By Reuvain Borchardt – Hamodia
A federal judge in Albany has issued a preliminary injunction overturning New York’s limitations on religious gatherings during the coronavirus pandemic, as an impermissible restriction on religious freedom considering the government’s allowing large Black Lives Matter protests at the same time.
Judge Gary Sharpe ruled Friday that New York state and city may not enforce any indoor gathering limitations “greater than imposed for Phase 2 industries, provided that plaintiffs follow social distancing requirements as set forth in the applicable executive orders and guidance”; or enforce “any limitation for outdoor gatherings provided that participants in such gatherings follow social distancing requirements as set forth in the applicable executive orders and guidance.”
New York executive orders currently limit gatherings at houses of worship in regions that have entered Phase 2 of reopening (including New York City) at 25% of the indoor capacity of such location, while permitting drive-in and parking lot services. Outdoor gatherings are officially limited to ten people. For those regions in Phase 3, all gatherings are allowed up to 25 people.
But since the end of May, large Black Lives Matter protests have been held across the state, with the full approval of Gov. Andrew Cuomo and Mayor Bill de Blasio.
At a press conference on June 1, Cuomo was asked at a press conference asked if he would recommend that people not go out and protest, Cuomo answered, “No, I think you can protest, but do it smartly and intelligently.”
At a press conference the next day, when de Blasio was asked by a Hamodia reporter why he was allowing the protests despite not allowing religious gatherings or retail-store openings, the mayor replied, “When you see a nation, an entire nation, simultaneously grappling with an extraordinary crisis seeded in 400 years of American racism, I’m sorry, that is not the same question as the understandably aggrieved store owner or the devout religious person who wants to go back to services.”
On June 10, Several Catholic priests and Orthodox Jews filed a lawsuit brought by the Thomas More Society public-interest law firm, arguing that the restrictions on religious gatherings while the protests were allowed are an unconstitutional violation of the free exercise of religion.
The virus knows no “morals”, and doesn’t discriminiate.
So whatever is safe, is safe for everyone. Whatever is unsafe, is unsafe for everyone.
It does not care who has more baggage. And thus, if the laws in place are purely intended to protect us, then the same laws must apply to all.
The guy is full of bs.
Let’s call it as it is, discrimination and antisemitism.
Why, when safety is a matter of concern, you use a “whataboutism” out door gatherings (protests) as your support as to why you should be going back into enclosed spaces? Use your seichel, enclosed spaces are statistically at a higher risk than being in outdoors with large gatherings. So many Heilikeh neshamos passed away…why risk more. Don’t be emotional about other stuff happening as support to potentially go into harms way…