THE LAST YEAR?!?! How about the last 50 years?
Posted on 11/19/2020 8:17:35 AM PST by Kaslin
Everywhere one looks there are warning signs, from labels on cigarette packs warning that smoking causes cancer, to ridiculous labels on thermometers that read, "Once used rectally, the thermometer should not be used orally."
Associate Justice Samuel Alito has delivered some serious warnings that too often are ignored by many who believe the freedoms we enjoy are inviolable.
In an address last week to the Federalist Society National Lawyers Convention, Alito touched on several subjects, including COVID, religious liberty, the Second Amendment, free speech, and "bullying" of the Supreme Court by U.S. senators.
Alito made a case for how each issue contains elements that contribute to a slow erosion of our liberties. On tolerance, preached but not often practiced by the left, Alito said: "...tolerance for opposing views is now in short supply in many law schools, and in the broader academic community. When I speak with recent law school graduates, what I hear over and over is that they face harassment and retaliation if they say anything that departs from the law school orthodoxy." This is not a new revelation, but it bears repeating.
While acknowledging the deaths, hospitalizations, and unemployment caused by COVID, Alito warned: "The pandemic has resulted in previously unimaginable restrictions on individual liberty. Now, notice what I am not saying or even implying, I am not diminishing the severity of the virus's threat to public health. ... I'm not saying anything about the legality of COVID restrictions. Nor am I saying anything about whether any of these restrictions represent good public policy. I'm a judge, not a policymaker. All that I'm saying is this. And I think it is an indisputable statement of fact, we have never before seen restrictions as severe, extensive and prolonged as those experienced, for most of 2020."
Where does this lead? Alito answered when he spoke of "...the dominance of lawmaking by executive fiat rather than legislation. The vision of early 20th-century progressives and the new dealers of the 1930s was the policymaking would shift from narrow-minded elected legislators, to an elite group of appointed experts, in a word, the policymaking would become more scientific. That dream has been realized to a large extent. Every year administrative agencies acting under broad delegations of 'authority' churn out huge volumes of regulations that dwarfs the statutes enacted by the people's elected representatives. And what have we seen in the pandemic sweeping restrictions imposed for the most part, under statutes that confer enormous executive discretion?"
Alito cited a Nevada case that came before the Court: "Under that law, if the governor finds that there is, quote, a natural technological or manmade emergency, or disaster of major proportions, the governor can perform and exercise such functions, powers and duties as are necessary to promote and secure the safety and protection of the civilian population. To say that this provision confers broad discretion would be an understatement."
Restrictions on how we are told to celebrate Thanksgiving would be another example.
On the erosion of religious liberty, he said: "It pains me to say this, but in certain quarters, religious liberty is fast becoming a disfavored, right." As evidence he mentioned how we have moved from the Religious Freedom Restoration Act passed by Congress in 1993 to the recent persecution by the Obama administration of The Little Sisters of the Poor for their refusal to include contraceptives in their health insurance. The Catholic nuns prevailed in a 7-2 court ruling, but Alito believes the threat to the free exercise of religion remains all too real.
There is much more in his address that should be read in its entirety. Alito's warnings ring true, but are we listening?
The Federalist Society appear to be Neocon scum.
Sounds like a man who will be open minded about the elections cases brought before him.
I hope he’s still mad that Phily ignored their orders twice.
Justice Alito is pretty steady.
Mad? No, he’s not mad, he’s just gonna do his job...
And he and his fellow justices that are decent Americans are eagerly awaiting to do so. They must know that the Republic and free men around the world are at stake here.
This is the Alamo.... but hopefully the outcome is different. We are surrounded by globalist deep state and they are about to snuff out the one person that can stop them.
Agreed.
But being of Italian descent also, I’m betting he’s at least a little mad :)
Yeah, I’m with you... Think of the crap that has been dished out to SCOTUS over the years by these liberal scum. This will be the ultimate payback.
Trump and team really simply need to convince SCOTUS that the Dominion system is so; insecure, susceptible to fraud, lacking safety measures, run by foreign entities, run by partisans, unable to reliably produce accurate numbers that one simply cannot accept the results.
If this election stands, the country for all tense porpoises is finished. This is for all the marbles.. and funny enough, everyone seems to be saying that, thinking that. People seem to have an inner sense that evil, the deep state is fully behind this.
I’d also like to believe that the Resist movement from our side would make the left’s look like a joke. But sadly the quiet and well armed majority has been of great disappointment to me personally the last year.
I'm not a judge so I can say what I want: Under no circumstances should COVID restrictions override the Bill of Rights. Sadly, John Roberts doesn't agree.
Alito, Scalia and Thomas sat by silent as the Kenyanesian Usurper corrupted our entire government.
THE LAST YEAR?!?! How about the last 50 years?
Life is a terminal condition. We should probably lock down entirely until a cure is found.
Nice meme! Perfectly put.
bttt
Lol
!
“ Tense dolphins”
Lol
Unless patient is LGBTQ.
Both England and Australia...as we speak...are very damn fine examples about the need to be armed. Both countries gave in on the gun confiscation.
They have essentially put their entire populations under house arrest. They also did that in India.
At last count, the death rate is still hovering right around 100%.
What gives you that impression?
Just curious.
I've been a member - not now, but for many years past - and while FedSoc advocates debate between opposing views, it deliberately does not take policy positions.
Reminder: The Federalist Society Does Not Take Positions On Legal Questions
Most members of FedSoc are what is loosely referred to as "strict constructionist," and FWIW, I don't recall any who advocate manipulation of foreign countries' business.
Weapons are useless without the will to use them.
Bkmk
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.