What Will Your Rights Under Lockdown Be?

We will never forget COVID-19. The year 2020 still has a powerful hurricane season, an economic vacuum and a presidential election to get through. We are far from out of the woods.

In all transparency, April 5th was the first day we saw a decline in daily cases, since the beginning of this thing. Many of you have been concerned that the lockdown would come to cities, based on a rash of infections and the inability of American citizens to comply to slow down infection.

Unfortunately we are not yet through with the wrath of the virus. There will be new cases in the tens of thousands each day for weeks. Most troubling is the fact that we will then be forced to face the economic effects of this virus.

Civil unrest in cities is a much more likely scenario for a serious lockdown. Sick people, unemployment approaching 6 million, political discourse, fear and struggle could break our cities down.

Problems with Lockdown

While the idea of Martial Law has incited fear, inspiration and filled the pages of many prepper novels, the reality is it’s a numbers game. It’s a numbers game that the 300+ million citizens of the United States have the edge in.

This massive population and the way it is spread out would make it impossible to lockdown the entire nation. That said, major population centers could certainly see tanks rolling down the streets and a militaristic presence.

The National Guard has been deployed en mass in New York City and while they are playing a crucial roll in recovery, what could happen if the city devolves into chaos?

Who would be there to take that control back? What would be the upper limits of their power?

The ensuing chaos of a few will undoubtedly affect the many. If you are in a big city, you can expect many of your rights to go missing during a serious lockdown.

America has never seen a real lockdown that was enforced. For the most part, we have had glimpses of such events after the Boston Marathon Bombing and Hurricane Katrina, Katrina being the closest thing to a mandatory enforced lockdown.

A Hypothetical Federal Lockdown in a Major City

We have basically been suggested out of our rights in the face of this pandemic. Many of us understand that in the short term this is for the greater good. However, the American people are quickly becoming agitated with this idea of state-imposed restrictions.

Much of this has to do with our income and our routines being affected for nearly a month now. Without income and the small pittance that the government is sending out in checks, many are falling deeper into economic despair. Many have lost jobs and we were an erratic society going into this thing.

There is a reason blocks of stores are being boarded up in New York City. Those shop owners know what comes next. They understand that this could get violent in a hurry. So, what would a lockdown do to your rights?

#1. Curfew

Curfew is one of the restrictions on your rights that has already been put in place by some states. If you aren’t out for essential things, you could be fined in places like Boston. This is just the beginning. In a true lockdown situation breaking curfew could have serious consequences.

The youth are tasked with sticking to a curfew, because they have a track record of breaking laws or becoming victims in these hours of the night. Of course, you have a history of rebellion all your own and our governments know that.

#2. Real Quarantine

Self-quarantine is an interesting concept. As of this moment, you get to stay in your home and enjoy your creature comforts while getting better. If things get out of hand and transmissions continue to increase, we will see real quarantine where people are taken away from their homes.

This terrifying situation can be brutal on a family and on the psyche of Americans in general. In a true lockdown, quarantine will not be about staying home and getting your family sick.

#3. Eyes on You

Perhaps the very worst of the lockdown would come in the form of a next level surveillance.

Currently, places like Kentucky are going as far as placing ankle bracelets on people who break their COVID-19 quarantine. This is happening to sick people only.

Others are tracking people using their cellphones. This heightened state of surveillance would only get worse. It would be used to enforce your curfew and your daily activity could also be called into question.

#4. Search and Seizure

We have caught wind of illegal search and seizure from the government already. Don’t forget this remark from just a couple of weeks ago:

“We’re talking about people hoarding these goods and materials on an industrial scale for the purpose of manipulating the market and ultimately deriving windfall profits… If you have a big supply of toilet paper in your house, this is not something you have to worry about. But if you are sitting on a warehouse with surgical masks, you will be hearing a knock on your door.”

At this moment it’s PPE that the government has deemed essential. If the food supply is affected by the illness and people cannot get food, would they consider all that extra food you have essential?

Your rights to your property are but an agreement. If men with guns come to your door to take those 5-gallon buckets of stored grains, well there won’t be much you can do. It’s not to say it will happen, but if it does you don’t have a lot of options.

#5. As Far as Firearms Go

The confiscation of firearms is something that most localities would not undertake, even in a serious lockdown. I could see smaller problem areas put through something like a gun confiscation.

Honestly, it would probably be easier to ship the people away from their guns, than it would be to go into homes and take them.

Still, second amendment rights, like buying new guns or having access to ammo, have already been taken away in many states by considering these things nonessential. Even more sinister is the quiet legislation being written and passed, while we are all dealing with this virus. Here in VA there is a proposed 35% tax on all gun sales and 50% tax on ammo!

So, what will your rights in a lockdown be? In one word: Limited.

COVID-19 and social distancing are the perfect opportunity to gobble up massive amounts of power. With all that power in the hands of the state and federal governments, your rights will be at risk. If they can disguise these restrictions as something we all must do for the ‘greater good’, many will comply.

Americans are suffering right now, not from the virus. They are watching their lives come apart without an income and the mental struggle of isolation. It’s easy to forget that your rights are being trampled. We just assume the government will lift restrictions, but what if they don’t? Will they let us go back to our routines?

What about re-infection? What about civil unrest? What if they tighten restrictions?

We must all watch our representatives over the next few months. There has never been a moment, in recent history, where the rights of free man all over the world have been in such jeopardy.

Remember the words of Lord Acton: “Power tends to corrupt and absolute power corrupts absolutely.”