Gavin Newsom pushes pro-abortion ad showing cop who pulls over female, makes her take pregnancy test, handcuffs her on hood



Far-left California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) is pushing a pro-abortion video ad that portrays an Alabama cop who pulls over a female, makes her take a pregnancy test, and handcuffs her on the hood.

Check it out:

— (@)

"Alabama’s abortion ban has no exceptions for rape or incest," Newsom writes in his Sunday X post. "Now, Republicans are trying to criminalize young women’s travel to receive abortion care. We cannot let them get away with this."

Here are a handful of screenshots from the ad that spell it out:

Image source: X video screenshot via @GavinNewsom

Image source: X video screenshot via @GavinNewsom

Image source: X video screenshot via @GavinNewsom

Image source: X video screenshot via @GavinNewsom

Image source: X video screenshot via @GavinNewsom

Image source: X video screenshot via @GavinNewsom

According to Politico, Newsom’s ad targets a proposed bill in Alabama that would make it a crime for people who help minors get abortions without informing parents or guardians.

How are people reacting?

As you might imagine, quite a few responses from notable X users haven't been too kind to Newsom:

  • "This is unhinged even for you," OutKick's Clay Travis wrote.
  • "Y'all want to kill babies so badly," independent journalist Alex Rosen stated.
  • "Please tell me this is a parody video," "MAGA2024" activist Vince Langman added. "If not, it's even funnier."
  • "This f**king moron just posted a video of a cop walking up to a woman’s car with a pregnancy test in his hand," free-speech activist Philip Anderson noted.

Others couldn't agree more:

  • "This is total propaganda," one user said.
  • "Hyperbolic nonsense," another commenter noted. "This is why we hate you. This is why we fight you."
  • "Gavin, maybe you should move to communist Russia where you would feel more at home," another user suggested.
  • "Democrats and especially Gavin Newsom love to plant fear in their base because they know that their base will fall for it every time," another commenter observed. "This fear-based commercial is like an SNL skit."

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Return of the MASK: COVID 2.0 is already snaking its way across the country



If you thought the pandemic was over, we're sorry to say that you're wrong.

As the 2024 election looms closer and the presidential candidates are increasingly at each others' throats, so it seems COVID is at ours. And Lauren Chen is well aware.

“It does seem like COVID part two is back. That’s right, the pandemic strikes back,” Chen says. “A lot of people, if you ask me, have been a little too quick to move on and forget that hey, you actually had neighbors who are calling the police on you if you tried to have guests over.”

“There were actually people who were dying that were prevented from seeing their loved ones,” she adds.

We need to remember, because if we don’t, then it could easily all happen over again. And in some ways, it already is.

Lionsgate, a production company based in California, has re-implemented a mask mandate for some employees after a few employees tested positive for COVID.

The employees were told in an email to “wear a medical grade face covering (surgical mask KN95 or N95) when indoors except when alone in an office with the door closed, actively eating, actively drinking at their desk or workstation, or if they are the only individual present in a large open workspace.”

“If you are still afraid of COVID in this day and age, you haven’t been paying attention and you should probably go see some sort of mental health professional, rather than place all of your concern in something like COVID,” Chen says.

It’s not only the Hollywood studio that’s making a big deal out of re-implementing mask mandates. Morris Brown College has also reintroduced a mask mandate for both students and staff.

The college made this decision because there have been reports of students testing positive for COVID.

“Yes, the fatality rates for COVID are very similar to that of the flu. Do we institute mask mandates for the flu now? Absolutely not. It’s just something we live with and we understand that we live in a society. People get sick. So, the fact that some people out there still have this irrational fear when it comes to COVID,” Chen says. “It’s not based in science. It’s not based in medicine. This is an ideological thing.”


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THESE signs hint that traveling may soon be RESTRICTED



As the world becomes increasingly digital post-COVID, more and more Americans have taken the opportunity to work remotely and travel or live places they never dreamed they’d have the chance to see.

But Glenn Beck thinks that’s all about to change, as the far left and global elites are gradually changing our conception of traveling and who is allowed to do it.

Travel expert Michael O’Fallon joins Glenn to discuss these impending restrictions.

“This all started, of course, in 2020. It was an essential part of the Great Reset — everything everywhere all at once,” O’Fallon explains.

The expert believes that we’ll have “absolute restrictions on air travel” because we are being told we need to meet environmental goals by 2030.

“What do you think that they did with the vaccinations? None of that was working anyway, but they still kept their vaccination policies in place to make sure that you have people that are in a favored status and those that are in a non-favored status,” O’Fallon continues.

“We’ve already accepted that. We’ve already played by those sorts of rules, but now it’s going to be fully implemented in terms of ESG metrics,” he adds.

While many may believe that the tourism industry is too big to fail, O’Fallon notes that it will be forced to comply via sustainable development goals.

“The thing that was pressed upon everybody there is that you must be in step with the 17 sustainability development goals of the United Nations.”

Glenn is concerned, but knows this has been in the works for a long time.

“Tell people about the 15-minute cities, what are those exactly?” he asks.

“A 15-minute city is a way to be able to control population. It’s a way to be able to keep people close as you are developing smart cities,” O’Fallon explains.

“This is an autocratic move that’s happening right now. And it’s purposeful, and it’s strategic. And so what you have to see is that all of these things — between travel, between education, between your ability just to have freedom of mobility — it’s all part of the same thing,” he continues.


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Delta flight from US to China turns around mid-flight due to new COVID protocol



Delta Air Lines announced Monday that it had to turn back a flight from Seattle to Shanghai as a result of the Chinese airport's new COVID-19-related cleaning restrictions.

An emailed statement concerning the new mandates at the Shanghai Pudong International Airport said the airport's newly instated cleaning protocols “require significantly extended ground time and are not operationally viable for Delta," according to the Associated Press.

The new mandate comes on the heels of China's decision to tighten its already strict COVID travel policy as a result of a new outbreak of the virus in the city of Xi'an just six weeks before the start of the 2022 Winter Olympics, which will be hosted in Beijing.

Xi'an reported 63 cases on Thursday, which have now spread to at least five other Chinese cities, according to a story from France 24.

The city of Xi'an, which is home to 13 million people, imposed strict lockdown measures on its citizens Thursday, allowing only one member of each household to leave their homes once every two days to collect necessities for their families, according to a report by Yahoo Sports. The city of Xi'an, which is about 600 miles southwest of Beijing, reported an additional 300 cases over the weekend, the AP reported.

The Delta flight that had to turn back to Seattle while en route to the Shanghai Pudong International Airport left its passengers with both expired COVID test results and U.S. visas, according to the AP.

Delta is not the only airline affected by the Chinese airports' new protocol. China Airlines and EVA Air, both based in Taiwan, reduced the number of flights headed to the Shanghai Pudong International Airport, citing the new cleaning policy as the reason for the reduction.

EVA Air is canceling flights from two cities to Shanghai until Feb. 3, and China Airlines decided to cancel flights from one city to Shanghai and reduce the number of flights on another route, according to the AP.

The Chinese consulate in San Francisco did not name Delta in a statement released Sunday, the AP said, but said that a number of flights from the U.S. to China had recently been canceled or delayed.

After White House bans travel from 8 African countries, tweets resurface of Biden saying travel bans don't work and accusing Trump of 'xenophobia'



Previous tweets from President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris are igniting accusations of hypocrisy after the administration announced a travel ban in response to a new COVID-19 variant.

A World Health Organization panel convened on Friday to assess the potential of the SARS-CoV-2 variant "omicron," formerly known as B.1.1.529. The WHO classified the latest variant as a "highly transmissible virus of concern," which is also what the health agency previously named the delta variant as.

"We don't know very much about this yet. What we do know is that this variant has a large number of mutations. And the concern is when you have so many mutations it can have an impact on how the virus behaves," said Maria van Kerkhove, an epidemiologist and WHO technical lead on COVID-19. "This is one to watch, I would say we have concern. But I think you would want us to have concern."

The Botswana government said there were four cases of the omicron variant reported on Nov. 22, and that all four patients were fully vaccinated for COVID-19.

MEDIA RELEASE\n#LetsDefeatCOVID19Together\n#AReFenyengCOVID19Mmogo pic.twitter.com/LVMbmtLQx4
— Botswana Government (@Botswana Government) 1637849790

Cases of the omicron variant have already been identified in Belgium, the U.K., Germany, the Czech Republic, Hong Kong, and Israel.

The WHO cautioned against countries implementing travel bans.

"At this point, implementing travel measures is being cautioned against," WHO spokesman Christian Lindmeier said during a United Nations briefing in Geneva. "The WHO recommends that countries continue to apply a risk-based and scientific approach when implementing travel measures."

Dr. Michael Ryan — the head of emergencies at the WHO — warned against "knee-jerk responses."

"We've seen in the past, the minute there's any kind of mention of any kind of variation and everyone is closing borders and restricting travel," Ryan said. "It's really important that we remain open, and stay focused."

Despite the WHO recommendation, several countries implemented travel restrictions on African nations, including Australia, Canada, the United States, the United Kingdom, and all 27 member states of the European Union.

The South African foreign ministry reacted to the travel bans by saying the country was being punished for being one of the first nations to identify the new COVID-19 variant. South Africa first reported cases of B.1.1.529 to the WHO on Nov. 24.

"This latest round of travel bans is akin to punishing South Africa for its advanced genomic sequencing and the ability to detect new variants quicker," the Ministry of International Relations and Cooperation said in a statement. "Excellent science should be applauded and not punished."

The White House issued a statement on the travel ban, "The United States Government, including the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), within the Department of Health and Human Services, has reexamined its policies on international travel and concluded that further measures are required to protect the public health from travelers entering the United States."

Biden's travel ban goes into effect on Nov. 29, 2021.

The official Twitter account for President Biden issued a statement:

The @WHO has identified a new COVID variant which is spreading through Southern Africa. As a precautionary measure until we have more information, I am ordering air travel restrictions from South Africa and seven other countries. As we move forward, we will continue to be guided by what the science and my medical team advises. For now the best way to strengthen your protection if you're already vaccinated is to get a booster shot, immediately. For those not yet fully vaccinated: get vaccinated today. For the world community: this news is a reminder that this pandemic will not end until we have global vaccinations. The U.S. has already donated more vaccines to other countries than every other country combined. It is time for other countries to match our speed and generosity.
The @WHO has identified a new COVID variant which is spreading through Southern Africa. As a precautionary measure until we have more information, I am ordering air travel restrictions from South Africa and seven other countries.
— President Biden (@President Biden) 1637955501


For the world community: this news is a reminder that this pandemic will not end until we have global vaccinations. The U.S. has already donated more vaccines to other countries than every other country combined. It is time for other countries to match our speed and generosity.
— President Biden (@President Biden) 1637955502

However, many commentators resurfaced old tweets by Biden that are deemed as hypocritical.

On Jan. 31, 2020, then-President Donald Trump declared a public health emergency in response to the global COVID-19 outbreak and temporarily suspended the entry of travelers from China. A day later, then-candidate Biden responded by saying Trump was xenophobic, "We are in the midst of a crisis with the coronavirus. We need to lead the way with science — not Donald Trump's record of hysteria, xenophobia, and fear-mongering. He is the worst possible person to lead our country through a global health emergency."

We are in the midst of a crisis with the coronavirus. We need to lead the way with science \u2014 not Donald Trump\u2019s record of hysteria, xenophobia, and fear-mongering. He is the worst possible person to lead our country through a global health emergency.
— Joe Biden (@Joe Biden) 1580594460

On March 11, 2020, then-President Trump suspended travel from Europe in an attempt to slow the spread of coronavirus. The next day, Biden said travel bans would not stop the spread of COVID-19, "A wall will not stop the coronavirus. Banning all travel from Europe — or any other part of the world — will not stop it. This disease could impact every nation and any person on the planet — and we need a plan to combat it."

A wall will not stop the coronavirus.\n\nBanning all travel from Europe \u2014 or any other part of the world \u2014 will not stop it.\n\nThis disease could impact every nation and any person on the planet \u2014 and we need a plan to combat it.
— Joe Biden (@Joe Biden) 1584057900

In January 2020, when Trump added new immigration restrictions on six African and Asian countries — Nigeria, Myanmar, Kyrgyzstan, Eritrea, Sudan, and Tanzania — Democrats claimed the policy was "driven by hate."

Biden tweeted, "Trump further diminished the U.S. in the eyes of the world by expanding his travel ban. This new 'African Ban,' is designed to make it harder for black and brown people to immigrate to the United States. It's a disgrace, and we cannot let him succeed."

Trump further diminished the U.S. in the eyes of the world by expanding his travel ban. This new \u201cAfrican Ban,\u201d is designed to make it harder for black and brown people to immigrate to the United States. It\u2019s a disgrace, and we cannot let him succeed.https://medium.com/@JoeBiden/statement-from-vice-president-joe-biden-on-donald-trumps-expanded-travel-ban-17ac0ee039b9\u00a0\u2026
— Joe Biden (@Joe Biden) 1580613364

Kamala Harris responded by saying, "Trump's extended un-American travel ban undermines our nation's core values. It is clearly driven by hate, not security."

Trump\u2019s extended un-American travel ban undermines our nation\u2019s core values. It is clearly driven by hate, not security.https://www.npr.org/2020/01/31/801615610/trump-administration-to-curb-immigrants-from-6-nations-including-nigeria\u00a0\u2026
— Kamala Harris (@Kamala Harris) 1580595361

At the time, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi issued a statement, claiming Trump's immigration policy "undermined our Constitution" and was "bigoted."

The Trump Administration's expansion of its outrageous, un-American travel ban threatens our security, our values and the rule of law. The sweeping rule, barring more than 350 million individuals from predominantly African nations from traveling to the United States, is discrimination disguised as policy.

America's strength has always been as a beacon of hope and opportunity for people around the world, whose dreams and aspirations have enriched our nation and made America more American. With this latest callous decision, the President has doubled down on his cruelty and further undermined our global leadership, our Constitution and our proud heritage as a nation of immigrants.

In the Congress and in the Courts, House Democrats will continue to oppose the Administration's dangerous anti-immigrant agenda. In the coming weeks, the House Judiciary Committee will mark-up and bring to the Floor the NO BAN Act to prohibit religious discrimination in our immigration system and limit the President's ability to impose such biased and bigoted restrictions. We will never allow hatred or bigotry to define our nation or destroy our values.

Israeli officials warn of 'emergency' after detecting new coronavirus variant



Israeli leaders are warning of an impending "emergency" after officials detected the first case of a new coronavirus variant in the country and restricted travel to and from most African countries.

The Health Ministry said a traveler who had returned to Israel from the east African country of Malawi tested positive for the new virus variant and that two other suspected cases are being investigated. Each of the three individuals have been placed in quarantine. They were all vaccinated, the Associated Press reports.

The new coronavirus variant was first detected in South Africa and has raised concerns among scientists because it carries a large number of mutations and appears to be spreading rapidly.

Prime Minister Naftali Bennett said Friday that Israel is "on the threshold of an emergency situation" because of the cases. He convened a Cabinet meeting to discuss the new variant and said it is both more contagious and spreads more rapidly than the delta variant. Naftali also said authorities were still trying to learn whether it evades vaccines or is deadlier than other known variants of the virus.

"We are currently at the threshold of an emergency situation," he said. "I ask everyone to be prepared and to fully join in the work around the clock."

The Israeli government said all countries in sub-Saharan Africa would be considered "red countries" from which foreigners will not be permitted to travel to Israel. Israelis are likewise prohibited from visiting those countries and anyone returning from them must quarantine themselves.

The Israeli military will be used to locate any individuals who traveled to one of the red countries within the last week and instruct them to go into isolation while they are tested for the new variant, officials said.

News of the new variant has prompted similar reactions from the international community.

European countries are banning flights from South Africa and other southern African countries.

In the United States, the Biden administration said health officials are closely monitoring the new coronavirus variant but no decision has yet been made on whether to impose travel restrictions, CNN reports.

Major U.S. airlines including Delta, United, and American Airlines say they too are watching developments about the new COVID-19 variant but have not yet changed their policies or flight plans.

Delta "will continue to work closely with our government partners to evaluate any changes to US policy," the company told CNN.

Delta added that its travel partner Virgin Atlantic has canceled its service between Johannesburg and London-Heathrow.

White House reportedly considering Florida travel restrictions; Marco Rubio points out Biden's hypocrisy



The Biden administration is reportedly considering domestic travel restrictions in Florida, which has prompted Republicans to slam the potential domestic travel ban.

Officials with the Biden administration are considering imposing domestic travel restrictions, including on Florida, the Miami Heraldreported Wednesday.

"Outbreaks of the new variants — including a highly contagious one first identified in the United Kingdom, as well as others from South Africa and Brazil that scientists worry can evade existing vaccines — have lent urgency to a review of potential travel restrictions within the United States," a federal official told the Miami Herald.

"There are active conversations about what could help mitigate spread here, but we have to follow the data and what's going to work. We did this with South Africa, we did this with Brazil, because we got clear guidance," a White House official said.

The potential travel restrictions could reportedly target multiple states, including Florida and California.

In the United States, Florida has the most cases of the B.1.1.7 variant of the COVID-19 virus, mostly known as the '"U.K. variant." Florida has 343 cases of the U.K. variant, followed by California with 156 cases, and 59 cases in New York, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. With 34 states reporting, there are 932 total cases of the B.1.1.7 variant as of Tuesday.

Two federal government officials stressed that "no policy announcements are imminent," "all options are on the table," and any travel restrictions "would be taken in partnership with state and local governments."

Tori Emerson Barnes, executive vice president of public affairs and policy at the U.S. Travel Association, has been communicating with Biden administration officials on how to deal with the new variants.

"The variants are certainly of concern obviously to the CDC, and I think that the uncertainty around the variants has put other proposals on the table," Barnes said.

Earlier this week, Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg said the administration is considering a requirement that passengers must provide a negative COVID-19 test before they can travel on domestic flights.

Overall in Florida, cases of coronavirus cases were down 21.3% last week compared to the previous week.

"Current COVID-19 hospitalizations have been declining from a high of more than 7,600 in January," the Orlando Sentinel reported.

The U.K. variant now accounts for up to 15% of new cases in Florida, up from approximately 1% at the beginning of January.

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis called the possible travel restrictions "absurd" and a "political attack against the people of Florida."

"I think it's an absurd report that they would be doing that, I think it would be unconstitutional, it would be unwise and it would be unjust," DeSantis said at a news conference Thursday morning. "Any attempt to restrict or lock down Florida by the federal government would be an attack on our state done purely for political purposes.

"If you think about it, restricting the right of Americans to travel freely throughout our country while allowing illegal aliens to pour across the southern border unmolested would be a ridiculous but very damaging farce," the Republican governor said. "So we will oppose it 100%. It would not be based in science, it would purely be a political attack against the people of Florida."

DeSantis is referring to President Joe Biden rescinding former President Donald Trump's national emergency proclamation to secure the U.S. southern border.

Biden wrote a letter to Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) on Thursday stating, "I have also announced that it shall be the policy of my administration that no more American taxpayer dollars be diverted to construct a border wall, and that I am directing a careful review of all resources appropriated or redirected to that end."

DeSantis, who ripped the media for a perceived double standard in coronavirus coverage this week, noted that since December, Florida is 28th in the U.S. for COVID-19 cases per capita, 30th in coronavirus hospitalizations, and 42nd in COVID-19 deaths per capita, according to WTVJ.

"It would purely be a political attack against the people of #Florida," @GovRonDeSantis responds to report on possi… https://t.co/A31MeSGy66
— Justin Schecker (@Justin Schecker)1613060126.0

Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) wrote a letter to President Biden where he blasted the potential travel restrictions in Florida as "an outrageous, authoritarian move that has no basis in law or science."

"Instituting a travel ban, or any restriction of movement between the states, would be an outrageous, authoritarian move that has no basis in law or science. Instead, it would only serve to inflict severe and devastating economic pain on an already damaged economy," Rubio said in a statement.

"If you are concerned about the coronavirus spread in Florida, I urge you to fast track additional vaccines to the state instead of attempting to cripple our economy," the Republican senator said. "Instead of dictating where Americans can, or cannot travel, your administration should instead focus on increasing supply and availability of vaccines, especially to Florida, the third most populous state and a winter retreat."

Rubio labeled the potential travel restrictions as "reckless and economically harmful" to the "state and country as a whole."

On Twitter, Rubio called out President Biden for his hypocrisy on travel bans.

"Biden opposed a #Covid travel ban on #China But is considering a travel ban on #Florida? Unreal," he tweeted.

"Day after Trump issued a #Covid travel ban on #China Joe Biden accused him of 'hysteria, xenophobia, and fear mongering,'" Rubio wrote on Thursday morning. "The following month he said banning travel from any part of the world will not stop coronavirus. But now he is considering restrictions on #Florida travel."

Biden opposed a #Covid travel ban on #China But is considering a travel ban on #Florida?Unrealhttps://t.co/KA7y0WOmk7
— Marco Rubio (@Marco Rubio)1612998341.0


Day after Trump issued a #Covid travel ban on #China Joe Biden accused him of “hysteria, xenophobia, and fear monge… https://t.co/C1B4F2UFgp
— Marco Rubio (@Marco Rubio)1613045380.0

Rep. Andy Biggs (R-Ariz.) also slammed the possible travel restrictions.

"This is nothing short of political payback and tyranny towards a state with exceptional leadership and a common-sense, scientific approach to COVID-19," Biggs wrote on Twitter. "The Biden administration must stop these considerations."

This is nothing short of political payback and tyranny towards a state with exceptional leadership and a common-sen… https://t.co/Cl0dIzS0bn
— Rep Andy Biggs (@Rep Andy Biggs)1612992164.0

Horowitz: States don’t have the constitutional power to place travel bans on each other

We are told that there is essentially nothing state officials can’t do to our bodies and businesses in light of their “internal police powers” to somehow arrest an epidemic. At the same time, those police powers seem to be missing in action as rioters loot, beat, vandalize, and block traffic with impunity. Now, those internal police powers that seem so impotent and dormant are suddenly resurrected to regulate external affairs, such as interstate travel, with many states now placing travel bans or quarantine requirements on even healthy people from other states. It’s time to speak with one voice against this grossly unconstitutional trend.

Isn’t it funny how the courts seem to deny a state the ability to regulate abortion, define marriage and sexuality, and even decline benefits to illegal aliens, but when it comes to corona fascism and banning interstate travel, they could deny the existence of the Constitution – or even the Articles of Confederation!

Even as the Articles of Confederation allowed states to regulate interstate commerce, Art. IV of that founding document states, "the people of each State shall have free ingress and regress to and from any other State." Thus, it’s a no brainer that the Constitution, which was designed to prevent states from banning interstate commerce, certainly bars states from regulating travel of American citizens. As the Supreme Court said in U.S. v. Guest (1966), “a right so elementary [as interstate travel] was conceived from the beginning to be a necessary concomitant of the stronger Union the Constitution created.”

“Indeed, as Justice Stewart reminded us in Shapiro v. Thompson, (1969), the right is so important that it is "assertable against private interference as well as governmental action ... a virtually unconditional personal right, guaranteed by the Constitution to us all." Id., at 643 (concurring opinion),” wrote the high court in the more recent case of Saenz v. Roe (1999).

This right of unrestricted travel within the confines of our great federal union is certainly a part of the Due Process and Equal Protection clauses of the 14th Amendment according to recent judicial case law. For us originalists who don’t interpret those clauses the same way, it is a part of the Privileges and Immunities Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment, which ultimately is sourced in Art. IV, §2, cl. 1 of the original Constitution: “The citizens of each state shall be entitled to all privileges and immunities of citizens in the several states.”

These past court cases were dealing with state laws trying to bar residents from other states from seeking welfare. Public transfer programs are positive privileges, not inalienable rights, yet the courts still said that a travel ban cannot block access to those programs. How much more so this should apply to states that are mandating people be locked up in a home for 14 days for simply entering the state without any evidence they are sick.

Yes, the courts have ruled that states have the power to quarantine. But as I’ve noted before, the definition of quarantine is separating the sick from the healthy. The notion that you can quarantine anyone from any designated states, irrespective of their symptoms is unfounded in our Constitution and body of case law.

To essentially place anyone from another state under house arrest for 14 days without due process violates the most basic definition of liberty. Blackstone defined individual liberty as “the power of loco-motion, of changing situation, or removing one’s person to whatsoever place one’s own inclination may direct; without imprisonment or restraint, unless by due course of law.” It was from this principle that our Founders wrote the Declaration of Independence and the various state declarations in 1776. This is the definition of “privileges and immunities,” referenced in Art. IV, §2, cl. 1 and the Fourteenth Amendment, as Justice Clarence Thomas has written so many times [see concurrence in McDonald v. Chicago].

These natural rights don’t go away during an emergency. As the great Justice Robert Jackson, the lead prosecutor at the Nuremberg trial and the dissenter in the Japanese internment case, made clear the landmark Youngstown case of 1952, “They [Founders] knew what emergencies were, knew the pressures they engender for authoritative action, knew, too, how they afford a ready pretext for usurpation.”

He added, “We may also suspect that they suspected that emergency powers would tend to kindle emergencies. Aside from suspension of the privilege of the writ of habeas corpus in time of rebellion or invasion, when the public safety may require it, they made no express provision for exercise of extraordinary authority because of a crisis.”

In other words, the Constitution doesn’t wear a mask and natural rights do not lock down.

What is also so perverse and ironic about these interstate travel bans is that our government refused to place a travel ban or mandatory quarantine on most people travelling back and forth from Mexico, even as it became a hot spot for the virus in May.

At some point, we must question the mask mandates as well, especially as they have utterly failed to stop the spread. Even if they did help, it’s hard to imagine how one can justify demanding healthy people indefinitely be denied of breathing free air without their mouth covered, now even outside in many places. John Locke explained the origin of this liberty as follows: “To understand political power right, and derive it from its original, we must consider, what state all men are naturally in, and that is, a state of perfect freedom to order their actions, and dispose of their possessions and persons, as they think fit within the bounds of the law of nature, without asking leave, or depending upon the will of any other man.”

For government to now suggest that for any purpose, irrespective of their health status, to simply breathe free air and walk in locomotion without taking a positive action to cover one’s face harms others and justifies an arrest of their personage and dignity is a moral hazard that would have shocked the consciousness of any other generation.

If this passes constitutional muster, what else can the government do to you simply for sitting idly? Remember, even Chief Justice John Roberts, in his convoluted thinking in the Obamacare case, was only able to justify forcing a person to actively purchase health insurance based on the assumption that it was a form of taxation. If government can force you to cover your mouth and nose everywhere indefinitely, there is quite literally nothing they cannot mandate.

Thus, as you watch people gather in large numbers to vandalize statues and businesses, just remember they are not the only ones committing violence against the rule of law and the Constitution. The governors, in many ways, are engaging in a more severe and immutable form of violence against our life and liberty. After all, monuments can be rebuilt and buildings can be repaired, but liberty is never restored on its own.