Thread: I have resisted commenting on #Quarantine bc I figure my main job is to defend #ElectoralCollege & to promote education about #history. But I am also one who defends our #Constitution, complete w/separation of powers, and checks & balances. They protect agnst tyranny. /1

When did we become a country ruled by executive order? Why do so many Governors, Mayors, etc. feel empowered to make unilateral decisions? At a minimum, there needs to be some sort of cooperative action b/w legis & exec branches b4 Americans are told they may not go to work. /2

Legislative debate wd allow more info to come to light re: pros/cons of lockdowns. Some think they work. Others say numbers flawed; virus not so lethal. Some think 2nd wave cd be worse if we protect low risk people now. /3

Some note deaths caused by lockdowns themselves. Are we stopping death or just changing who dies? There are many questions and many opinions. Again, legislative debate, interaction between reps and voters is how we typically ensure that every voice is heard. /4

For those worried about crowded legislative chambers: Legislators can come up w/creative ways to debate & vote w/o creating crowds. Even if they have trouble, I’m pretty sure Constitution doesn’t have exceptions for “but there’s a virus” or “it got too crowded.” /5

Figure it out. We’re Americans. That’s what we do. /6

Another thought: I keep reading pieces that praise the resurgence of federalism b/c Governors are taking action. Huh? This isn’t a resurgence of federalism. With rare exceptions, Governors are walking lockstep w/each other, issuing edicts that match the national narrative. /7

But TX isn’t the same as NY. We have more wide open spaces. We are less likely to rely on public transportation. We have fewer smokers (risk factor). It is already warming up here. Likewise, other states have own considerations. What makes sense for NY doesn’t apply to all. /8

Similarly, federalism could drill down still more. What makes sense for Dallas or Houston doesn’t necessarily make sense for College Station or Earth, Texas. (Yes, a real city, population just over 1,000 people.) /9

The anniversary of the “shot heard ‘round the world” at Lexington & Concord is coming up soon. I keep wondering. What would our Founders have done if, instead of going after their arms, the British had convinced the colonists to stay at home for fear of catching small pox? /10

We are a constitutional republic and a nation of laws. We must stand by that, even in the midst of a pandemic. Perhaps its worth remembering what Hamilton said in Federalist 25: “[E]very breach of the fundamental laws, though dictated by necessity… /10

… impairs that sacred reverence which ought to be maintained in the breast of rulers towards the constitution of a country, and forms a precedent for other breaches where the same plea of necessity does not exist at all, or is less urgent and palpable.” /11 & End.

(Got them a little out of order there for a second, but fixed it. Sorry about that.)