This article expresses the opinion of the author. Other Libertarian Party of Michigan members are welcome to send in opinion articles (In keeping with our guidelines) for consideration to the editor.
Link to the October 2021 Michigan Libertarian
By Andy Evans
Cheboygan, MI – It has been my privilege to work for Libertarian causes these past five years. I have done so as a local affiliate vice chair and chairperson, as a voice of Liberty in countless discussions, as a candidate for county boards, on convention and by-laws committees, and now I’m a lifetime member of the Libertarian Party of Michigan. One thing I never anticipated was the tenacity of health mandates… At least this soon in American history: An unprecedented assault on our basic freedoms of movement, free speech, worship, and even the very ability to work and associate with others. Thanks to the wild, irresponsible, and hypocritical usage of unconstitutional health orders and workplace rules, we have thrown the Constitution and basic human rights into the trash bin.
Health Mandates Betray the Dream of Liberty
Across a place many once proudly called “America”, we are now subject to a vast array of Federal, State, and local health mandates. Our founding fathers may not have anticipated future advancements in medical science, but I cannot bring myself to thinking that they would have approved of forced mask wearing, and certainly not forced medical procedures.
Our national chairperson recently spoke on the subject of medical freedom. Quoting from her recent email:
For 50 years, the Libertarian Party has been the only national political party fighting for all rights of all people all the time. Self-ownership is inherent to our existence and we must be free to choose for ourselves, while accepting responsibility for the consequences of the choices we make. Our support of an individual’s right to choose does not mean that we approve or disapprove of those choices. No individual, group, or government may rightly initiate force against any other individual, group, or government. We stand in defense of the rights of the smallest minority: the individual. The Libertarian Party has been pro-choice on everything since its founding, and we will continue to fight for your freedom every time the state threatens it. We are not government property.
Going Rogue in Norther Michigan
Here in Northern Michigan, one of our local health departments has now chosen to “go rogue”, by defying newly enacted State law – namely a Legislature directive included in the newly enacted fiscal year State budget. Although I am a proponent of having governance on as local of a level as possible, such governance should not, in my opinion, include local health department edicts which impose total and unrestrained government force to achieve “desired behaviors”.
Despite the clear language of the newly signed State budget, directing local health departments to end mask mandates, the Health Department of Northwest Michigan has decided to double down on their four-county reign of unlimited powers over the People.
A recent notable demonstration of this unlimited and unreasonable force was visited upon students at the Gaylord High School. Fifty young adults came to school without masks, and were initially kept in the school auditorium – and not allowed into their classrooms with other pupils. Finally, they were classified as “trespassers” and Sheriff deputies were brought in to escort these students off the premises – for the simple act of not following the draconian directives of local, unelected bureaucrats.
Curiously, I believe these same Sheriff deputies would normally be employed if those same students had NOT come to school that day, thanks to the State edicts of compulsory education. It is amazing how the hysteria of COVID has turned our children into leper colony candidates, simply for choosing not to wear a piece of cloth. I would like to suggest contacting your local County Commissioners and State Legislators.
Let’s remind the powers that be that our separation of powers and our 10th Amendment were never to be tossed aside for every new virus, or other supposed calamity that visits us. Our most precious gifts of individual Liberty cannot be taken back, not now and not ever.
