The Left Pushing Socialism/Communism Via Virus Panic - Part 3

The good news is, some are starting to wake up, and some in government are beginning to push pack.  There are examples in the previous articles, and here are several more:

Donald Trump Wants State Lockdowns to Face Legal Scrutiny

President Donald Trump on Monday at the White House defended Attorney General Bill Barr’s concerns about some coronavirus restrictions violating the Constitution.

“The fact that people aren’t allowed to have their freedom causes tremendous amounts of problems, including death,” Trump said during a press conference on Monday at the White House
Trump was asked by a reporter about Barr’s memo that directed federal prosecutors to look for state and local stay at home orders that went too far. Barr wrote:

Many policies that would be unthinkable in regular times have become commonplace in recent weeks, and we do not want to unduly interfere with the important efforts of state and local officials to protect the public. But the Constitution is not suspended in times of crisis.

Trump indicated that he agreed with Barr’s approach.
“He wants to be sure people have their rights and that they maintain their rights, very importantly,” Trump said. “A lot of people agree with him.”
Trump noted that some businesses were facing financial ruin because of government lockdown orders.
“By the way, that causes death also, between all of the things that happen,” he said.

Attorney General William Barr Warns States, Local Governments to Respect Religious Freedom

U.S. Attorney General William Barr issued a warning Monday to state and local governments not to infringe on fundamental freedoms and civil rights in their enforcement of coronavirus restrictions, specifically warning against religious discrimination.

In a memorandum to all U.S. attorneys, Barr began by noting that he had previously urged prosecutors to target frauds and scams that exploited the pandemic. Now, he said, there was a new challenge:

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.
As the Department of Justice explained recently in guidance to states and localities taking steps to battle the pandemic, even in times of emergency, when reasonable and temporary restrictions are placed on rights, the First Amendment and federal statutory law prohibit discrimination against religious institutions and religious believers. The legal restrictions on state and local authority are not limited to discrimination against religious institutions and religious believers. For example, the Constitution also forbids, in certain circumstances, discrimination against disfavored speech and undue interference with the national economy. If a state or local ordinance crosses the line from an appropriate exercise of authority to stop the spread of COVID-19 into an overbearing infringement ofconstitutional and statutory protections, the Department of
Justice may have an obligation to address that overreach in federal court.
I am therefore directing the Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights, Eric Dreiband, and Matthew Schneider; the U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Michigan, to oversee and coordinate our efforts to monitor state and local policies and, if necessary, take action to correct them. They should work not only with all Department ofJustice offices and other federal agencies, but with state and local officials as well.

Barr concluded: “[T]he Constitution is not suspended in times of crisis. We must therefore be vigilant to ensure its protections are preserved, at the same time that the public is protected.”
Barr has expressed alarm in recent weeks about overly aggressive coronavirus restrictions. News reports have also documented state and local governments — usually, run by Democrats — that have clamped down on such innovations as “drive-thru” religious services.
The Attorney General has been celebrated by conservatives — and vilified by liberals — for recent lectures, dating to last year, in which he defended religion and religious liberty as “indispensable to sustaining a free system of government.”

Pennsylvania Businesses Ask Supreme Court to Intervene, Overrule Gov. Wolf’s Stay-at-Home Order (partial)

A group of Pennsylvania businesses, alongside Republican state House candidate Danny DeVito, are asking the U.S. Supreme Court to intervene and overrule Gov. Tom Wolf’s (D) stay-at-home order closing businesses deemed “nonessential,” filing the request on Monday.

DeVito’s campaign filed the request on Monday alongside “realtor Kathy Gregory, ‘B and J’ laundry, Blueberry Hill golf course and Caledonia Land Company,” according to reports. They contend that Wolf’s order is “continuing to cause irreparable harm to the Petitioners and all those businesses and entities in the same non-life- sustaining classification as Petitioners,” per the court filing.
If the Supreme Court fails to intervene “tens of thousands of other businesses may not be able to recover from the severe financial distress caused by the Order,” the petitioners warned.

Gov. Abbott: Texas Kicking Off Phase One of Reopening this Week

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott (R) on Monday, after conferring with the public and private leaders and medical experts comprising the Strike Force to Open Texas, announced the expiration of the existing stay-at-home order April 30 and the state’s entry into Phase One of reopening, which kicks off Friday, May 1.

Abbott announced that the state’s stay-at-home order will expire as scheduled April 30, with the Lone Star state quickly moving into the first phase of reopening.
The governor said the state’s coronavirus cases have been on the decline for 17 days, adding that the hospitalization rate has “held steady.” Texas has the third most virus recoveries, Abbott said, adding that recoveries will soon exceed the number of active cases.
He explained that officials have been laying the groundwork to reopen since March and detailed the phased approach to reopening, designed to put measures in place that will help businesses open but contain virus and keep Texans safe.
The first phase emphasizes the importance of vulnerable populations remaining at home, if possible, and doubles down on the efforts to protect seniors in nursing homes.
The more we do to protect vulnerable, “the faster we can safely open business in Texas,” Abbott said.
Several businesses can reopen May 1, including retail stores, restaurants, movie theaters, and malls. The ultimate decision, Abbott stressed, was driven by doctors who also provided health guidelines for businesses, employees, and customers.
On the advice of doctors, Abbott is limiting occupancy to “no more than 25 percent” in those facilities to help minimize the spread of the virus.
“This is a proven business strategy,” Abbott said, citing the successful practice used by Home Depot and adding that his order “supersedes” all local orders.
If Phase One works while containing the virus, Phase Two will allow businesses to expand their occupancy to 50 percent. Abbott also said that the restrictions could vary by counties with five or fewer cases, allowing them to increase their capacity to 50 percent if they meet the qualifications. If there is an outbreak, however, it could require a county to revert back to a limited capacity.
Churches and places of worship were kept open under existing executive order, Abbott explained, but he said they will be able to “expand capacity even more” as of May 1. Outdoor sports will also be permitted, but he is limiting the number of participants playing together at one time to four.
The governor said there are other businesses he wants to reopen, but experts advised that it is “simply not safe enough” to allow them to proceed at this particular time. Those include barbershops, bars, gyms, and hair salons. Officials are working with experts to open those businesses “as soon as possible.” He said he hopes they can open on or no later than mid-May.
Abbott also said, if they can contain the spread of the virus during the first phase, the state could move to Phase Two as early as May 18.
“If we can contain the spread of COVID-19 during that time period, we can move to Phase Two as early as May 18,” he announced.
The second phase will “open more businesses and allow businesses opened in Phase One to expand the operations. We need to see two weeks of data to confirm no flare-up of COVID-19.”
Abbott also said he spoke with White House Coronavirus Task Force member Dr. Deborah Birx about the plan and she approved, calling the Texas plan “great.”
“This strategic approach to opening the state of Texas prioritizes the health and safety of our communities and follows the guidelines laid out by our team of medical experts,” Abbott said in a statement.
“Now more than ever, Texans must remain committed to safe distancing practices that reduce the spread of COVID-19, and we must continue to rely on doctors and data to provide us with the safest strategies to restore Texans’ livelihoods,” he continued, emphasizing the need to protect the vulnerable.
“If we remain focused on protecting the lives of our fellow Texans, we can continue to open the Lone Star State,” he added.

The difference in the response from Democrats and Republicans is truly astounding.  One side wants fascism, total control, and the other respects individual freedom.  Which do you want?