It sure seems as if NJ Governor Phil Murphy (D) hasn’t learned from his embarrassing April display on international television telling Tucker Carlson that when he imposed his spring 2020 COVID19 lockdown edicts he “wasn’t thinking” about the Bill of Rights, and that abiding by the Constitution was “above his pay grade.” This despite that being precisely what he swears an oath to do as governor.
It seems as if he hasn’t learned because, as Pat Ralph reports for PhillyVoice:
Beginning at 6 a.m. Saturday, all indoor youth, high school and adult sports will be prohibited until at least January. The new restrictions do not apply to collegiate or professional teams. Outdoor sports will be permitted to continue.
And that “rule” comes from the New Jersey Devil himself.
Gov. Phil Murphy said the state has seen COVID-19 outbreaks tied to indoor sports, but he is hopeful that a temporary pause will slow the spread of the coronavirus…
…The state's cap on outdoor gatherings again will be tightened.
No more than 25 people will be allowed to gather beginning at 6 a.m. Monday, Dec. 7. Religious and political activities, funerals, memorial services, wedding ceremonies and outdoor dining are not impacted by the new limit.”
Which is interesting, because that BILL OF RIGHTS Murphy doesn’t seem to understand explicitly states that no government entity or figure is allowed to restrict the right of free assembly.
That includes indoor sports, and outdoor gatherings that have nothing to do with religion, political activities, funerals, memorial services, wedding ceremonies, or “dining” (because nothing says fun more than sitting outside to dine between December and April in New Jersey).
As I’ve mentioned at MRCTV, Murphy has no constitutional or moral authority to ban or limit or otherwise control private gatherings on private property, and to call a private business “public” merely because it allows customers to enter is to destroy the sanctity of private property and the right to control it that is supposed to be retained by the owner.
And when it comes to tax-funded, public property, the Founders wrote the Bill of Rights to prevent Murphy from attacking people who might have the temerity to set foot on that government land for which their taxes are extracted.
And they wrote the Contract Clause of the Constitution (Article One, Section Ten) to make tell tyrants like Murphy that they’re not supposed to block people like private hockey rink owners from fulfilling their contracts with teams and leagues, and vice-versa.
The evil of his edicts is, perhaps, matched only by the farcical nature of Murphy’s posturing, as he offers this stream of lyrical drivel to the plebes.
’As we come out of the long Thanksgiving weekend and turn our gaze to the December holidays, we must remember that this virus is not done with us,’ Murphy said. ‘Let’s redouble our efforts and end the year by crushing the curve a second time, so we can look forward to a better 2021.’
Which sure sounds nice. It’s a friendly exhortation, a request -- even though it’s based on nonsensical phrases like “crushing the curve” and “this virus is not done with us.”
And even though it’s not really a request.
Instead, it sees police patrolling to stop peaceful private sports gatherings, and it already saw tax cash used to issue the edict.
Evidently, Murphy must think that, while abiding by his oath to the US Constitution is above his pay grade, he can absorb tax money to do whatever the heck he wants. So while he bans indoor sports games, he plays games with people’s rights.
It’s good to see how much he’s learned since April.