profit. No, I care about people being able to afford to keep their homes and put food on the table for their families, and while some precautions are necessary, we can’t jump to extremes.
Of course it’s for your own protection that you blindly follow the authorities. I mean what other possible motive could our elected officials have other then to keep us safe from ourselves? There’s no one in the government who wants to use this time to push their agenda through?
Let’s go through some of the examples that Governor’s (both Democrat and Republican) have been doing in response to this “crisis”:
- Maryland-(important to note that this is a REPUBLICAN Governor) who is threatening to fine people $5,000, jail time or both, if you do not wear a mask in public.
- Pennsylvania- Businesses are now required to force their employees and customers to wear a mask. If they don’t they will be turned away and you are encouraged to report any business not following the order.
- Mississippi- Church goers received a $500 fine for sitting alone in their cars with the windows closed and listening to a radio church service.
- Kentucky- Church goers were met with nails on the road and police were recording license plates at a church who refused to cancel Easter Sunday service.
- New York- Releasing inmates from prison and then telling you that you buying a gun for your own protection isn’t “essential”.
- Wisconsin- You are not allowed to go to work to be able to afford to buy food for your family, but you aren’t allowed to buy seeds to grow your own food either, because seeds aren’t “essential”. You aren’t even allowed to buy seeds at a store such as Walmart that needs to be open anyways. I wish I was making this up.
- A skate park in San Clemente, California, was covered with 37 tons of sand to keep their residents “safe”.
Sadly these are only a few examples in a few states. It would take me all day to list all of the ways that the states are “suspending” your rights (for your own good of course). Governors who are pushing their radical left wing agendas in this time of “crisis”. Congressman who are trying to fund things like abortions and the green new deal, things that have absolutely nothing to do with the Wuhan Virus (Yes, I said it!) or stimulating the economy. Governors, such as Tom Wolf of Pennsylvania, who are trying to force businesses to raise their minimum wage and paid sick leave.
We can debate whether things like a $15 minimum wage, paid sick leave, abortion and the green new deal are right or wrong for the country, but the left doesn’t want a debate which is why they are trying to shove these things in to the Wuhan virus relief bills and force businesses to comply before they are allowed to reopen. They know that if things such as the green new deal would come up for an honest and fair debate, they would be rejected by the American people in most states, and their agenda would fail. But if they try to sneak at least parts of it into a “relief bill”, that puts Republicans into a tough position and many would take the bait. They get to grow the size of government and you get no say over it.
It’s critical that Americans across this nation begin to stand up for their civil liberties. Any rights that you allow the government to take from you in this “crisis”, will be the starting point for the next thing they can deem a crisis. And trust me, it won’t wait until the next virus hits. Many state governments will come out of this with even more authority then they had going in. And even if we come out of this with your state not looking like they have gained more control over their citizens, the leaders will take note exactly what the reaction was from the people when they “suspended” your rights in the name of security.
Ben Franklin was right. “Those who would give up essential liberty, to purchase a little temporary safety, deserve neither liberty nor safety.” I would much rather take my chances with this virus, then an out of control government who violates my liberties every chance they get. That will have a far greater impact then this virus will ever have.
This virus will eventually settle down enough where we can get back to our normal lives and not think about it. It likely will never go away completely, but we’ll learn to deal with it just like we live with the flu every year since it first started in 1918. But if we give up our liberty for the sake of security, those liberties will be very difficult to get back, if we ever get them back.