Covid-19 Articles & Commentary
Oh Wisconsin! It’s time for legislators to do their jobs
"When the tyrant first appears, he is a protector." Plato, The Republic On March 24, 2020, Wisconsin’s Interim Health Services Secretary Andrea Palm issued a stunningly broad order taking control of the lives and activities of every single individual and business in...
Daytona Beach Cops, You Need a Warrant to Use ‘Pandemic Drones’
Just because powerful surveillance technology exists doesn’t necessarily mean we should use it. This holds true even when faced with unprecedented challenges from a pandemic. Unfortunately, the Daytona Beach Florida Police Department didn’t get the memo....
The New York Times is Wrong—We Don’t Need Another Agency to Fight Pandemics
It’s axiomatic that in time of crisis, government tends to grow. We applaud people who respond to a crisis by helping those affected and taking actions to prevent further harm. But for some, the inclination to “do something” in response to a crisis takes the shape of...
Living With New Realities During the COVID-19 Pandemic
The ongoing national emergency is still too new and too fluid for any of us to glean much beyond the obvious—wash your hands, stay inside, and practice kindness and grace toward others. But that has not stopped prognosticators from discussing what a...
COVID-19 Executive Orders: Read the Fine Print
Many of us have heard the adage that “hard cases make bad law,” but a more apt description might be “emergencies create worse law.” In an emergency, we often expect our government to do something to help us. Sometimes, though, that something is worse than the...