Sic Semper Tyrannis

For the past six weeks Americans have watched many of our leaders abuse their power. This has happened across our great country. It has happened nationally and on the state and local levels. The abuses run from grievous to the absurd. 

One mayor dumped tons of sand into a local skate board park because his or her orders were being ignored. Another ordered the ticketing of citizens attending a local outdoor church service while sitting in their OWN cars. One mayor went into a local restaurant and ordered one person to leave because they had one more patron than allowed. He ignored the fact that his entry was also illegal since the building was already over capacity. Another outlawed selling seeds and plants. Yet another outlawed “recreational power boating” yet allows canoes and the like. 

In Virginia you cannot have elective surgery yet you can have an elective abortion. You cannot visit your local barber yet you can patronize the state owned ABC stores and buy state sponsored lottery tickets which are apparently immune to Covid19. 

Many of us willingly followed the guidelines for social distancing believing that the health of our country and others was more important temporarily than our rights. 

Virginias’ State motto says, Sic semper tyrannis, meaning thus always to tyrants. The State Seal shows a patriot standing on the body of a tyrant. 

Our leaders are elected. They are our employees, we write their checks. Every check they write comes out of our collective earnings. They are not our bosses. 

They have one job and that is to run the business of government for the benefit of the citizens.  Of course part of that job is to protect you from me and me from you. However, protecting you from what MIGHT happen because of me and vice versa is an abuse of power. 

If I have a known communicable disease it only makes sense to force me into quarantine. However, if I MIGHT have a disease it doesn’t make sense. 

If the state “allows” me to visit one of their ABC stores and purchase alcohol I MIGHT abuse it. Or I MIGHT not. They don’t refuse to sell it to me because I MIGHT get drunk and drive. The law only applies WHEN I endanger you. 

We should challenge tyrants. Especially the petty rules and regulations they put into place that abuse our liberty. 

In our declaration of Independence there are 27 grievances listed against King George that abused the rights of citizens. 

Some of today’s regulations exceed those. Why are we accepting them like sheep?

Our Founding Fathers would be appalled.