This week I was driving past Delaware street in the City of Williamsburg and noticed W&M students celebrating the end of their academic year by gathering on their porch with friends. I also noticed two police officers admonishing them, apparently due to their disobedience to the Governor’s Executive Order against assembly. I didn’t notice more than 10 people, and they were all at one location.
I doubled back just to see what was happening, and by the time I returned to their street there were now four police cars. My guess is they were trying to intimidate these students into compliance. Well it seemed to have worked because all of the students retreated to their home. The good news is that about ten minutes later, I passed back by the area and saw that they had congregated at another house in the back yard. HUZZAH!
How have we so freely given up our Constitutional rights? If these college Seniors, who have been denied finishing out their long academic career with an official graduation ceremony, decide to gather with their friends, who are we to stop them? In fact, you could argue that they are helping us get through the pandemic faster by increasing the pace of herd immunity. If I am concerned about getting COVID 19, I should be willing to stay at home, not demand others do the same.
WHAT THIS MEANS FOR YOU
We are at a breaking point of Constitutional freedom vs. perceived “safety”. In the name of public safety, can a government override our most basic Constitutional freedoms? Our founders didn’t fight a war for us to give up our most basic freedoms in 2020. Does anyone care enough to do anything about it? In fact, the oath of office that the Governor of Virginia swore to uphold begins: “I do solemnly swear that I will support the Constitution of the United States”. Banning public assembly is in direct violation of the Constitution of the United States.
WHAT YOU CAN DO
Contact the Governor’s office and remind him of the oath he took. If you own a small business, open up. Go back to work supporting your family. Petitioning government officials doesn’t put food on your table or put a roof over your head. There are so many people who feel the same way you do. In fact, this growing group of Americans was getting so organized, that Facebook banned any groups created for the purpose of opposing any state’s shutdown orders. They are directing the overall narrative of stay at home and stay fearful. Talk with your friends, support business owners, go back to work.
