Constitution & Common Sense: Can Government Shut Down Private Businesses?
U.S. efforts to quell the COVID-19 pandemic have quietly created a constitutional crisis for Washington leaders and state and local governments.
Over the weekend, Dr. Anthony Fauci, the federal government’s leading expert on COVID-19 and other infectious diseases, called for a 14-day shutdown of all bars and restaurants as part of a nationwide lockdown to force social distancing.
Speaking on CNN’s “State of the Nation,” Fauci said he had posed the idea to the Trump administration and gotten a favorable response.
By Monday morning, states and cities across the country had already begun shutting down restaurants, bars, gyms, and schools in an effort to stop the spread of the novel coronavirus, which has killed at least 85 people in the United States.
Indiana Governor Eric Holcomb announced a ban on sit-down dining, which will initially remain in effect through the end of March. The State Museum and historic sites also announced closures.
Indianapolis Mayor Joe Hogsett went a step further by ordering all gyms and movie theaters to close by no later than Tuesday morning, and banning gatherings of more than 50 people.
The Indianapolis order runs for a week, but Hogsett says he’ll ask the City-County Council Monday night to extend it through April 5.
But some experts say government restrictions on private citizens and businesses – even when implemented with good intentions – amount to a loss of liberty and a violation of your constitutional rights.
The Chicks on the Right and Producer Rob discussed this very issue on Tuesday’s show. Click below to listen.
https://omny.fm/shows/chicks-on-the-right/the-great-freedom-and-liberty-debate-1
