By ANDRES CARRILLO
I’d like to start by saying that the Tejano Tribune is back and we’re more motivated than ever to bring you stories through our online publication, and I want to thank you for your continued support.
I’d also like to say that my last editorial did not age well.
Turns out, the coronavirus turned into a pandemic and here we all are, stuck at home.
My aim for all of these editorials has been, more than anything, to make you think.
So I want to preface this editorial by telling you, my position will not make me popular, but it’s an important message and warning.
The coronavirus has proven to be a dangerous virus with hundreds of thousands projected to die.
Social distancing is a very important tool we all have to help stop the virus, and I am urging all of you to be smart and not join large gatherings.
But at the same time, I get very nervous when the government makes rules concerning the virus and I get extremely worried when people cheer them on.
In the last month, the state and local governments have placed shelter-in-place orders that have been generally accepted by the public, but I stand in firm opposition of the government being able to tell people where they can or cannot be.
The United States has always been unique on the world stage because the intent of our founders was very clear.
The rights outlined in the Bill of Rights are inalienable.
They do not exist because they are written down, they have always existed.
You have them the second you are born. They existed when the founders were under British rule, and the violation of them is what justified revolting.
This means that your rights are not granted by the government meaning they cannot be temporarily suspended like they are right now.
They can only be infringed upon. Our government is currently violating the public’s right to assemble.
The fact that we are letting the government infringe on this right sets a dangerous precedent that they can continue to infringe on this right after this crisis is over by claiming emergency, and eventually, they’ll have enough power that they won’t have to.
I’m not advocating we assemble, I’m advocating against the government saying we can’t.
Most people stopped assembling before this was an official order because they are concerned about their own safety. This order was not necessary.
I next want to emphasize the consequences of letting the government do this before I move onto their complete incompetence.
If we let the government infringe on this right, they can infringe on all rights.
In other countries, the government is using tracking technology through cell towers to determine if someone is breaking a quarantine order.
If this was implemented in the U.S., this would further infringe on our right to privacy.
And when I see people cheering on the arrest of those leaving their homes, I don’t think it’s a far step to say they would be okay with sending those who break these orders to quarantine camps in the same way that Europeans cheered the sending of jews to concentration camps.
“Oh, but Americans wouldn’t do that, we’re morally superior to those Nazis.” It’s already happened.
I guess everyone forgot that during World War II, the U.S. put Japanese-Americans in internment camps.
Everytime we let one thing slide, it spirals into very dangerous consequences.
I’d also like to say that the time to be principled is when we are in crisis.
I can’t help but be disappointed at the citizenry when we let the government run rampant at every crisis.
Did we learn nothing from the 9/11 attacks. Americans were scared, like they are now, and they let the government pass laws that allowed them to spy on everyday citizens and they started multiple wars that are still going on and are now older than I am.
And we’re doing it again. The government will use any excuse to grow their power and infringe on your rights.
Stop letting them because you’re scared.
Now I want to move on to the utter incompetence of our government.
Recently, the U.S. passed a $2 trillion stimulus package.
Again pointing to the lack of historical knowledge of the everyday American, stimulus never works in an economic recession or depression.
But that’s besides the point. This $2 trillion is not money the government had.
They are printing new money which will hurt Americans because it will cause hyperinflation, devaluing the currency.
Second, they want to spend more money. Days after the largest spending bill in human history was passed, the President was tweeting about how we should do it again but for infrastructure.
Third, they completely mismanaged the bill to screw the average American.
WIth $2 trillion, you could divide the money among every American family and they would each receive north of $50 thousand.
But instead, if you make less than $100 thousand per year, you might get $3 thousand maximum, and if you made over $100 thousand, you get nothing and you still paid $1.3 trillion in federal taxes last year.
So where did all the money go. Corporate welfare.
If you thought the wall street bailouts from the 2008 Recession were bad, that was nothing. Companies that paid only $200 billion in federal taxes last year are receiving $850 billion of the stimulus package.
The Kennedy Center received $25 million dollars from the package and fired all of their employees the next day. This was the largest wealth transfer in history and you lost.
“Oh, but the government is just looking out for your best interest.”
That’s why Congressmen were dumping millions of dollars in stock in January after closed door meetings about how serious the virus would become.
And that’s not all the government mismanaged.
The CDC and the federal government have a virtual monopoly on testing and supplies for the coronavirus.
So what did they do? They sent out the first round of testing kits that had to be recalled because they were inaccurate, didn’t make enough kits available, delayed the availability of effective kits from private industry.
They also stockpiled ventilators when there was a shortage and limited the production of N-95 masks during the pandemic.
They also lied to the public and said masks were useless unless you were a medical professional until they realized that too many people were dying.
They played silly games that undoubtedly killed people.
That’s the government that you cheer for.
I am concerned about the hundreds of thousands who will die because of the pandemic, but that doesn’t mean we should forget about the thousands who died because of government idiocy, and the millions who are projected to commit suicide because they were forced to stop working and go into isolation.
I am angry right now, and you should be too.
You may not agree with me, but with the pandemic and everything that is done by institutions with immense power like the federal government, keep asking questions and keep them accountable.
The power of the government is derived from the consent of the governed.
We need to be more adamant about keeping the government accountable and small.
I’d like to thank you again for your support of the Tejano Tribune and want to remind you to stay safe during these dark times.
Politics are important, but family and community are more important. So spend this time checking up on loved ones and supporting those suffering in these times in any way you can.
There are people who feel trapped right now and may not have the best home life, and there are people who own local businesses who are losing everything they’ve worked for.
Now is the time to come together as a community.
Until next time, keep thinking.