

“These juvenile criminals hit a low level. Born with only the instinct for survival, the highest morality they achieved was a shaky loyalty to a peer group, a street gang. But the do-gooders attempted to ‘appeal to their better natures,’ to ‘reach them,’ to ‘spark their moral sense.’ Tosh! They had no ‘better natures’; experience taught them that what they were doing was the way to survive. The puppy never got his spanking; therefore what he did with pleasure and success must be ‘moral.’

“The basis of all morality is duty, a concept with the same relation to group that self-interest has to individual. Nobody preached duty to these kids in a way they could understand — that is, with a spanking. But the society they were in told them endlessly about their ‘rights.’ – Starship Troopers, Robert Heinlein

What is a ‘right’? As the China Virus washes across the globe like a tidal wave, your friendly, neighborhood ACLU has only one goal in mind: pressure authorities across the United States to let criminals out of jail. [ACLU calls on Justice Department, Bureau of Prisons to release inmates vulnerable to coronavirus, The Hill, March 18, 2020]:

The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) requested the Justice Department and Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP) release prisoners who are vulnerable to coronavirus to prevent an outbreak in federal prisons. The letter, addressed to Attorney General William Barr and BOP Director Michael Carvajal called on the agencies to “take immediate action to safeguard” the prisoners, specifically those who are elderly or have chronic health conditions. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has designated these demographics as most susceptible to serious illness or death. The union requested the officials “increase the use of compassionate release” to limit overcrowding that could intensify an outbreak in the bureau’s 122 facilities that hold almost a quarter of a million inmates. “The same social distancing principles guiding public and private sector responses should guide the BOP’s response and ensure that its facilities do not unnecessarily bring people into confined spaces that may lead to greater exposure to coronavirus,” the letter reads. “Deliberate action must be taken to meet the responsibility to ensure the health of those incarcerated in the federal system.” The union requested the officials “increase the use of compassionate release” to limit overcrowding that could intensify an outbreak in the bureau’s 122 facilities that hold almost a quarter of a million inmates. The ACLU and 14 of its affiliates also sent a letter to state and local officials across the country, appealing governors to commute sentences that will end in the next two years or less and those being held on a technical supervision violation. The letter to local officials also called on police to stop arresting people for minor offenses and prosecutors to avoid cash bail requests. The letter also asks that prosecutors implement a review-and-release protocol for inmates who sought bail in the past 30 days. The ACLU requested judges to allow those with open criminal cases and an upcoming hearing to voluntarily waive the hearing or attend digitally, sheriffs to keep facilities “empty, safe, and clean” and probation and parole agents to speed up and extend release opportunities.

If there were a zombie apocalypse, you can bet your entire brokerage account the ACLU would be advocating for the rights of the zombies.

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While more and more states mandate mandatory quarantines, the ACLU is advocating for criminals to be released from jail, a reminder criminal justice reform is an idea even a global pandemic won’t stop… even as the ‘rights’ of the law-abiding are restricted to try and ensure social distancing stop the China Virus.

Of course, the ACLU would rather social distancing the criminals from the law-abiding be abandoned as a policy immediately, regardless of if a global pandemic is raging or not.

Heinlein, more than any other science fiction writer, knew ‘rights’ were nothing more than a fiction if a people forgot about duty.