We are now almost ten months into our two week “flatten the curve” restrictions. The effect the restrictions had or didn’t have on the spread of the virus is still being debated. The devastating economic impact the restrictions have had on millions of Americans is not up for debate. Nor is the impact of the restrictions on our fundamental rights as citizens. The question is how far will this go?
Restrictions Attack Basic Constitutionally Protected Rights
The Second Amendment (2A) was one of the early targets of the restrictions. You’ll remember it took specific intervention from President Trump to declare 2A related businesses essential. Churches (freedom of religion) were also early targets and remain so. In California, the Governor defies court rulings and continues to restrict houses of worship. Bars and restaurants are closed yet again, and large gatherings of any sort are banned (freedom of assembly). Rioting, looting, and harassment of those with whom you may disagree remains unrestricted.
Politicians Restrict Citizens But Ignore Their Own Edicts
Governor Newsom is one of a long list of Democrat politicians who ignore restrictions imposed on citizens. Newsom and his friends dine in flagrant violation of his own orders while bars and restaurants around the state are threatened with revocation of liquor licenses if they don’t comply. Politicians pay nothing while business owners lose their livelihood.
Restrictions and Fear Causing Citizens to Turn on One Another
Mask crazies vs non-mask crazies. Which group is crazy is a matter of opinion, but I have yet to see a non-mask person scream at a masked person demanding the mask be removed. When people are frightened to the degree that they have been over this pandemic some tend to behave irrationally. We’ve seen some become violent. We’ve had politicians encourage citizens to report fellow citizens for non-compliance. We now have pandemophiles (my word for those obsessed with COVID-19) driven by fear and ignorance wishing to control others not so afflicted. Behavior similar to that of anti-2A activists.
Growing Resistance Across the Country
Americans are beginning to resist. New Jersey is one of the most poorly governed states in the country, possibly even more so than California. In New Jersey, contact tracer non-compliance has reached 74%. Citizens there were told the increased number of COVID-19 cases were due to Thanksgiving gatherings. If contact tracing non-compliance is 74% how could the government know this? Non-compliance is the citizens telling the government to pound sand.
In California’s Riverside County, Sheriff Chad Bianco is one of the few elected leaders to stand up to the Governor. In a short video Sheriff Bianco expresses what many of us believe and states “the actions of the Governor are those of a bully and my deputies will not be used as muscle to enforce restrictions”. The video is well worth watching.
In California, and across the country, business owners are filing lawsuits against the government challenging the irrational restrictions that are destroying their livelihood. The restrictions are arbitrary and not supported by fact and in some cases devastate a particular business while leaving the one across the street unaffected. We’ve all seen examples of this.
Extreme Restrictions Not Supported By Facts
The restrictions are not supported by facts. Restrictions don’t need to be based on fact because they have nothing to do with public health. Restrictions are about power and control. Restrictions are about conditioning citizens to accept government direction without question. To follow and obey or in the words of Dr. Fauci “do what you’re told”.
The government justifies restrictions due to the so called unprecedented numbers related to the virus. California has reported 920,025 cases of coronavirus and 17,542 deaths since the start of the pandemic. This means about 2% of the population was infected and of those 99% recovered. Our current restrictions were triggered by exceeding 7 positive tests per 100,000 residents, two weeks in a row. That’s 7 people out of a number of people that would fill two football stadiums. The restrictions are not supported by facts.
Even the effectiveness of masks, something many have just accepted, is debatable. The latest credible study on the subject found the difference between wearing and not wearing a mask in public is statistically insignificant. Of those wearing masks,1.8% were infected while those without showed 2.1% positive test results. Mask mandates are not supported by facts.
What You Can Do
The most alarming aspect of this is the continuous erosion of our rights. The most important thing Americans can do is not allow this loss of rights to become permanent. The tactics used to justify restrictions are the same ones used to justify gun control. The end goal is the same: power and control. Citizens need to be controlled for governments to have power, they need to be compliant and disarmed to be controlled.
How far this will go remains to be seen. As individuals there are a number of things you can do:
- Educate yourself and don’t just blindly accept statements as fact
- Regularly contact your representatives (state and local) and demand action
- Remember the reactions of these politicians on election day
- Get involved and help get the right people elected
- Support businesses and leaders that are actively resisting
- Remember America, be an American
The right to self-defense is a basic human right. Gun ownership is an integral part of that right. If you want to keep your rights defend them by joining San Diego County Gun Owners (SDCGO) in San Diego, Orange County Gun Owners (OCGO) in Orange County, San Bernardino County Gun Owners (SBCGO) in San Bernardino County or Riverside County Gun Owners (RCGO) in Riverside. Support the cause by listening to Gun Owners Radio live on Sunday afternoon or on the internet at your leisure. Join the fight and help us restore and preserve our second amendment rights. Together we will win.
©2020 Joseph T Drammissi
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