Posted on 06/20/2020 2:45:45 PM PDT by ransomnote
The Justice Department today announced that Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights Eric Dreiband sent a letter to Montgomery County Maryland executives expressing First Amendment concerns regarding county orders. The letter urges county Executive Elrich and the County Council to ensure that the county’s executive orders and enforcement of them respect both the right of residents to assemble and practice their faith.
The letter applauds Montgomery County for allowing gatherings for political protest, but urges the county to allow gatherings for religious exercise on equal terms. The letter specifically references Montgomery County’s Executive Order No. 070-20, which banned all gatherings larger than 10 persons, County Executive Elrich’s June 1, 2020 statement supporting freedom of assembly and public safety, which nevertheless committed the County to providing a protected environment for peaceful protests. The letter notes that the executive order would have prohibited the protest held in Bethesda, Maryland, on June 2 that reportedly involved hundreds of people packed into a library and urged the County to amend its order to protect its residents’ First Amendment rights. In doing so, the letter cautioned that the County should treat religious gatherings no less favorably than similar secular gatherings.
“During a crisis it is important for people of faith to be able to exercise their religion,” said Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights Eric Dreiband. “Montgomery County has shown no good reason for not trusting congregants who promise to use care in worship the same way it trusts political protesters to do the same. The Department of Justice will continue to take action if states and localities infringe on the free exercise of religion or other civil liberties.”
Has anyone heard from ransomnote recently. Seems to be MIA.
I can’t believe this. I was Eric Dreiband’s secretary for several years!
I don’t know what he was like as a boss, but thank God the DOJ seems to be revving up and getting people to go after these civil rights violations.
Best boss I ever had. Wonderful man.
Went by Home Depot in Bethesda, MD this morning. The parking lot was packed and so was a lot parking lot across the street!
Church’s parking lots every Sunday are empty.
Do they really think we’re too stupid to notice their hypocrisy??
“Church’s parking lots every Sunday are empty.”
You must live in a liberal sh*thole. Come on down south. Churches are open and packed.
Yep. The People’s Republic of Maryland.
BUT I get to volunteer at Walter Reed!!! That helps a whole lot!
Excellent news
“BUT I get to volunteer at Walter Reed!!!”
Spent some time in a VA facility last winter. You people who volunteer are the best.
The entire church in America behaved shamefully through this. The Church is specifically mentioned in the Constitution as being beyond the reach of government intrusion yet church leaders completely surrendered their rights.
The Church needs to learn their rights and commit to NEVER AGAIN allow the government to dictate what they do.
Maryland has a very detailed Declaration of Rights in the state Constitution.
Article 36 That as it is the duty of every man to worship God in such manner as he thinks most acceptable to Him, all persons are equally entitled to protection in their religious liberty; wherefore, no person ought by any law to be molested in his person or estate...
That’s nice.
Washington is not the capitol of the VA/MD/WV tri-state area.
They’re supposed to worry about civil rights for the entire country. Including the outnumbered Americans on the Pacific coast.
Lemme know when Barr realizes that and starts doing something about the massive violations of civil rights in the States of Washington, Oregon and of course, and especially, California.
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