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Are We Still Americans?


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John Hinderaker

April 8, 2020

David Horowitz, among others, has noted that “Inside every liberal is a totalitarian screaming to get out.” We see that today, as state governments assert the power, often illegally, to tell the rest of us how to live our lives, and to shut down hundreds of thousands of businesses.

In Colorado, a man was playing with his six-year-old daughter in a park with no one else within a vast distance, when he was arrested by a group of police officers–wrongly, based on signs at the park–who themselves failed to follow guidelines as to use of masks, gloves, and social distancing. Happily, there was one person close enough to film what happened:

(Snip)

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WATCH: Police Slap Christians With $500 Fines for Attending Drive-In Worship Service

Tyler O'Neil

April 9, 2020

Police in Greenville, Miss., issued $500 tickets to Christians who gathered in a church parking lot to worship together in the safety of their cars on Wednesday. The Christians at Temple Baptist Church intended to honor coronavirus social distancing restrictions while gathering to worship God, but the police cracked down, regardless.

Charles E. Hamilton Jr., pastor of King James Bible Baptist Church, raised the alarm on Facebook Wednesday evening.

"The police in Greenville, MS went to Temple Baptist Church this evening and gave everyone there a ticket for $500 because they had a drive in service," Hamilton posted. "Everyone was in their cars with the windows up listening to pastor Arthur Scott preached on the radio. What is harmful about people being in their cars listening to preaching with their windows up? Christians do you all see what is going on?"

Parishioner Chris Owens shared a video of a police officer giving him a citation for attending the drive-in worship service. In the video, Owens explains that the church wanted to comply with social distancing rules while still meeting for worship. The officer issues the citation, regardless.

(Snip)

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Apr. 9 2020

The shocking reports increase each day. The longer the United States engages in the political and social activity of trying to fight the Wuhan coronavirus COVID-19, the more alarming the accounts people in society share about the manner in which the political world is behaving.

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In Some Places, Easter Isn’t Being Celebrated. It’s Being Fined.

Some local officials have come after religious organizations with unseemly zeal.

John Fund

April 12, 2020

For Christians, Easter is a time to celebrate resurrection. But it’s been hard for some Americans to do that because their local officials are bent on suppressing their observance of the holiday.

Consider members of the King James Bible Baptist Church of Greenville, Miss. Last Wednesday night the church held a drive-in service using a low-frequency radio-station signal. Everyone in the parking lot kept their windows up. Attendees were quickly surrounded by police cars ordering them to leave. About two minutes into the video you can hear a police officer yelling “Your rights are suspended!”

(Snip)

Two nonprofit organizations, the Alliance Defending Freedom and the First Liberty Institute, are filing lawsuits on behalf of several churches that have been threatened with criminal sanctions. Kelly Shackelford, president of the First Liberty Institute, told Fox News that orders like the one issued by Louisville’s mayor are highly discriminatory. “It targets churches in a way that it targets no other group,” he said. “Cars in parking lots are fine. It’s only a crime if the cars in the parking lot are at the church parking lot.”

Almost everyone agrees churches that openly flout social-distancing orders and allow members to be in very close proximity can’t be tolerated. But it is in times of crisis like this that many people most need the ministrations of clergy and the hope that religion provides. If we forget that, we forget the reason the Founders made freedom of religion the First Amendment in our Bill of Rights.

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8 minutes ago, Valin said:

In Some Places, Easter Isn’t Being Celebrated. It’s Being Fined.

Some local officials have come after religious organizations with unseemly zeal.

John Fund

April 12, 2020

For Christians, Easter is a time to celebrate resurrection. But it’s been hard for some Americans to do that because their local officials are bent on suppressing their observance of the holiday.

Consider members of the King James Bible Baptist Church of Greenville, Miss. Last Wednesday night the church held a drive-in service using a low-frequency radio-station signal. Everyone in the parking lot kept their windows up. Attendees were quickly surrounded by police cars ordering them to leave. About two minutes into the video you can hear a police officer yelling “Your rights are suspended!”

(Snip)

Two nonprofit organizations, the Alliance Defending Freedom and the First Liberty Institute, are filing lawsuits on behalf of several churches that have been threatened with criminal sanctions. Kelly Shackelford, president of the First Liberty Institute, told Fox News that orders like the one issued by Louisville’s mayor are highly discriminatory. “It targets churches in a way that it targets no other group,” he said. “Cars in parking lots are fine. It’s only a crime if the cars in the parking lot are at the church parking lot.”

Almost everyone agrees churches that openly flout social-distancing orders and allow members to be in very close proximity can’t be tolerated. But it is in times of crisis like this that many people most need the ministrations of clergy and the hope that religion provides. If we forget that, we forget the reason the Founders made freedom of religion the First Amendment in our Bill of Rights.

Authoritarian Overreach Is Unnecessary to Fight the Pandemic

Andrew C. McCarthy

April 11, 2020

(Snip)

In Chicago, police broke up a dangerous gang . . . of congregants at St. Odisho Church, daring to  conduct funeral rites during a Sunday service.

That probably won’t be happening in New York City. Gotham’s ineffable Marxist mayor, Bill de Blasio (a.k.a. Warren Wilhelm Jr.), took time out from flouting his own social-distancing dictates to admonish the peons that churches would be seized and permanently shuttered if worshipers defied his shutdown orders.

(Snip)

At a certain point, a free people — nearly 17 million of whom have now filed unemployment claims in an economy that was booming just a month ago — comes to realize that the de Blasios are pleaders, not rulers. Common sense emerges in the clarity of lives torn asunder by willful acts of elected officials and faceless bureaucrats. Our DNA reminds us that governments derive their just powers only from the consent of the governed.

There is a lot going on that no one has consented to. The law is beside the point. The state and its police need the public’s cooperation. They won’t get it by coercion. If they can’t get cooperation because they’ve forfeited their legitimacy by capricious, politicized enforcement . . . well, there are worse things that can happen than a pandemic.

The preservation of a free society requires ordered liberty. The government can never forget that the objective is not order for its own sake, or for the sake of “progressive” social transformation. The point of order is the flourishing of freedom.

 

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Kentucky State Police record churchgoers' license plates at Hillview in-person Easter service

Apr. 12 2020

HILLVIEW, Ky. (WDRB) — Troopers with Kentucky State Police arrived at Maryville Baptist Church on Easter Sunday morning to record license plate information of churchgoers who attended a mass gathering during the coronarivus pandemic. 

Dozens of families attended Easter service at the Bullitt County church despite an executive order from Gov. Andy Beshear that prohibits mass gatherings in an effort to slow the spread of COVID-19. Beshear said Friday that anyone who participates in mass gatherings of any type during Easter weekend will be required to self-quarantine for two weeks

The troopers also placed notices under cars' windshield wipers that say, "This vehicle's presence at this location indicates that its occupants are present at a mass gathering prohibited by Orders of the Governor and the Cabinet for Health and Family Services. As a result, this vehicle's occupants, and anyone they come into contact with, are at risk of contracting COVID-19, a respiratory illness that can be severe and lead to death, particularly for older adults and those with underlying heart, lung, kidney and immunity issues."

According to Beshear, the license plate information will be forwarded to local health departments, which will then present orders to self-quarantine for 14 days at the car owners' homes. Failure to comply could result in further enforcement, the notices say. 

(Snip)

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The limits of free Geach

Scott Johnson

Apr. 13 2020

Dr. Jonathan Geach is a Tennessee anesthesiologist and one of the many knowledgeable Power Line readers who has brought his professional training to bear on the current crisis. On Friday afternoon Dr. Geach wrote us to advise that he had co-written the Medium post “Eight reasons to end the lockdowns now” together with a few of his colleagues. I posted a link in our Picks.

“By early Saturday afternoon,” Dr. Geach writes, “it had 50,000 thousand views and was going viral. All of a sudden, however, I started getting notifications from people that my article had been taken down.” The link now brings up a 410 error. He received this message from Medium:

(Snip)

Here is a link to the new Medium article. It has been picked up at ZeroHedge and can be found here.

Here is the disclaimer Dr. Geach has superimposed over his revised column:

This post does not deny the effectiveness of social distancing or quarantine for COVID-19. I am not encouraging people to suspend these practices before official determinations have been made public. This post is to help physicians, thought leaders and public officials understand and weigh the risks and benefits of extended lockdowns versus more measured and earlier return to work measures.

With variations, Dr. Geach’s experience of course calls to mind that of Aaron Ginn, which we documented at the time. Aaron Ginn’s now deleted Medium column also found refuge here at ZeroHedge.

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21 hours ago, Valin said:

The limits of free Geach

Scott Johnson

Apr. 13 2020

Dr. Jonathan Geach is a Tennessee anesthesiologist and one of the many knowledgeable Power Line readers who has brought his professional training to bear on the current crisis. On Friday afternoon Dr. Geach wrote us to advise that he had co-written the Medium post “Eight reasons to end the lockdowns now” together with a few of his colleagues. I posted a link in our Picks.

“By early Saturday afternoon,” Dr. Geach writes, “it had 50,000 thousand views and was going viral. All of a sudden, however, I started getting notifications from people that my article had been taken down.” The link now brings up a 410 error. He received this message from Medium:

(Snip)

Here is a link to the new Medium article. It has been picked up at ZeroHedge and can be found here.

Here is the disclaimer Dr. Geach has superimposed over his revised column:

This post does not deny the effectiveness of social distancing or quarantine for COVID-19. I am not encouraging people to suspend these practices before official determinations have been made public. This post is to help physicians, thought leaders and public officials understand and weigh the risks and benefits of extended lockdowns versus more measured and earlier return to work measures.

With variations, Dr. Geach’s experience of course calls to mind that of Aaron Ginn, which we documented at the time. Aaron Ginn’s now deleted Medium column also found refuge here at ZeroHedge.

 

The limits of free Geach (2)

Scott Johnson

Apr. 14 2020

Our friend Seth Leibsohn has dared to deliver Dr. Jonathan Geach to his listeners on Phoenix’s 960 The Patriot (audio clip below). Seth discusses the essay “Eight reasons to end the lockdowns as soon as possible” (as revised!) with the author himself. Dr. Geach advises that he will also join the Todd Herman Show for a segment on Seattle’s AM 770 KTTH this morning.

Howie Carr, call your office!

Quotable quote (Dr. Geach): “They decided that my post was too dangerous…”

 

Podcast at link

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Possible ‘Imprisonment’ Or Fine Of Up To $5,000 For Violating Maryland’s Executive Order On Face Coverings

Frank Camp

Apr. 15 2020

On Wednesday, during a COVID-19 press briefing, Maryland Governor Larry Hogan announced an executive order requiring citizens of the state to wear face masks or coverings while out in various public locations.

 

Violation of the order could be punishable with a hefty fine or even prison time, according to the text.

The order states that “a person who knowingly and willfully violates this Order is guilty of a misdemeanor and on conviction is subject to imprisonment not exceeding one year or a fine not exceeding $5,000 or both.”

(Snip)

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CALIFORNIA: Pastor Fined $1,000 And Facing Jail Time For Holding Easter Service, Allegedly Hiding Congregants From Authorities

Paul Bois

Apr. 15 2020

A pastor in California has been slapped with a $1,000 fine and faces possible jail time for hosting Easter services in defiance of the state’s stay-at-home order, and for allegedly hiding dozens of congregants from the police.

 

“According to the Merced County Sheriff, a tip came in regarding what they saw happening at Iglesia De Jesus Cristo Palabra Miel on Weaver Avenue: Dozens of people were inside the church, with the doors locked, and their cars parked out of view,” KTVU reported.

Sheriff Vernon H. Warnke told reporters that Pastor Fernando Aguas put his congregation and people’s health in jeopardy.

“He put his entire congregation in jeopardy,” Warnke said. “By putting them in jeopardy, one person could have showed up, not known they’re infected and infected the entire congregation. This congregation now goes out and gets with their family because they think they’re okay, and then it continues to go.”

(Snip)

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1 hour ago, Valin said:

At the 2:30 mark Tucker asks an interesting question is asked...and it is not answered.

 

New Jersey governor on coronavirus order barring mass religious gatherings: I ‘wasn’t thinking of the Bill of Rights’

 

__________________________________________________________________

 

I'm think of a new contest. Which Governor/Mayor/Politician is the most Authoritarian/Power Mad?

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On 4/13/2020 at 0:49 PM, Valin said:

The limits of free Geach

Scott Johnson

Apr. 13 2020

Dr. Jonathan Geach is a Tennessee anesthesiologist and one of the many knowledgeable Power Line readers who has brought his professional training to bear on the current crisis. On Friday afternoon Dr. Geach wrote us to advise that he had co-written the Medium post “Eight reasons to end the lockdowns now” together with a few of his colleagues. I posted a link in our Picks.

“By early Saturday afternoon,” Dr. Geach writes, “it had 50,000 thousand views and was going viral. All of a sudden, however, I started getting notifications from people that my article had been taken down.” The link now brings up a 410 error. He received this message from Medium:

(Snip)

Here is a link to the new Medium article. It has been picked up at ZeroHedge and can be found here.

Here is the disclaimer Dr. Geach has superimposed over his revised column:

This post does not deny the effectiveness of social distancing or quarantine for COVID-19. I am not encouraging people to suspend these practices before official determinations have been made public. This post is to help physicians, thought leaders and public officials understand and weigh the risks and benefits of extended lockdowns versus more measured and earlier return to work measures.

With variations, Dr. Geach’s experience of course calls to mind that of Aaron Ginn, which we documented at the time. Aaron Ginn’s now deleted Medium column also found refuge here at ZeroHedge.

 

On 4/14/2020 at 10:18 AM, Valin said:

 

The limits of free Geach (2)

Scott Johnson

Apr. 14 2020

Our friend Seth Leibsohn has dared to deliver Dr. Jonathan Geach to his listeners on Phoenix’s 960 The Patriot (audio clip below). Seth discusses the essay “Eight reasons to end the lockdowns as soon as possible” (as revised!) with the author himself. Dr. Geach advises that he will also join the Todd Herman Show for a segment on Seattle’s AM 770 KTTH this morning.

Howie Carr, call your office!

Quotable quote (Dr. Geach): “They decided that my post was too dangerous…”

 

Podcast at link

 

The limits of free Geach (3)

Scott Johnson

Apr. 18 2020

Dr. Jonathan Geach is the Tennessee anesthesiologist who continues to test the limits of what can be said at Medium. I wrote about Dr. Geach’s Medium post “Eight reasons to end the lockdowns as soon as possible” (revised to circumvent Medium’s censorship) here. I also posted the audio of Seth Leibsohn’s two radio segments with Dr. Geach and here. Steve posted his outstanding Power Line show podcast with Dr. Geach here.

Dr. Geach now returns with the timely Medium post “Moving the Goalposts — Four Reasons it is Safe to Open America.” Five of Dr. Geach’s colleagues joined him in writing this essay. Dr. Geach advises by email:

(Snip)

Read the whole thing here (while you can). I’m reposting Steve’s excellent podcast with Dr. Geach below.

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Apr. 18 2020

A 16 year-old kid was threatened with arrest for disorderly conduct if she did'n't delete an Instagram post. Allegedly. Here's to the first amendment.

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Apr. 23 2020

There is no denying coronavirus poses a real, serious health threat. But the lockdowns used to prevent its spread has instead resulted in something that's arguably FAR more dangerous: the loss of our inalienable rights. Protests have erupted throughout America to prevent -- or at least slow -- the destruction of our Constitution, but will they have an effect in time to save our republic? Glenn speaks to political activist Ben Dorr who questions: WHERE is the line drawn?

 

Wikipedia

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Apr. 22 2020

An Idaho mom was arrested on Tuesday after police say she was violating city orders by protesting at a public park.

 

Apr. 23 2020

Protests have erupted throughout the US due to local governments relying on draconian policies to enforce social distancing rules. And now, Sara Brady has experienced this unfortunate consequence of the COVID 19 pandemic as well. She was arrested in Idaho for allowing her children to play on a park playground currently closed to the public. Brady, the wife of a cop herself, tells Glenn about her experience.

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A Kentucky Family of 7 Didn't Practice Social Distancing. Now Child Services Is Investigating the Parents for Abuse.

What's a parent to do? It was early in March, COVID-19 fears were on the rise, and two Kentucky parents who were new to the state needed to open up a bank account. Seeing no other option, they took their seven kids to the bank with them.

By the time they had returned home from their errand, a child protective services caseworker and a law enforcement officer were waiting at the door to investigate them for child abuse.

That's according to Jim Mason of the Home School Legal Defense Association, who blames the false report on panic over COVID-19 social distancing rules. A letter from child services, obtained by Reason confirmed the existence of the complaint.

The parents, referred to as "Bill and Kristy," are homeschoolers. Kristy had moved to Kentucky in advance of Bill, who had remained in New York City finishing up work. When they arrived at the bank, the parents opted to let the two oldest children wait in the car. The other five had to accompany them into the building, which had a COVID-19 warning sign on the door. They were not treated warmly, writes Mason::snip:

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