File Photo By Vandana Ravikumar/Cronkite News: The Supreme Court
Column By Mike Bibb
The 1st Amendment to the United States Constitution guarantees, “The Congress (aka federal government) shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion . . . of abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press. . .”
Which is a good thing. Unfortunately, similar prose probably isn’t found in many of today’s big corporations and social media sites. These institutions make their own rules to regulate their particular interests.
Nothing especially sinister about this; businesses have the right to make and enforce regulations to help in the daily operations of their company. Otherwise, chaos would probably ensue.
The dispute arises when corporate interests conflict with an individual’s rights. Even more so when a corporation becomes so dominant it can infringe upon the public’s right to freely speak, communicate with each other and express various points of view.
Open discussion of public health issues should not be a topic of corporate censorship. Not every citizen, scientist, doctor, or government official is of unanimous opinion the COVID pandemic is being handled in an expeditious manner.
That clash has become apparent in the multitude of government health dictates proclaimed by “experts” over the past two years. While a few may have been enacted under the guise of safety, most were/are totally irrational, invoking fear and control more than responsible leadership.
President Joe Biden has encouraged, and in some cases promoted these fears by mandating employers to require their employees to wear masks and be vaccinated with anti-COVID medicines.
There is virtually no exception. Failure to vaccinate could result in termination.
Fear of government or employer reprisals is a powerful deterrent. Not many ordinary citizens would welcome such a confrontation.
Except, several federal appeals courts have ruled against Joe’s declarations, setting up an eventual Supreme Court showdown.
However, this hasn’t deterred Joe from pushing even more COVID regulations. Recently, due to another COVID variant, he’s considering announcing anyone entering the United States by air – including U.S. citizens with passports – must be tested and quarantined for at least a week, regardless of whether they’ve been vaccinated or recovered from COVID.
How idiotic is this? Meanwhile, hundreds of thousands of unvaxxed migrants continue to saunter across our southern border, virtually unimpeded. Joe seems to care less. If he did, he would have done something to prevent it by now.
COVID hysteria has become the #1 excuse for the government to continually implement new prohibitions upon our civil liberties. We’ve gone through business, school, and church closings, complied with ridiculous social restrictions, masked, double-masked, worked from home, submitted to emergency use vaccines and still the virus continues to rampage and claim more lives.
The more we’re encouraged to get the shot, the faster the virus and its variants seem to spread. After all the hoopla, we’re being informed the vaccinees do not prevent the scattering of the contagion, only lessen its severity. People can still get sick after being vaxxed. They can also disseminate the disease.
At least, that’s what we’re being told in early December. Could change again by January. It’s anyone’s guess.
All this double-speak has created mass confusion to such a degree that virtually no one knows what to believe.
Moreover, what have we gained? 2021 – with vaccines, testing, increased medical knowledge, and advancements – has seen more fatalities than 2020 when we were lacking these benefits. Yet, the government’s strategies haven’t changed – more rules, restrictions, and vaccine declarations.
After a couple of years of this nonsense, folks are beginning to suspect their government is not being totally honest with them. Especially, when they observe members of the ruling elite not following their own decrees – including the President.
The constant contradictions are annoying. Actually, they’re starting to noticeably aggravate people, as we’re seeing in the “Let’s go, Brandon” phenomenon.
President Joe and his team may scheme to invoke additional COVID restrictions, and claim they are doing so in the name of health and safety, but it’s becoming increasingly apparent that is not their real intention. They can yell “The sky is falling” only so many times before the people look up and see the sky is still there.
Unfortunately, I seriously doubt Joe has the mental aptitude to realize what is going on, even when it’s going on. His first 10 months in office are evidence of this.
To date, multiple opinion polls reflect the public’s rapidly declining confidence in his competency and abilities of his vice president and cabinet. They appear to be in total disarray in virtually every area of government service.
Except one. They are professionals at spending and printing money. Grocery, fuel and rising prices on just about everything is irrefutable confirmation of how out of control the economy really is. The more Joe is able to spend, the worse things get.
Simple economics. More money in circulation means it’s worth less. History is replete with similar inflation incidents. They usually do not end very well.
That’s probably about the only thing Joe has learned to do in his 50 years in Washington – tax and spend other people’s money.
It’s not too late to voice your opinions; express them whenever you can to whoever will listen. You may be ridiculed by others of opposing views, or canceled on social media, but so what?
The pendulum will eventually begin to swing the other way.
The opinions expressed in this editorial are those of the author.
