Barr: Some governors' action 'infringes on a fundamental right' during coronavirus

The Hill ^ | 04 21 2020 | Justine Coleman

[yesthatjallen]

Attorney General William Barr said Tuesday that some state governors’ efforts to fight the coronavirus “infringes on a fundamental right” of American residents.

Barr said in an interview on “The Hugh Hewitt Show” that governments in the U.S. need to “do a better job” of ensuring coronavirus restrictions are “properly targeted” and do not unnecessarily infringe on constitutional rights. He added that currently, the country is facing “unprecedented burdens on civil liberties.”

“When a governor acts, especially when a governor does something that intrudes upon or infringes on a fundamental right or a Constitutional right, they’re bounded by that,” the attorney general said. “And those situations are emerging around the country, to some extent.”

The attorney general said the government needs time to adapt during a crisis and it have the responsibility to “tailor its approach” after initially issuing potentially “blunt” restrictions. Barr said since the country has had time to flatten the curve, it is now time for the government to adjust the original restrictions.

Barr said the stay-at-home orders are “disturbingly close to house arrest,” but added, “I’m not saying it wasn’t justified.”

“We didn’t adopt them as the comprehensive way of dealing with this disease,” he said. “And we are now seeing that these are bending the curve, and now we have to come up with more targeted approaches.”

SNIP

[Mr Ramsbotham]

Yes! Now do something!

[Professional]

Yup, all talk all the time.

[ArcadeQuarters]

“the right of the people peaceably to assemble” exists regardless of Democrat governors’ fascist dreams.

[proust]

If you’re waiting for Barr to care about your rights, you’re in deep trouble.

[Mr. Rabbit]

Cue bagpipes.

[angmo]

Attorney General Eeyore. What a waste.

[Sacajaweau]

You quarantine sick people....not well people. So how do you know...cuz you feel sick.

[Sacajaweau]

And you expect him to what??? start arresting all DEM governors?

[Alberta's Child]

The DOJ will not take action on its own. An aggrieved person or organization has to reach out to them to initial a Federal civil action against any state or local government that has violated the rights of its citizens.

[wmarshalllives3]

AJ Barr is like tits on a boar hog - useless.

[Alberta's Child]

Sorry — to INITIATE a Federal civil action ...

[Logical me]

Barr is all talk talk talk and no action against crime. America is rapidly failing and the Constitution is beginning to look like a piece of paper with no teeth. The communist Democrats, with the help of the MSM, is doing the death blow. Add this virus and bang!!!!!

[rightwingcrazy]

Can someone point me to an epidemiological model that compares the effectiveness of stay-at-home orders and business lock-downs to that of voluntary social distancing and improved hygiene? Something evidence-based, that provides more than just hand-waving and plausibility arguments.

If not, what’s the argument? More is better? Not very scientific. The violation of civil rights is palpable. The mitigating benefits of the lock downs, on the other hand, are mostly extrapolated or conjectural.

[Don Corleone]

Barr: Some governors' action 'infringes on a fundamental right' during coronavirus

Some? Only SOME?

[shanover]

The last AG recused himself and disappeared and was dead wood. This AG says a lot and appears a lot but is still dead wood.

[Grampa Dave]

You quarantine sick people....not well people. So how do you know...cuz you feel sick. Thanks to: Sacajaweau for this common sense reality.

Bingo! No expensive tests/hospital visits just some common sense. No edits from power crazy governors/mayors. Just common sense.

Our economy/citizens have been brutally beaten/raped/abused with the insane/power grabbing actions of democrat elites, democrat governors and democrat mediots!

“A shutdown is a broadly destructive solution, to a problem that could have been solved with far more targeted approaches!"

Quarantines only work to keep a small amount of sick people from going out and spreading the disease!

They don’t work to keep the vast majority of healthy people locked inside.

Thanks to HotHunt for the above great visual!

If people want to stay home, let them! NO ONE wants to force them to go out!

[FlipWilson]

Wow, that is quite a statement.

And that is all it will be until this guy gets off the bench here.

I like Barr. But words aren’t enough.

[pepsi_junkie]

The DOJ will not take action on its own.

Maybe the FBI can make up a fake story, plant it in a newspaper, and use that as justification to obtain sweeping warrants to spy on the governors and set them up for prosecution on process crimes.

Oh wait, they only do that to Trump and his associates. But Barr seems okay with it based on his refusal to do one damn thing to correct it or punish the perps so I guess it could happen...

[Flavious_Maximus]

When a governor orders the closing of a road so citizens cannot see a farmers tulip fields, then we have a problem.

The farmer needs to file a federal lawsuit against this outrageous encroachment of civil rights.