Rand Paul tells Kentucky gov to ‘take a step back’ for threatening mandatory quarantine for church-goers.
Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., told Kentucky’s Gov. Andy Beshear to “take a step back” on Friday after the governor warned residents that they would be forced to self-quarantine for 14 days if they attended an in-person Easter church service – due to the risk of the spread of the coronavirus.
“Taking license plates at church? Quarantining someone for being Christian on Easter Sunday? Someone needs to take a step back here,” he tweeted.
Beshear, a Democrat, announced this week that people seen taking part in mass gatherings – including in-person church services – would have license plate numbers taken, which would in turn be given to local health departments – who would force the offender to go into quarantine.
I’m sorry, boys and girls. This is Nazi behavior 101. Regardless of how serious the crisis, it is never an occasion to suspend the Bill Of Rights.
That governor is a disagrace and should be voted out of office.
Although it is a reasonable concern that those who attend mass gatherings might spread the virus into the community at large–this, no doubt, was the governor’s concern–one should be very careful about violating the line between church and state.
(It is certainly true that this is not exactly enshrined in the US Constitution–the First Amendment is about as close as it comes–but is taken from an 1801 letter by Thomas Jefferson. However, we have all become accustomed to living by this doctrine; and I would certainly not wish for the government to dictate to me just how–or where–I might worship.)
What would it hurt not to go fo church for a few weeks? This is the first Easter mass and the associated Easter week activities I have missed in years but it did not bother me and I doubt very much God was upset.
Your decision to attend church and gather with 100’s should NOT be visited on those who remain isolated and one day would like to enter their community virus free . No point in the unbelievable sacrifice many are enduring only to have others contaminate them weeks later . GOD will understand !!!
My problem, however, is with the governor’s violation of the distinction between the separation of church and state.
It is entirely possible to believe both that (1) the “decision to attend church and gather with 100’s should NOT be visited on those who remain isolated” (as you have noted); and (2) the governor should not abrogate the traditional bright line between church and state.
Pray from HOME !
Over 2 million people have been infected and over 120,000 are DEAD !!!
16 MILLION have lost their JOBS !!!
God will forgive you but your fellow Americans may NOT !
In the United States, the death toll is around 25,000. And recoveries are around 44,000. It’s almost time to open up the economy and bring it back to the levels of the Trump Miracle.
I agree! The economy needs to be reopen. People needs to work if we are going to stabilize the growth. So consumers, Sports, and everything else can “go back to life”.
No, it will never be “back to what life was”. Those days are over. But there are lessons to be learned.
The key issue is whether free exercise of one’s religion is truly being denied and it is NOT !
Constitutional rights have been violated by the federal or state governments at one time or another in American history . President Lincoln famously suspended habeas corpus during the American Civil War. Later, President Roosevelt authorized the detention and internment of 100,000 Japanese-Americans, a profound constitutional offense that ranks among our country’s most severe violations of our founding commitments.
So the free exercise of religion does NOT allow dangerous acts , even if they are part of a demonstration of faith . A pastor cannot disregard public health during a pandemic threat anymore than he can disregard a fire safety threat .
I agree many States can open safely for example Wyoming , Alaska , N. Dakota , Montana ,Hawaii, W. Virginia , Maine , Vermont , S. Dakota , Nebraska ,New Hampshire , New Mexico , Kanas , Idaho , etc
States that need way more time are the sanctuary ones New York (hopeless) , New Jersey ,California , Michigan , Massachusetts , Illinois , Louisiana ,etc So some States are ready to open NOW and others may take longer because of the dumb decisions their elected officials made .
I believe we need to still use social distancing , no handshaking , and use commonsense . Let get this thing STARTED !!!
No, we don’t need more time to open safely. We need that dumbass Governor Whitmer to lift the ban on things that don’t need to be “locked down”. Such as seeds. I seriously think she smokes way too much pot. And she probably has seeds to grow them.
I plan to vote her ass out in the next election!
Yes you do need more time . Michigan has the 3rd highest death toll !! close to 2000 !!!
What you do NOT need is the ban on things but you guys voted that dimwit in office so …………
I believe we should re-open up the local and state economy. But in phases. Not all at once.
People are going to die regardless! Just as people die daily from heart attacks and other things. It is human nature that we work. It is not human nature to be sitting around at home.
Btw, I didn’t vote for that dimwit. But I will certainly vote her ass right out!
The mere fact that there is precedent for the suspension of our civil liberties is really no good defense of it.
Do you seriously believe that the detention of “100,000 Japanese-Americans”–who probably, for the most part, were just as patriotic as European-Americans–was a good thing?
You appear to implicitly admit that the suspension of our civil liberties is not a good thing–(“I didn’t say it was [good] did I”)–it has merely “happened” before, and it “most likely will again,” in your opinion.
It is really difficult to imagine a more bland defense of a government action…