Many are talking about our rights being taken away during the Coronavirus pandemic. People on YouTube talking about how the government is suspending rights due to Coronavirus.
On the flip side, President Trump is barely using his authority. He seems to be scupulously following Constitutional principles.
There are several threads on FaceBook this topic, and I try to see it both ways.
Let’s be honest, people are acting like idiots with this outbreak. That goes across the board from government officials down to the everyday person.
There’s a disease. People can have it before showing symptoms, and spread it before showing symptoms. It’s about protecting people from other people who might be endangering their lives. If most people would do this naturally, this wouldn’t be handled by the government. There wouldn’t be a quarantine enforced or mandated, people would quarantine themselves to protect themselves and their community.
A virus doesn’t care that you have your rights during those days you’re coughing on people not yet knowing you’re sick. It thrives on it even.
BUT, care must indeed be taken about overreach. The way our society works just handles diseases very poorly.
It shows the flat-footedness of our society today and how people are reacting to the situation.
It shows that our general misunderstanding of the delicate balance between common good and constitutional rights is such a tiny razor’s edge.
The rights argument is obvious.
Industrious demi-tyrants will obviously take advantage of the situation to further their political agenda. There are literally thousands of examples of this over the past few weeks. The governors of Virginia and Illinois and the mayor of Chicago for example.
The “common good” argument however is also valid in many respects because when does it become too painful to protect liberties over common good?
The reality is far more nuanced that what one can figure. The education level of the founders of this nation is obviously far higher than many of the modern politicos and media talking heads.
But the stern truth is, that if the common good (and here we are talking a real and measurable threat) may, because of its mechanisms not be respond-able to our liberties in the traditional sense nor the protections traditionally used.
We have to create guards of liberty in such times and hold accountable the politicians and others who abuse them.
I see the need to a degree of shuttering businesses to slow down its progression, but stripping rights or even suspending them is a bit more nuanced as I said previously. Not everyone will win.
But a check valve and the rights of the individual to fight government overreach should be and should have been in place and institutionalized long before the current crop of singing and fiddling morons took the helm.
THAT was the purpose of the 2A. It is such times as now that we must be vigilant and keep the politicians and other idiots in check.
Was not pleased when I read are turning in their neighbors. Sounds like things people did in WWII.
Also, Mayor Cuomo of NY, said he was going to close ALL churches! But then, this is like the abortion capital of our country.
All this hoop-la wears me out.
Good post Patrick, as always
Stay healthy. Remember God is in charge, not us.
Blessings to all: 2medicinewoman
Den Mother
Sharon D.
I agree that God is in charge Den Mother but He also gave us a brain to use commons sense. If we take care of our own business and let others take care of theirs, (as long as they do not infringe on us), we would be much better off. Stay safe and well.