Seriously, how is this not more of a national conversation? I live in PA and my friend just told me he was followed to the doctor’s office by a cop. I’m not even aware of how they plan to enforce this new “order” that was enacted last night for my county, but even if it’s only fines it seems massively restrictive.
We are shutting down freedom of movement for anything non-essential apparently. I am possibly liable to be pulled over and questioned on where I am going, and fined if it is not a state-approved reason. I’m sorry, but I thought this was the land of the free.
I’m simply outraged by the way this is trending, and extremely alarmed at the rapidity of escalation. There’s still so much we don’t know about the magnitude/legitimacy of this virus, and to restrict people’s freedom of movement over fear is cowardly and radically un-American.
Please discuss with me here pedes - I want a better understanding of the constitutionality of these “orders” that are sweeping the nation, including how they’re being enforced, and why everyone is complacently accepting them.
I think DJT did it right - by leaving these actions to the state. DJT is reinvigorating the states and reminding them that they indeed are an important (probably the most important) level of government. Anyone for state’s rights should be ecstatic that DJT has done this. If Hillary had been in power, EVERYTHING would have been at the Federal level and the gestapo government would have been complete.
That said, in times of emergency, for public safety, state and especially local governments have almost unlimited power. You can’t just choose to stay in a burning building, for example. The lowest levels of government are the most authoritarian and socialistic - this is the good and proper way to do things.
Building roads for free use, free public education, free parks, free libraries, mandated water and sewer services, the list of “socialist” type things local governments do is quite long. But the people have actual power at the local level, so that is where the most intrusive government should be.
DJT has done it right, by letting the state and local governments use their rightful powers to enforce these draconian measures (hopefully on a temporary basis). In so doing he has bolstered the power of the states, and reduced ever since slightly the power of the Federal government. All conservatives should be ecstatic at this turn of events, even if it means having to deal with slightly intrusive state and local governments for a short time.
I strongly agree with leaving it to localities. It’s the local governments that I think, even with your point regarding the ability to enforce stronger measures, ought not to have this ability to at-will crack down on peaceful movement.
It is a fundamental right to socialize and gather in my view, and while I do know that Constitutional rights are superseded in the name of public safety (shouting fire in a movie theater), there seems to be a dearth of evidence that this pandemic provides sufficient justification.
As a social guy, even not being able to go into the office has been hard on me, and the fact that going to visit friends and family may entail fines, and/or legal consequences goes beyond not sitting right with me.
It doesn’t feel like we live in America anymore. Thank you for the thoughtful reply.