Another day and we are closer to two more “orders” from our governor, JB Pritzker, to follow to get us out of this nightmare virus. These are simple: the stay at home prescription is extended for another 30 days, until the end of May and all who venture outside their homes, for whatever reason, must wear masks.
Admittedly, Pritzker’s pronouncements are milder than some in this nation, for a few governors feel that the pandemic has unleashed their inner tyrant. Whitmer of Michigan (no, she is NOT related to me!); Northam of Virginia, Cooper of North Carolina, Evers of Wisconsin, Cuomo of New York and Newsom of California come to mind first, although others come close in their sometimes draconian orders to their constituents. Sometimes these leaders are seen ordering citizens about, and then they violate their own rules. Mayor Bill de Blasio of New York issued a strict stay at home order, then was seen eleven miles from his home walking through a park. Can anyone spell hypocrite?
Some of the more egregious directives include: in one California county, only one swimmer per pool, no matter how large or small the pool; beaches completely denuded of those who enjoy the beach (one example is of a single man on a deserted beach surrounded by police and handcuffed); a surfer caught even though the place was without anyone else; Easter services banned, to the point of police issuing tickets and taking license plate numbers of those who defied a mayor’s orders; not being able to buy seeds to plant in a garden or buy a child’s car seat; not being able to travel to a second home if it was in the same state, but you could drive to another state; not visiting relatives in the same state; a mayor banning the sale of guns and ammo (although she was forced to walk this back when certain Second Amendment opponents faced her down).
Essential business could stay open, which led to some of the most ludicrous decisions. Abortion clinics could stay open, but hair salons remained closed. You could buy alcohol or marijuana products, but not go to a clothing store, which was closed. We saw this first hand this week, as we finally got our shaggy Goldendoodle groomed, but could not get a haircut for (shaggy) me.
The list of unreasonable restrictions and arbitrary rules could go on and on, but the reason for this post is about how to enforce these “orders” from governors.
Just in our small town, a little less than 9000 people call Paris home, how many law enforcement officers will be needed on Friday to make sure all who are out and about are wearing facemasks? What about the social distancing? Do we need our local National Guard unit deployed with measuring rods? What are the penalties for not following Governor Pritzker’s rules? Fines or jail time?
On the beaches, who is going to patrol the empty spaces to make sure no one violates the edict against enjoying sand and surf? Do we depend on loyal citizens to make the phone call to authorities when someone is surfing on a pristine stretch of coastal waters?
How many pool watchers will be needed to keep a second swimmer from jumping in to enjoy a cool splash on a hot afternoon? In Michigan, will the LEOs be forced to forego regular policing to keep people from going to their second, vacation home? Who is going to enforce the non purchasing of garden seeds? (Make no mistake: Gov. Whitmer of Michigan has vowed to veto any bill designed to take away her power!)
Already pushback has been seen against the lockdown of our economy. Several small and large demonstrations have been held, declaring that not working is harming the country more than any virus could. Lawsuits have been filed to force authorities to loosen up the tight restrictions on who can and who cannot work.
A good question has been asked about all the various and sundry rules promulgated in the nation recently: Is this a dress rehearsal for a totalitarian state? Are we seeing the first step in a march to a socialist country or one that is under the dictation of authorities, elected or not”
If another such pandemic would occur in the future, how will those in power react? Will it be another shutdown of the economic and social life of Americans? Or will it be an opportunity to set up martial law?
Will finally it come to the place where the National Guard and the military patrol the streets to keep the orders being followed? Will the gun grabbers succeed so that if they disarm the people, no revolution could ever come about?
Our leaders must acknowledge the overreach federal, state and local authorities have made, and pull back before we have a full-blown resistance to government of any kind. If that is to come about, perhaps we might understand what anarchy is all about.
I believe that every official who issues any kind of “order” must also address the practical part of enforcement. To not do so is to invite civil disobedience by a majority of the American people.