Volume 4 . Issue 9                 September 12, 2020

COVID-19 IN THE STATE OF JEFFERSON
 

The Chinese virus has been a disaster for the United States, and for California in particular. For some of us, there have been tragic losses of life and suffering with assaults on our health, both physical and mental. But the tragedy that has affected all of us has been in the loss of our economy, our social interactions, our rights, and our liberty.

California has made our suffering worse through its senseless rules and requirements handed down by a governor who acted without authority and against the rule of law. The hypocrisy, inconsistency, and unfairness in the mandates issuing from Sacramento have caused the loss of business, education, freedom of assembly, practice of religion, and the daily interactions of a free and independent people. These people consider their lives to be their own and not the property of the government to be regulated at the whims of the autocrats in elected and appointed office.

We know what living with COVID-19 has been like in the state of California, but how would it have been different in the State of Jefferson?
 

1. Relationship between the people and the government:

a. First, our relationship with government in SOJ is not the same as it has become in the Golden State. It is the belief in SOJ that the government has the duty to protect our rights. It is not the prerogative of the state to issue mandates and orders that it expects the people to obey blindly.

b. It is the obligation of government to assist the people in being informed on the issues that face the state and its citizens. There is an expectation that the government will disseminate accurate and unbiased information that will enable the people to make knowledgeable decisions that will best enhance their own lives.

c. The government has neither the responsibility nor the authority to make those decisions for free and independent citizens. The necessity of lockdowns, masks, testing, and vaccines are not decisions to be made by the officials in the state capital, but by a well-informed populace based on individual needs and choices.
 

2. Goal of the SOJ Constitution:

The goal of the Constitution of the State of Jefferson is to create a system that will specify the necessary protections for the people while limiting and restraining the authority of the government. In the event of unforeseen challenges to the state, the Constitution would guide the government’s actions, and protect the well-being of the people. Therefore, it is helpful to look at the Constitution for a glimpse of what the China Virus emergency would look like in the State of Jefferson.

3. Reinforcement of rights:

a. Article I, Sections 1,2,4,10 declare some of the rights that belong to the citizens in the SOJ Constitution. These cannot be abridged or suspended by an emergency, however dire. They include the right to life, liberty, property, and happiness: meaning the right to control one’s own body, to conduct daily business and personal affairs, and to behave in any manner that does not restrict the rights of others.

b. Both the federal and state constitutions include the guarantee of religious liberty and peaceful assembly.

c. Parents are recognized as having the authority to make decisions for the care of their children, and to bar the administration of medical procedures or products that they deem to be inappropriate, or unsuitable for their children.

d. The government is mandated to protect these rights, not to limit or suspend them.

e. Article I, Section 13 prohibits the deprivation of these rights without due process which, by necessity, would involve a legal proceeding showing probable cause of the commission of a crime.

f. The rights recognized in the SOJ Constitution are absolute and inalienable. They do not come from government, and they cannot be removed by government.


4. Distribution of powers:

The State of Jefferson is not under the rule of a single autocrat. It depends on the separation and allocation of powers to four branches of government. The distribution of these powers requires the participation of all branches to create the laws under which the citizens of the state will function. It is clearly stated in the Constitution that one branch cannot usurp the powers of another branch. The legislative power rests with the

House and Senate, not the Governor. Any bills passed by the legislature must be in agreement with the rights delineated by the federal constitution, and must meet the requirements mandated by the Office of Constitutional Review before they can be presented to the governor. Simply stated, that means that no legislation can be passed that denies the natural rights of life, liberty, property, and the basic rights listed in the Bill of Rights and Article I of the State of Jefferson Constitution. We exist under a rule of law, not the whimsy of an out-of-control governor.

5. Oath of office:

An extra layer of control in the State of Jefferson is in the requirement that all state and county employees must swear an oath of office to uphold the federal constitution and the state constitution. If any state or county official violates his oath by stepping beyond the bounds of legal action or duly enacted legislation, he can be penalized both criminally and civilly.

6. Authority of the Sheriff:

The sheriffs are constitutional officers and are responsible to the people of the individual counties who elect them. They are not subject to, dependent on, or answerable to the control of state, county, or city officials. They are not required, nor can they be pressured, to enforce edicts or mandates that hold no validity in law, but issue only from the capricious dictates of the governor.

7. Autonomy of educational institutions:

In the State of Jefferson, all educational institutions and facilities are private and do not fall under the jurisdiction of the government for regulations and operations. They enjoy the liberty of free association, assembly, and religious freedom. Therefore, no level of government has the power or authority to dictate how the schools will function or what rules will apply to their daily operation. The safety of the schools will be the responsibility of the parents and those who have been entrusted by the parents to care for and educate their children, without the interference of the state.

It is evident that the responsibility for the safety and health of the citizens of the State of Jefferson rests with the citizens themselves. They know best how to manage their lives to enjoy the blessings of liberty. They are fully capable of making the best decisions for themselves and their families to protect both their health and their rights. No government one-size-fits-all plan can meet the needs of a diverse, well-informed populace: a populace that enjoys the rights and responsibilities enshrined in the Constitution that forms the basis for the State of Jefferson.

Janet Chandler
Shasta County

Below are videos of Janet talking about her article with some added information.