UPDATED: Justice Alito Unloads

Yes, you really should read this article--or maybe the full address that Justice Alito gave to the Federalist Society:

Justice Alito unloads on coronavirus restrictions in bombshell Federalist Society speech

America's response to the coronavirus outbreak has resulted in 'previously unimaginable restrictions on individual liberty,' warned Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito. He also explained ongoing threats to religious liberty and freedom of speech.

Highlights of the article--and of course there's much more:

November 14, 2020 (LifeSiteNews) – Supreme Justice Samuel Alito has warned that “the pandemic has resulted in previously unimaginable restrictions on individual liberty” and that freedom of speech is at risk of “becoming a second-tier Constitutional right.”

Speaking to the Federalist Society’s National Lawyers Convention, which was hosted online this year, Alito said, “it is an indisputable statement of fact: we have never before seen restrictions as severe, extensive and prolonged as those experienced, for most of 2020.” 

...

“Think about access to the courts, or the constitutional right to a speedy trial,” said Alito. “Trials in federal courts have virtually disappeared in many places who could have imagined that the COVID crisis has served as a sort of constitutional stress test. And in doing so it has highlighted disturbing trends that were already present before the virus struck.”

Alito shared his concern about the growing “dominance of lawmaking by executive fiat rather than legislation.” Under the umbrella of emergency and disaster declarations, non-elected experts as opposed to elected representatives have pushed for sweeping restrictions which “confer enormous executive discretion” at the expense of fundamental rights.

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He also discussed the devastating effect of Obergefell v. Hodges, which imposed same-sex “marriage” on all 50 states, on freedom of speech and freedom for those who uphold the real definition of marriage.

And he concluded with this sobering warning:

“In the end, there is only so much that the judiciary can do to preserve our Constitution, and the Liberty it was adopted to protect,” Alito concluded. “As Learned Hand famously wrote, ‘Liberty lies in the hearts of men and women when it dies there. No constitution, no law, no court can do much to help it.’ For all Americans, standing up for our Constitution and our freedom is work that lies ahead. It will not be easy work. But when we meet next year, I hope we will be able to say that progress was made. At that time I trust we will be back together in the flesh.”

Surely that's the lesson Covid has taught us about far too many Americans.

UPDATE: Since we're talking about the Law, why not a brief note on the legal profession? I saw this story earlier in the week. John Hinderaker has a succinct summary--Law Firm’s Withdrawal Reflects Chilling Reality:

This is one of the saddest news stories of recent times: Porter Wright firm withdraws from representation of President Trump.

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Porter Wright is a large law firm with offices in eight cities across the country. But apparently it lacked the courage to stand up against the Twitter mob. The “Lincoln Project” doxxed the two Porter Wright lawyers who signed the Pennsylvania complaint, tweeting their pictures, addresses and telephone numbers, and encouraging leftists to harass them. Reportedly there also were employees at the law firm who objected to representing President Trump. Porter Wright’s abandonment of its client is shameful conduct for which I suspect it will receive little but praise.

Not many years ago, every terrorist in Guantanamo Bay was represented by one of a group of America’s top law firms. For free. No one batted an eye. Now, the President of the United States is having trouble getting lawyers to represent him in asserting perfectly legitimate claims. Some dictator.

This is what Leftist tyranny looks like.