Governed by choice is not ‘liberty’ but a threat to Constitutional order

There are those in Warren County that object to Governor Northam’s orders dealing with the Covid-19 crisis. People are calling the Governor’s office and communicating to him through our elected officials in the Legislature. Some are expressing their concerns to the Board of Supervisors or the Town Council.

Now, however, there are people who want to declare that Warren County is a sanctuary from the Governor’s orders. When the Governor issues an order, they propose that Warren County be exempt. Warren County would have only the approach to Covid-19 that it decides to take.

Expressing our concerns to the Governor or our state and local elected officials are legitimate approaches. Declaring Warren County a sanctuary is not.

The Commonwealth elects a Governor every four years. I have lived under Governors who I liked and several I did not like. I have agreed with some policies and objected to others. What I never did was conclude that because I did not like the Governor or his policies, I, therefore, did not have to follow them. If I object to the policies of a Democratic Governor, at the next election, I can support a Republican.

In the meantime, I can urge others to oppose the policies that I do not favor. I can send letters to elected officials. I can attend rallies and write letters to the editor. What I cannot do is declare that the Governor is not the Governor and the State Legislature has no power to make laws that apply to all citizens of the Commonwealth.

This is not the first time we have seen an effort to undermine the constitutional order of the Commonwealth. The legal reasoning that underlies this call for sanctuary is the same as that employed to support the 2nd Amendment Sanctuary movement. They say that if you do not like action by the Governor or State Legislature, you can simply ignore it.

You cannot be a citizen of a state only when you like the Governor or the actions of the State Legislature. You cannot cancel the reality that the Governor is indeed the Governor or negate the authority of the State Legislature.

I have sometimes objected to the nominees that Presidents have made to the Supreme Court. Despite my objections, I have never questioned the President’s authority to make such nominations.

These calls for sanctuary threaten the underpinning of our constitutional order and should be rejected.

Tom Howarth
Front Royal