the federal government, with many state and local
government units in tow, hastily wrote and mandated
many rules for us to follow, supposedly to protect us
from catching the virus. Some places had more stringent
mask mandates than others, and some places had
partial lockdowns as well as limiting the number of
patrons a restaurant, a bar, a store, or a house of
worship could have. Some establishments were shuttered,
with limited hours, causing the owners to not make enough
money to stay open, pay their rent, and pay their bills.
Many staff members of these businesses lost their jobs.
Schools were closed and students had to do "remote learning"
with computers at home. "Safe distancing" was enforced.
Office workers worked from home, "telecommuting" along
with performing their duties online. And many Americans
chafed, choked, railed, and protested against these restrictions
on their freedom of movement, association, and activity.
Then there were vaccine mandates some employees had to
submit to in order to keep their jobs, if they weren't already
separated from their work by at least some of the afore-
mentioned conditions.
Many, including some of their representatives in the halls of
power, questioned the constitutionality of these rules/laws.
Well, many state and local governments ended their mask
mandates while a federal judge, Kathryn Kimball Mizelle
ruled that the source of many of the federal laws concerning
protection from the pandemic, the CDC (Center for Disease
Control) greatly overstepped its statutory authority and
never clearly explained its justification for the far-reaching
mask mandate, which President Biden backed to the hilt.
The CDC based their actions on their reading and interpretation
of the 1944. Judge Mizelle said the agency stretched the meaning
of the word "sanitation" in the law, which was never intended
to guarantee or support such broad control over the behavior
of the people. The judge's ruling blocked the mandatory masking
on public transportation, i.e. airlines, trains, buses, taxis, and
such. Furthermore, the mask mandates which came down from
all levels of government, were a waning health necessity, with
scientists and doctors finding no definite health protection in
wearing said masks. The CDC had behaved like too many
government bureaucratic agencies, making up rules with the
weight of laws, including dire consequences for anyone who
would disobey these rules masquerading as laws including
but not limited to stiff and steep fines.
President Biden should rethink willy-nilly jumping on the
bandwagon for the creation of these federal orders which
have no clear statutory justification, and to realize that only
Congress can write such laws, not unelected government
bureaucrats. Otherwise he will get a legal bruising in the
courts at every turn if he continues to support these end runs
around the legislative branch of the government.
MEM
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