When We Stand Up to COVID Tyranny, It Ends

Power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely.

Since the start of the pandemic, Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker, a Democrat, has issued 25 serial disaster proclamations and 99 executive orders — all without any opposition from the Democratic-controlled state legislature.

A rubber stamp if you will from his fellow Democrats across the state.

Unchecked power.

Until late Friday when Sangamon County Circuit Court Judge Raylene Grischow ruled that Gov. Pritzker’s emergency rules concerning COVID-19 mitigations in schools was “null and void.”

In other words, students from 145 schools across Illinois who were named in a lawsuit do not have to wear masks in schools. But the ruling is clear that his applies to every school in Illinois — public and private. If a school is going to enforce the governor’s emergency orders and mandate masks, students must receive “due process.”

A process that they’ve been denied.

“The arbitrary method as to contact tracing and masking in general continue to raise fair questions as to the legality of the Executive Orders in light of violations of healthy children’s substantive due process rights,” Judge Grischow wrote. “Statutory rights have attempted to be bypassed through the issuance of Executive Orders and Emergency Rules … This type of evil is exactly what the law was intended to constrain.”

“This type of evil.”

That’s right. A line certainly worth repeating.

Over and over.

After the ruling, Gov. Pritzker asked the Illinois Attorney General’s office to appeal the judge’s decision.

“The grave consequence of this misguided decision is that schools in these districts no longer have sufficient tools to keep students and staff safe while COVID-19 continues to threaten our communities — and this may force schools to go remote.”

Throughout the weekend, school districts were amending their masking requirements — changing them to optional. However, many schools chose to side with the governor despite the judge’s ruling.

And the parents whose children are enrolled at those schools will be filing lawsuits for civil rights violations.

Good.

While many photos are circulating on social media of students walking around school maskless, other photos and videos are more disturbing.

Photos and videos of maskless kids being escorted into a gymnasium only to be told to wear a mask or leave is unacceptable.

Other schools are segregating unmasked kids in school libraries.

There are also reports that some kids are being suspended or removed from school grounds for not complying with the governor’s mask mandate.

One has to ask: Is this the United States of America or Communist China?

Attorney Tom Devore, who argued on behalf of parents and students, in an interview with The Center Square on Friday said, “I can only hope this might be the time for the Governor to lift what the Court has found to be illegal mandates and let the good people of this state get back to their lives.”

And he’s right.

And the court agreed.

When we stand up, they stand down.