The Tyrannical Overreach of Liberal Politicians
RGJ May 17, 2020
As COVID-19 struck America, governors across the country implemented varying restrictions to contain the spread of the virus. While all states implemented some degree of restrictions, there were significant differences between the approach taken by Republican Governors compared to those by Democrat Governors. Republican Governors treaded cautiously with respect to Constitutional rights, whereas Democrat Governors were happy to infringe on the rights of their citizens.
Let’s start with Michigan where Democrat Governor Gretchen Whitmer is the poster child for tyrannical overreach. Her restrictions have included no gatherings of people who are not part of a single household, no travel to in-state second home, and cordoning off garden centers and paint departments in open, multi-purpose stores. Over in Pennsylvania, a woman received a $200 citation by the State Police because she went for a drive alone during the stay-at-home order. Perhaps, Democrat Governor Tom Wolf can explain how a woman in a car by herself can spread a virus. Kentucky Democrat Governor Andy Beshear ordered State Police to track the license plates of those who attended church on Easter. Louisville Democrat Mayor Greg Fisher banned drive-in church services on Easter Sunday. In Dallas, Democrat Judge Eric Moyé sentenced salon owner Shelley Luther to a week in jail because she opened her business and refused to admit that her action to open the salon was “selfish”.
If you overcome the obstacles and open your business, be prepared for frivolous lawsuits as trial lawyers are gearing up to sue you into bankruptcy. Don’t expect any sympathy from Democrats, as trial lawyers are the Democrat party’s most loyal supporters. For the 2016 election cycle, they contributed $36.4 million to Hillary Clinton and less than $1 million to Donald Trump. Coming to your TV screen for the next decade, endless commercials from trial lawyers with the word “asbestos” replaced by the word “Coronavirus”.
We can all agree that congregating at large venues for concerts, sports events, etc. is a bad idea in the middle of a declared pandemic. Additionally, a stay-at-home order for the at-risk population (Obesity, high blood pressure and diabetes have been identified as common risk factors according to this report in the New York Times) also makes sense. Blindly shutting down parks where kids throw a football or play catch standing hundreds of feet from each other, locking up high school facilities where people walk and closing tennis courts where two people stand 100 feet apart all the while threatening criminal penalties (like City of Reno did) for violations, all have little to do with the virus and everything to do with tyrannical politicians getting involved in virtue signaling. Yes, in the City of Reno, if you are an illegal immigrant, we are “welcoming” but if you are a kid playing catch at a park, you will face criminal penalties!
One final point: Tyranny starts with big government and government control. To quote President Gerald Ford, “A government big enough to give you everything you want is a government big enough to take from you everything you have”. That is exactly what liberal politicians did, taking away our liberty by going overboard with meaningless restrictions using COVID-19 as an excuse. If liberal politicians were as tough on those who don’t work as they are with those who want to work, this country would have a far more robust economy than we had just three short months ago.
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