California is seeing a serious escalation in coronavirus cases, and while some are willing to admit that the protests are a likely culprit, that hasn’t stopped Governor Gavin Newsom from banning everything.

Despite the near-silence by the national media about COVID-19 unless they can blame the president or a red-state governor for it, California – Los Angeles County in particular – is reeling from a huge spike in cases.

The county health officials reported that 1,893 people were hospitalized in the county as of Thursday. That figure excludes patients in Long Beach and Pasadena, which have their own health departments.”

The figure is up slightly from 1,889 on Wednesday, and continues an upward trend that began last week, when the number was closer to 1,300. It also echoes statewide figures, with Gov. Gavin Newsom announcing Thursday that hospitalizations across the state had increased by 56% in the past two weeks.”

The county’s overall coronavirus totals as of Friday stood at 107,792 cases and 3,457 deaths.”

This has led Newsom, who often tries to look like he knows what he is doing, to ban or roll back a lot of things. He’s closed beaches, demanded mask wearing in public, ordering bars to close in certain counties, and had the state Department of Health ban churches and other religious gatherings from SINGING. Yes, you read that right.

However, at Crossroads Community Church in Yuba City, Senior Pastor Jim Clark said his congregation will not be silenced.”

“I think it’s ridiculous personally,” Clark said. “I really believe that it is stepping on the constitutional rights from the Bill of Rights on churches.”

Clark said the church is taking precautions like distancing seats, checking temperatures and capping attendance at 25%. The church reopened for in-person service in May before it got the state’s blessing. Clark said he’s not waiting this time around either.”

“We’ll be singing and praising the Lord, that’s part of the worship, we think it’s guaranteed by our Constitution,” he said.”

The Department of Health even wants this to extend to livestreams done by churches, where there would be no in-person audience and only worship leaders and musicians in attendance. We’re not even talking about a full choir here! And I am betting that one good lawyer and a class-action lawsuit could figure out just how much the state can enforce this “ban.”

And Los Angeles County banned fireworks for Independence Day. So, don’t go anywhere, don’t gather with anyone, and don’t have fireworks? But protests for social justice are okay.

It’s little wonder why the city of Lancaster told LA County, nope, sorry, we’re still having our fireworks display. And it’s also not surprising – but altogether heartening – to see the news footage of the skies over Los Angeles last night.

Just a flyover of Los Angeles tonight..fireworks anyone? pic.twitter.com/BOWvjCrKAY

— Spencer Schubert (@SpencerSchubert) July 5, 2020

Fireworks & fireworks shows are banned in Los Angeles County this #July4th. But look at our Burbank camera and our LAX camera looking toward South LA… it's never-ending. @ABC7 pic.twitter.com/v2t4G0aslS

— Veronica Miracle (@ABC7Veronica) July 5, 2020

Why, it’s almost as if the people have realized that if they all want to do something, there is little the government is going to do to stop them! The best part was on Twitter, where people were demanding that the police start ticketing people for setting off fireworks. Yeah, about that…

Yeah the defunded police will get right on it ..

— Kayleeb (@kayleeB100) July 5, 2020

I think last night in Los Angeles was a great example of two things. First, Americans determined in some way, shape, or form, to celebrate Independence Day. To quote Firefly, “you can’t take the sky from me” – and the people of LA proved it last night. Second, it was a giant middle finger to county and state officials. Maybe the population of California is starting to feel just a little bit more rebellious these days. Now, it won’t be enough to keep them from voting blue on the national level, but between all the craziness and chaos in California itself… well, maybe those fireworks in the sky should have been a warning sign to state and local officials.

Featured image via Pixabay, cropped, Pixabay license