Ron Fournier’s ‘provocative hypothetical’ on quarantines? Gun seizures

http://twitter.com/#!/ChasFlemming/status/526888750186369024

National Journal reporter Ron Fournier has been doing a lot of chin scratching on the Ebola crisis lately, leading to some head scratching from his Twitter followers. Just yesterday, he tweeted a photo that seemed to equate the Ebola quarantine policies of Govs. Cuomo and Christie with World War II internment camps (while overlooking quarantines in Illinois and Connecticut).

Followers suggested a grip was in order, but instead, Fournier on Monday suggested that some “anti-government, pro-liberty” types wanted to “cavalierly” quarantine people.

Surprised so many anti-Gov't , pro-liberty folks here want Gov't to cavalierly confine people over #Ebola. Takes a lot of trust in Gov't.
— Ron Fournier (@ron_fournier) October 27, 2014

@ron_fournier When it's a eyeball melting disease and it's just 21 days, then yes, yes we do.
— Kathleen McKinley (@KatMcKinley) October 27, 2014

Nothing cavalier about a disease that liquifies your organs.

@KatMcKinley OK … I'd rather not start down that slippery slope
— Ron Fournier (@ron_fournier) October 27, 2014

@ron_fournier Medically we have long had quarantines where it's needed. It's 21 days, not a prison sentence. No slippery slope.
— Kathleen McKinley (@KatMcKinley) October 27, 2014

@ron_fournier I don't trust the govt with much, but keeping us safe from Ebola is one thing I have to trust them with.
— Kathleen McKinley (@KatMcKinley) October 27, 2014

How about trusting state government over the feds?

@KatMcKinley @ron_fournier this isn't a puzzle. It's State vs Federal
— Greg Pollowitz (@GPollowitz) October 27, 2014

@ron_fournier Agreed. Does sound odd to me….but I think trust of State/Local Govt. is more positive than of the Federales…
— Marc Posner (@mposner) October 27, 2014

We can all agree the federal government would be easier to trust to handle the crisis if it could settle on some guidelines; the CDC issued yet another new set of guidelines today.

@ron_fournier You're right to notice the possible contradiction, but for many it is a fear of the government's inability to handle a real…
— Lee Doren (@LDoren) October 27, 2014

@ron_fournier outbreak. One thing to stop one person from running around town, another to handle problem of dozens who are infected.
— Lee Doren (@LDoren) October 27, 2014

.@LDoren I get why people don't trust government. I don't get why the reaction is to give government more power to seize liberties
— Ron Fournier (@ron_fournier) October 27, 2014

@ron_fournier again your observation of inconsistency is accurate. This is arguably an exception/example where coercion is the only solution
— Lee Doren (@LDoren) October 27, 2014

@ron_fournier If you can figure out a way to prevent someone from running around NYC via a voluntary payment system, I'm for that over govt
— Lee Doren (@LDoren) October 27, 2014

@ron_fournier @LDoren Tis indeed a quandry since inept government is at the root of much of the fear.
— Carl Gottlieb (@c_cgottlieb) October 27, 2014

Amen to that.

.@ron_fournier Quarantine is kind of a fall back position if travel ban isn't happening. Quarantine is much less desirable but beats nothing
— Marcus Brown (@marcusbrown) October 27, 2014

.@marcusbrown How far do we fall back before we don't get rights back?
— Ron Fournier (@ron_fournier) October 28, 2014

Hmm … speaking of a slippery slope, is this hypothetical exercise headed where we think it’s headed? Yep.

Provocative hypothetical: What if a POTUS or governor said only way to enforce mandatory quarantine in high crisis was to seize some guns?
— Ron Fournier (@ron_fournier) October 27, 2014

@ron_fournier Shut yer dirty mouth!
— Rachael Burke (@rachaelinco) October 27, 2014

.@rachaelinco Why not? We're locking up healthy nurses.
— Ron Fournier (@ron_fournier) October 27, 2014

@ron_fournier not enough facts in hypo to make a judgement
— Wendy Morris (@morrislaw) October 27, 2014

.@morrislaw You're open to to government seizing guns? Noted. #Ebola
— Ron Fournier (@ron_fournier) October 27, 2014

Another day, another shaky analogy? Noted.

@ron_fournier what if POTUS said only way to enforce the quarantine was to arrest reporters?
— Greg Pollowitz (@GPollowitz) October 27, 2014

@GPollowitz @ron_fournier Ron, there's a lot of law on this. Try researching it.
— Instapundit.com (@instapundit) October 27, 2014

@instapundit @GPollowitz I have, thanks. You have more trust in government than I do, is all.
— Ron Fournier (@ron_fournier) October 28, 2014

@ron_fournier @GPollowitz I doubt that, but you're acting as if these are new questions.
— Instapundit.com (@instapundit) October 28, 2014

@ron_fournier That would be dumb, and illegal (unlike quarantine which has always been legal).
— David Schumann (@dschumann0) October 27, 2014

@ron_fournier I guess your point is, would Americans want civil liberties trampled during the execution of a legal quarantine? Um, no.
— David Schumann (@dschumann0) October 27, 2014

@ron_fournier Or maybe the point is that you don't think that keeping arms is a civil liberty, like speech and religion and voting. It is.
— David Schumann (@dschumann0) October 27, 2014

.@dschumann0 But you're OK with rights trampled by quarantines? Good lucking ensuring that government herds your fine line
— Ron Fournier (@ron_fournier) October 28, 2014

.@dschumann0 heeds, not herds
— Ron Fournier (@ron_fournier) October 28, 2014

@ron_fournier What rights? The only right she lost was the right of movement, which is the definition of quarantine. This is not new.
— David Schumann (@dschumann0) October 28, 2014

@ron_fournier You're smarter than this. Unless you say quarantine *per se* is illegal, then movement in a quarantine is not a right.
— David Schumann (@dschumann0) October 28, 2014

@ron_fournier You're smart enough to know our rights are established by law and history, and quarantine has always been legal here.
— David Schumann (@dschumann0) October 28, 2014

BTW, @ron_fournier, your hypothetical will never happen. No one would ever try it. Almost everyone needed to enforce it is on the #2A side.
— RB (@RBPundit) October 28, 2014

You think the military would go along with an order to disarm the public? LOL
— RB (@RBPundit) October 28, 2014

We hope you’ve enjoyed today’s ride down the slippery slope; the attraction is now closed.

@ron_fournier This honestly makes no sense, Ron. Maybe get some sleep? We can try again tomorrow.
— Nathan Wurtzel (@NathanWurtzel) October 28, 2014

* * *

Ron Fournier compares the NY/NJ/IL/CT Ebola quarantine to WWII internment camps

Ron Fournier: For the record, nobody is panicking about Ebola

National Journal reporter Ron Fournier: Time for CDC to reconsider Ebola protocols — and talking points

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