(John Hinderaker)
Larvita McFarquhar owns a little bar and entertainment venue called Havens Garden in Lynd, Minnesota, a town of 448 in the southwestern part of the state. She is black, a single mother and a Christian. I don’t know whether McFarquhar is a conservative, but she is standing tall against our proto-fascist governor’s order that all bars and restaurants shut down indefinitely. She posted this video on Facebook, saying that her establishment would be open for business on Friday:
That seems pretty innocuous, but it brought Minnesota’s law enforcement down on her head:
In a video posted to Facebook last week, McFarquhar announced that Havens Garden plans to host live music and an open mic night on Friday. She was then contacted by a deputy with the Lyon County Sheriff’s Office, who asked McFarquhar if she was aware of the governor’s new order and told her she could face fines and jail time for remaining open.
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She said the sheriff’s office also called her DJ and threatened to arrest him if he performs during Friday’s event.
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Attorney General Keith Ellison’s office intervened Monday, according to a letter sent to McFarquhar and obtained by Alpha News.“Emergency Executive Order 20-99 empowers this Office to investigate and take action against businesses or persons that are operating or threatening to operate in violation of the Order,” Assistant Attorney General Noah Lewellen said in the letter.
That is the same guy who tried unsuccessfully to shut down the program on voter fraud that my organization put on in October. The power of the state. But McFarquhar didn’t yield:
As of now, McFarquhar said she plans to proceed with the event, but warned that patrons could each face a $1,000 fine.
“I’m not going to give up my liberties, I’m not going to teach my daughters to give up their liberties, and I want them to learn how to fight,” she said. “If I’m not that example — which is very hard for me — who else is going to do it?”
Good question! It is a question that we all should ask ourselves. Larvita posted this video, which says that she will be open on Friday but warns patrons that they could be fined by the Walz administration:
In an interview with Alpha News, McFarquhar added this background:
McFarquhar said the last several months have “been horrible” financially, noting that small business owners are already “struggling as it is.”
“These are the things that you have to struggle with. I’m struggling to keep my lights on,” she added. “The thing that makes me mad during this whole thing is we still have to pay our bills. I have to still pay taxes on the building.”
The government can order McFarquhar to close her doors, but “they still want their taxes” and can put a lien on her property if she doesn’t pay her bills, she said.
“The bills that were there before — they don’t go away because we’re not open. They’re still there and I still have to pay them,” McFarquhar said Monday. “Then to have the threat above that. That’s the worst part.”
Power Line is a national site, so there is little chance that you live within driving distance of Lynd, Minnesota, a tiny town in the middle of what liberals call nowhere. But my wife and I plan to be there Friday night. It is in such venues that the fight to maintain our heritage of freedom is taking place.
