For all those who think signing petitions is worthless and will never amount to anything, this article is for you.
As you well know, Michiganders have been tightly held in the grasp of draconian ruler Governor Gretchen Whitmer for months now. And while most of us may think her reign and overreach is anything but legal, I’m here to tell you that it is.
But that’s just the problem.
Luckily, that’s all about to change.
As I said, while Whitmer’s rules have been oppressive, to say the least, in the midwestern state of Michigan, they are allowed, at least in some vague sense.
According to a 1945 law known as the Emergency Powers of the Governor Act, Whitmer, as governor, can declare a state of emergency, “designate the area involved,” and just about rules, regulations, or changes she deems necessary during that time.
Oh’ and only the governor can decide when the “emergency” is over.
Sounds perfectly acceptable, right? Well, if you are a patriot or just enjoy your God-given and Constitutional freedoms, I betting you don’t think so.
Now, I’m sure the law was created with good intentions, let’s say when torrential rains cause significant flooding, or when a massive snowstorm hits, knocking out power for whole communities. In these cases, it may be in the areas best interest if the governor could enact a few rule changes or put safety measures in place to keep her citizens safe.
And in all honesty, Whitmer has used this law for precisely that purpose before in her tenure.
However, as we all know, this time, things are far from the same.
While the coronavirus pandemic could be called an emergency of some sort, and it definitely has had the potential to cause a loss of life to the public, Whitmer has used it to gain more and more power.
And the worst part of it is that there is virtually no one who can tell her no, believe me, the Michigan Legislature has tried. In fact, they even filed a suit against her in May to end her overreach.
But per the 1945 law, she doesn’t need their or anyone else’s approval. And the suit failed.
However, the citizens of Michigan, who are none too happy about being kept under lock and key for months on end, have figured out a way to possibly beat her.
According to Michigan law, if enough citizens come together for one purpose, say by adding their names to a petition, the Legislature can repeal the law without a public vote or the need for Whitmer’s consent.
And this is precisely what is being done.
Unlock Michigan has been campaigning for a goal of 500,000 signatures for the last two months. And according to the Associated Press, they reached 400,000 on Friday.
In addition, the Hill noted that the group has raised over $900,000 within the last 45 days. Group members and petitioners say they fully expect to hit their goal by the end of the month.
Then they will send the petition off to the State Elections Board, who will have to verify those signatures. If 345,000 are “deemed valid,” according to the AP, the 1945 law can be repealed.
Naturally, Whitmer is doing everything in her power not to let this happen. She has even been caught begging citizens not to sign it, claiming that it is her right as governor to use her powers as she sees fit just as it was the right of every governor before her to do so.
The question is, should it be?
Unlock Michigan says no. The group’s spokesman Fred Wszolek says, “No one should think that allowing a politician to have unlimited power for an unlimited duration is a good idea.” Sure, it might seem like a good idea when your preferred party is leading, but what about when those people get replaces with someone who opposes your viewpoints?
Wszolek reminds us that this is precisely why our Constitution gave us checks and balances so that one party or person could not run away with all the power. He says, “Put the shoe on the other foot and decide if you think this is a good idea because at some time in your future the shoe will be on the other foot.”
Will you still want the person in that position to have unlimited power for an unlimited amount of time?
We might as well just kiss the Constitution goodbye if this is allowed to continue.
