Is it Automatically “Tyranny?”

Recently bloggers who happen to belong to the same conservative beliefs I have blogged about “the tyranny” of arresting pastors and ministers who defied the personal isolation standards which (originally) came to us from epidemiologists via White House press conferences.

No it is not “tyranny.” Tyranny is when rulers oppress the innocent. But criminals endanger others (without qualm, usually). The heedless endangerment of others is a criminal act. I am in the highest risk group but no one regardless of title can legally act to put my life at risk. The same applies to everyone of us.

Criminals (we always hope) are brought to justice by law enforcement. Titles like “pastors” or “ministers” are not a magical titles either. It’s just magical thinking.

So law enforcement arrested some criminals who have the title, “pastors” and/or “ministers.” This isn’t “tyranny,” it’s proper law enforcement, protecting us from criminal endangerment.

These conservative bloggers and commentators are furhter saying the arrests are “violations of our God given rights and are unconstitutional.” No law even mentions “God given” rights. And neither does the U.S. Constitution designate any one of the rights amendments as being based on the idea they are “God given.” They are all in fact protections against government violations of certain liberties recognized as being paramount to human liberty. They are all recognized by people, not by God.

Unthinking ideological “logic” can be as bad as any tyrant. We should all be in agreement that no criminal act be made “sacred.”

Let us not become divided over a mistaken way of thinking. We are (or can be) united under the Constitution’s Bill of Rights amendments.