Sen. McConnell Exposes Democrats for 'Double Standard' in Banning Gatherings
In remarks from the Senate floor Tuesday, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell pointed out the Democrats’ double standard when it comes to public gatherings amid the coronavirus pandemic.
The Kentucky Republican took Democrats to task for their duplicity in banning religious gatherings and forcing citizens to remain locked away indoors while politicians support and even participate in mass gatherings in response to the death of George Floyd.
McConnell stated he has “no criticism” for the peaceful demonstrators exercising their right to speak freely. What is “baffling,” he explained, is the inconsistency of leaders who have spent months hectoring Christians and other law-abiding Americans for attempting to gather to exercise other aspects of their First Amendment rights, including their right to religious liberty.
McConnell excoriated Democratic leaders and the media for forcing citizens to put their lives “totally on ice,” and questioned the dangerous precedent set by Democrats when it comes to their selective enforcement of the First Amendment.
To the Democrats who have taken it upon themselves to tell citizens how to behave, when to work and where to congregate, the Senate GOP leader proclaimed, “our national life during this pandemic has slid toward a double standard.”
.@senatemajldr Mitch McConnell calls out the double standard on public officials’ attitudes toward protests and religious gatherings:
“While protests are still permissible, prayer is still too dangerous” pic.twitter.com/45gPOt0jhP
— Benny (@bennyjohnson) June 9, 2020
“Many Americans feel they’ve just seen those fastidious regulations and that puritanical zeal disappear in an instant because a new cause has emerged that powerful people agree with,” McConnell said.
“A month ago, small protest demonstrations were widely condemned as reckless and selfish. Now, massive rallies that fill entire cities are not just praised, but in fact, are called especially brave because of the exact same health risks that brought condemnation when the cause was different,” he continued.
Indeed, mere weeks ago, some Americans who demanded their lives back saw their constitutional rights violated, and were threatened, fined and even jailed.
Democrats and their media allies shamed those who dared to question or protest against the official line that the only way to prevent spreading sickness and death was to partake in economic suicide.
But after the death of George Floyd while he was in police custody in Minneapolis, the narrative flipped, and going out to protest, loot and burn buildings — often without recommended personal protective equipment — suddenly became supposedly virtuous activities.
The media and Democrats praised the protests, which saw tens of thousands of people crammed together and many waiting until after nightfall each day to begin wreaking havoc on American cities.
The continued praise of these riots, protests and large gatherings, of course, came as many Americans were essentially criminalized by political leaders and their communities for wanting to go to church.
McConnell struck specifically at Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, Washington, D.C., Mayor Muriel Bowser and New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio for playing with the rights of their cities’ citizens.
“The rights of free speech, free assembly, and the free exercise of religion are all First Amendment rights,” McConnell said.
“They have the same constitutional pedigree. But apparently, while protests are now permissible, prayer is still too dangerous. Politicians are now picking and choosing within the First Amendment itself.”
McConnell vowed that overzealous Democrats would no longer “impose” their selective concern on people of faith.
“It is hard to see any rational set of rules by which mass protests should continue to be applauded but small, careful religious services should continue to be banned,” McConnell said.
“These prominent Democrats are free to let social protest outrank religion in their own consciences, if they choose. But they do not get to impose their ranking on everyone else.”
McConnell’s comments highlight just how grievously Democrats have betrayed the trust of American citizens.
Their lockdown orders tanked the economy, put people in dire financial situations and stifled the right of citizens to practice their faith freely — all, supposedly, in the name of keeping citizens safe and healthy. But the second a cause that better fit their agenda came along, Democrats’ concern for their citizens was forgotten.
“These governments are acting like the coronavirus discriminates based on the content of people’s speech,” McConnell explained. “But alas, it’s only the leaders themselves who are doing that.
“It is now impossible to avoid the conclusion that local and state leaders are using their power to encourage constitutionally-protected conduct which they personally appreciate, while continuing to ban constitutionally-protected conduct which they personally feel is less important.”
The betrayal of trusted public officials amid the country’s health crisis should never be forgotten, as they have highlighted just how important it is for citizens to defend their fundamental liberties.
While most Americans attempted to follow health guidelines, even to their own economic, spiritual and constitutional detriment, their sacrifices were apparently in vain.
The moment the Democrats found something they cared about more than violating citizens’ rights, the paranoia about spreading the coronavirus was shelved.
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