Nonsense Rules Call for Civil Dissent
CITING the Bill of Rights and the “ideals of civil disobedience,” the owner of Atilis Gym in Bellmawr, NJ, defied Gov. Phil Murphy’s orders by reopening on Monday. Cops “formally” notified the gym owner he was in violation of the shutdown order and then wished him “a good day.” The crowd cheered. Two days later, Atilis is still open.
Civil disobedience is alive and well, even in this pandemic.
Last week, a Texas judge told salon owner Shelley Luther that if she disagreed with lockdown rules in Dallas, she should “hire a lawyer” and sue. Sorry, but most working people can’t afford that. They protest instead. And disobey when laws become oppressive.
Lawyering has a place, though. In many states, business groups, churches and state representatives are suing to overturn what they claim are freedom-stifling rules imposed by autocratic governors. On Monday, an Oregon county judge struck down Gov. Kate Brown’s coronavirus restrictions, ruling that her emergency powers should last only a month; after that, she needs legislative approval. Brown is appealing.
Last week, a Wisconsin court struck down Gov. Tony Evers’ “safer at home” regimen, when Evers tried to extend it until the end of May. The court said 28 days of emergency powers is enough.
Expect a similar outcome in Michigan, where the Legislature is suing Gov. Gretchen Whitmer. The governor, according to a Detroit News editorial, has “declared herself the sole and absolute power in Michigan.”
Although Whitmer is a Democrat, and the legislature mostly Republican, this isn’t mere partisan wrangling. Lawmakers offered to compromise on lockdown rules, and she refused. At stake is “whether Michigan remains a representative democracy even in times of crisis,” the Detroit News editors warn.
Also at stake is the right to earn a living. Karl Manke, a barber who reopened his shop in Owosso, Mich., two weeks ago, has been wearing a mask, washing his hands between customers and sanitizing his tools with UV light. He’s taking safety seriously.
Yet the authorities have slammed him with criminal misdemeanor charges. (The same, by the way, with the owner of Atilis gym in Jersey.) Both these business owners raise the some question: Why is it safe to walk down the aisles in Walmart but not in a smaller business? What makes big-box stores more “essential” than mom-and-pop shops?
The longer lockdowns drag on, the dumber rules get. Mayor de Blasio announced Monday that beaches will be closed and anyone who dares swim will “be taken right out of the water.” Huh? Scientific evidence shows that being outside is extremely low risk, almost
no risk, and swimming is undoubtedly the lowest.
Don’t count on the NYPD to drag out swimmers. Across the nation, cops have displayed common sense and sympathy for their neighbors. Four sheriffs’ departments in Michigan have announced they are refusing to enforce Whitmer’s orders. “With limited resources,” said the Shiawassee Co. sheriff, “our priority focus will be on enforcing duly passed laws.”
Those are beautiful words, especially coming from law enforcement. Even in this health crisis, when safety is paramount, Americans are standing up for the principles of self-government and personal liberty.
They know that freedoms are rarely lost in easy times. They’re snatched away usually under the guise of an emergency.
Scientific evidence shows how arbitrary some lockdown rules are, especially ones targeting the young and healthy. A minuscule 1.8 percent of coronavirus deaths in New York City are otherwise healthy people under age 65.
Governors and mayors in New York and across the country have been calling the shots. Why should we have confidence in them? Truth is, most of them failed miserably to protect the vulnerable. A staggering 51 percent of coronavirus deaths across the nation are nursing-home residents. Ordering people to shut their businesses and stay home didn’t save these victims. They were already stay-ins.
More proof the shutdowns need to end: Georgia opened 24 days ago. COVID-19 hospitalizations are down a whopping 34 percent since then, while freedom and economic activity are up.
Betsy McCaughey is a former lieutenant governor of New York, chairwoman of the Committee to Reduce Infection Deaths and author of the forthcoming book “The Next Pandemic.”