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Surviving the tyranny of ‘emergency’

The coronavirus pandemic has revealed one of the insidious dangers of rampant globalization, but it has also reminded us of one of the ever-present dangers lurking just beneath the surface right here in America. That is the threat of tyranny that comes to life at the sound of “emergency.” The term “tyrant” means to rule without law and with absolute authority, and for some in public office tyranny is very intoxicating.

There have been several famous instances throughout our history where elected politicians suddenly became all-powerful and all-wise, entitling themselves to rule the people instead of governing according to the will of the people. During the American Civil War, President Abraham Lincoln, perhaps the wisest and most thoughtful leader in the nation’s history, took the extra-constitutional steps of arresting and holding U.S. citizens without regard for their right to due process. Lincoln decided on his own to be one man judge and jury because he alone knew what was best for the country; to lock up those who voiced sympathy for the southern cause.

Based on Lincoln’s example, Missouri’s Gov. Hamilton Gamble, backed by the district military commanders, declared marshal law, ruling with absolute authority, displacing citizens from their homes, imposing arbitrary taxes and fines, and issuing the death penalty to those who opposed or objected.

When Lincoln, acutely aware that tyranny was taking hold, requested Missouri’s marshal law be lifted he was essentially told by Gov. Gamble to pound sand. Missouri’s political leadership ,including the mayor of St Louis, took the position that it is much easier to govern under marshal law, so they had no reason to stop.

In this current crisis and melting economy brought on by the “Chinese Virus” it has become necessary for Republican congressmen in Washington to demand the Attorney General of the United States intervene in states where local officials and the governor are exercising tyranny over law.

In Greenville, Mississippi, the mayor overstepped his authority, closing down churches and issuing draconian fines for those who dared to attend Easter worship services. Members of Temple Baptist Church who attended a parking lot service in their cars with the windows up, listening to their pastor’s sermon on the radio, were each fined $500. The mayor had sent the police to break up a solemn and peaceful worship service. The AG intervened and the fines were dropped, but the mayor still insisted he was right. The church’s unforgivable crime had been to defy the tyrant.

According to legal statutes in the state of Michigan, Gov. Whitmer has the authority to declare a state of emergency for 28 days and any extensions to that require the approval of the state legislature. On April 1, when the legislature refused an extension, Whitmer simply ignored the legislature and continued to rule unilaterally. It’s all about power and control. Those who have power steadfastly refuse to give it up, even in a constitutional republic such as the United States.

Where do these politicians get such power? Often it is written into old laws such as Maryland Code section 3, § 14-303 which authorizes the governor to proclaim a state of emergency and exercise certain powers including where people can go, who is allowed to travel, and “controlling the possession, sale, carry and use of firearms and ammunition.”

Think about that. The governor of Maryland, and presumably every other state, can make a unilateral decision about whether or not the citizens will be allowed to possess their own firearm, their own personal property, to protect their home and family during a disaster or crisis.

In the United States, unlike any other nation on earth, we enjoy God-given rights as set forth in the Declaration of Independence, the U.S. Constitution, and the Bill of Rights. Our rights are not granted by the government nor by politicians, agency heads, or military commanders. We must never sacrifice our rights or our liberties to the god of tyranny in order to gain safety or security.

To survive a real “emergency” will always require that we be prepared to fight back against tyranny. Learn more about survival at www.mountaineerwilderness.com.

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