By Andrea Widburg:
On Monday, Attorney General Bill Barr issued a formal memorandum to “the Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights and all United States Attorneys.” In it, he advised them that the Wuhan virus does not eliminate people’s constitutional rights and told them that they would be responsible for making sure that political entities in their respective jurisdictions were not committing any violations. Thank goodness!
One of the regular themes in conservative media is that Democrat politicians (plus a handful of Republican ones) are using the Wuhan virus to justify stripping people entirely of their civil rights. The main one is basic freedom, for these governments are locking people in their homes. Also, politicians are shutting down random businesses and treating ordinary conduct as criminal. Moreover, too many police forces are accepting these diktats and acting in a way more consistent with a socialist country than a constitutional one.
Thankfully, A.G. Barr is a constitutionalist, and he has now informed all of the United States attorneys under his jurisdiction that they are responsible for protecting citizens from this type of overreach:
CLICK HERE TO READ LETTER
arr acknowledges that some restrictions are reasonable to prevent the Wuhan virus from running amok. Barr says his initial concern was profiteering. Now, however, “I am directing each of our United States Attorneys to also be on the lookout for state and local directives that could be violating the constitutional rights and civil liberties of individual citizens.”
Further, Barr says he’s already explained that the pandemic cannot be used as a vehicle to discriminate against either religious institutions or individuals. He also reminds the memo’s recipients that the restrictions on government overreach are not limited to religion. Instead, “the Constitution also forbids in certain circumstances, discrimination against disfavored speech and undue interference with the national economy.” If governments stop protecting against the virus and simply engage in “an overbearing infringement of constitutional and statutory protections,” this is something the DOJ may have to address.
Fundamentally, says Barr, “the Constitution is not suspended in times of crisis.” A lot of people will be very relieved to hear that. For example, in Oshkosh, Wisconsin, a dog-groomer was arrested for opening her store because the government thinks she’s “non-essential.” The woman actually had the audacity to believe that earning a living is essential!
Read more: American Thinker
