In Nazi Germany, the people lived in a constant state of fear that the authorities would knock on their door and demand that they show “their papers.” If anyone refused this “request,” he or she would likely face dire consequences.

In present-day America, we the people might be hearing knocks on our own doors soon, with a government official demanding that we show our vaccine papers. If we refuse, who knows what consequences could be in store.

This might seem far-fetched, were it not for a recent pronouncement by President Joe Biden that his administration is working on a plan to go door-to-door checking on Americans’ vaccine status.

In the words of President Biden, “Now we need to go to community by community, neighborhood by neighborhood, and oftentimes, door to door — literally knocking on doors — to get help to the remaining people protected from the virus.”

Biden’s comments, far from off-the-cuff, have been supported by several administration officials.

For example, Jen Psaki, Biden’s White House press secretary, recently doubled-down on this insane idea, saying the administration would soon launch a “targeted, community-by-community, door-to-door outreach to get remaining Americans vaccinated by ensuring they have the information they need on how both safe and accessible the vaccine is.”

And, even after the administration received much-warranted pushback about the door-to-door campaign to check on Americans’ vaccination status, Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra chimed in with this stunning statement while on CNN: “Perhaps we should point out that the federal government has spent trillions of dollars to try to keep Americans alive during this pandemic.”

He continued, “So it is absolutely the government’s business. It is taxpayers’ business if we have to continue to spend money to try to keep people from contracting COVID and helping reopen the economy. So, it is our business to try to make sure Americans can prosper, Americans can freely associate, and knocking on a door has never been against the law. You don’t have to answer, but we hope you do.”

When asked if he supports the federal government’s effort to begin a vaccination verification program, Becerra responded that he is “open” to the idea. He added, “we’re going to go where you are so you can get vaccinated and we’ll do everything we can.”

He then dropped this ominous warning, “We want to give people the sense that they have the freedom to choose. But we hope they choose to live, and we’re going to make it possible for them to have a good life, and by the way, protect their family and loved ones at the same time. We hope people make the right choices. We want them to have the right information. But we are America. We try to give people as much freedom and choice as possible. But clearly, when over 600,000 Americans have died, the best choice is to get vaccinated.”

What does Becerra mean exactly when he says Americans should have a “sense that they have the freedom to choose” whether or not to take the vaccine?

As Americans, we have the absolute freedom to choose whether or not we take the vaccine.

Furthermore, since when does the federal government determine “the best choice” for we the people? Since never.

While millions of Americans have voluntarily chosen to receive the vaccine, the federal government (or any government for that matter) has no business knocking on citizens’ doors to check their vaccine status.

All Americans ought to be outraged at the very thought that President Biden and his administration officials are even considering such a blatantly un-American idea.

This is not one of things we should just roll our eyes at and succumb to. This is something of utmost importance for the future of our freedom.

It would not only be sad if the American people caved and willingly opened their doors to federal government flunkies who demand to see their vaccine papers. It would also be a pivot point in our nation, for the worse.

If we allow this Pandora’s box to opened, don’t be surprised if and when the federal government demands that unvaccinated Americans wear a patch of shame signifying their unvaccinated status, sort of like how the Nazis forced Jews to wear yellow Stars of David.

Chris Talgo ([email protected]) is senior editor at The Heartland Institute.