Freedoms Lost Don’t Come Back

Throughout history, this truth has rung true:  Whenever a government takes away a right, it never comes fully back.

During the current pandemic, the right to freely exercise your religion was removed.  Many people tell me that you can still be a Christian, without going to church.  Being a particular religion IS NOT what’s guaranteed in the First Amendment.  The Amendment restricts the government from “prohibiting the free exercise thereof”.  Telling me that I can’t attend services at my church is indeed “prohibiting the free exercise thereof”.

But, Joe, people say, you can meet online and it’s exactly the same.  No, it isn’t.  I enjoy meeting with the good people at Northridge and associating with like-minded people.

What does the Bible say about it?

“Not giving up meeting together,

As some are in the habit of doing,

But encouraging one another…” 

Hebrews 10:25

Seems pretty clear…actually going to church is part of the exercise of my religion.

Another right that has gone away under the executive orders (particularly here in Michigan) is the “right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances”.  

When people met to exercise this right, they were threatened with government action, and the Governor threatened to extend the lockdown, simply because people exercised their rights.  She also told them that they were subject to arrest if they didn’t wear masks and social distance.

Even more draconian was Governor Whitmer’s response specifically to the hair care profession.  When they protested her actions, she arbitrarily had a man’s license revoked permanently with no explanation.  She also, when she reopened most of the state, forced the hair care industry to OPEN LAST.  That was a direct retaliation for their attempt to petition the government for a redress of grievances.

Contrast her response to the protests against her unconstitutional orders, which were entirely peaceful, with her response to the violent and destructive protests against the police currently going on.  Not only did she allow them to continue to protest without masks or social distancing, but SHE JOINED THEM.

The difference?  Her own opinions, which are never supposed to enter into government actions.

I guess it’s OK if it’s the right kind of protest.

These two may seem anecdotal and local in nature, but they are examples of what is going on all over the nation.

The Fourth Amendment guarantees that you will be secure in your “persons, houses, papers, and effects” from government intrusion.   During this pandemic, and now it’s aftermath, that has gone out the window.  Contact tracing REQUIRES you to answer questions about your travels, daily activities, health, and friendships, under threat of immediate house arrest for a minimum of 10 days.  

Don’t tell me quarantine isn’t house arrest, it is.  They say that it will be enforced by home visits, so if a government agent, volunteer or not, is ensuring that you are obeying an order without any court action, you are under house arrest.

Here in Michigan, during a press conference, Governor Whitmer actually told citizens that they MUST answer the phone, no matter who is calling, because it might be a state contact tracer.

Yes, really.

Additionally, there is talk of requiring vaccinations or proof of testing before being allowed full return to activity….think about that.

The 14th Amendment guarantees that no state can deprive any citizen of “life, liberty, or property without due process of law”. What Due Process of Law was there before you were ordered into house arrest for two and a half months? Or here in Michigan when you were told that your couldn’t use your second property?

Your right to privacy regarding your medical records are completely gone.  To enter into work every day, most of you (I know I am) are required to report any contacts you’ve had people who might be sick, report any symptoms you might have, and submit to a temperature check, despite many laws saying your health is NONE OF YOUR EMPLOYER’S BUSINESS.  And employers are required to fire you if you refuse.

At my office, you must submit as well to an IR Camera image of your face displaying the temperature to prove you actually got checked out.

I read a news story recently about a police chase involving a man trying to avoid a “CoronaVirus Checkpoint”.  They reported the story as if a police checkpoint to test your health was a perfectly legitimate government function…it isn’t.

The most basic rights we have as Americans are the right to “life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness”.  Currently, you have just finally, after two months, been told that the government will allow you to leave your home for other than “essential business”, but, you must remain 6 feet from other people, not gather with more than 10 people, and wear a mask anywhere you go.

Does that sound like liberty?

People who disagree with me say “but if you cared about others, you’d just do it”.  Thats what people who reported their Jewish neighbors said.

Life as a free citizen entails me making my own decisions about the risks I am willing to bear in my life.

More people will die this year from car accidents than those who actually died from the coronavirus.  Every day, I make the decision that the benefits of driving outweigh the risks.  It’s the same for every area of your life.

The people who fought and died for this once-great nation are screaming at us from Heaven to take back our country and re-affirm our commitment to it’s original ideals and design.

We are the world’s “last, best hope”, and we must be “that shining light on a hill”.

Our Founding Fathers often spoke of “An Appeal to Heaven”….today they are making “An Appeal from Heaven”.

Make a decision about whether you truly support what America means, and take action.  Join like minded people, and make your voices heard.

Don’t let the voices of chaos and destruction be the only ones heard.