At the start of the pandemic, we saw businesses across the country forced to close their doors due to city, state, or federal guidelines. This resulted in an unemployment rate that skyrocketed to levels not seen since the Great Depression. The public began finding itself forced into poverty by the very government that was founded on the principles of freedom and self-determination.
Thankfully, some did not sit silently by. We saw individuals rightfully demand to be able to go back to work so that they could provide for their families. Unsurprisingly, the far-left media and too many elected officials who were more than happy to gain additional powers over their constituents panned the protesters for fighting for their rights.
Then came the mask mandates. Since April 3, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has recommended people wear masks in public. A public policy recommendation is one thing, but then we started seeing executive orders across the country mandating people wear face masks or risk a civil penalty.
For example, in Glendale, California, the penalty for not wearing a mask can be up to $2,000. And in an area that has seen nearly 20% unemployment and a homelessness crisis that is only getting worse, penalties of this kind are unbearable for most people. These consequences are brought on by the failed leadership of liberal leaders such as Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti, who instituted one of the harshest stay-at-home orders in the country, decimating local businesses. And he is now vocally admonishing anyone who raises any objection to wearing a mask.
During a briefing on the topic, Garcetti said, “Everyone should be wearing your face covering. I’m not asking you. I’m telling you.”
Given that Garcetti himself posed for a photo op during a protest without a mask on while also not following the social distancing guidelines that he has demanded the people of Los Angeles follow, it is clear that those in power will not have to suffer under the burden of the policies they create surrounding the coronavirus.
So, what happens if a conscientious objector refuses to wear a mask (except the liberal elites, obviously) and refuses to pay the fine?
Well, if you are in Virginia and you refuse to comply with Gov. Ralph Northam’s executive order and you don’t pay the fine for not wearing a mask, you could be subject to a class one misdemeanor charge, which is punishable by up to a year in prison.
So, we have already given up our right to go to work and have sadly given the government a precedent to decide whether or not our jobs are essential. And we have allowed states to force us to wear facial coverings or risk jail time. What comes next? Unfortunately, the answer is all too obvious.
The most totalitarian approach to addressing the pandemic would be for the government to mandate coronavirus vaccination for everyone, except for those with a medical exemption. Technically, states have the legal right to do so, and the news media and many politicians will be more than happy to support this draconian approach while relentlessly mocking anyone who objects.
Bureaucrats and far-left elected officials such as Garcetti and Northam are intent on controlling every aspect of our lives and are already in the process of taking our rights away piece by piece. Now more than ever, we must stand up and voice support for our liberties before it is too late.
Ron Paul is a former Republican member of Congress who served from 1997-2013 and 1979-1985.
