by Abigail Resheff
Most people are in lockdown right now (except for the essential workers), but some people have decided that the quarantine isn’t fair, and isn’t respecting their rights as citizens. Many are gathering in the streets to protest the quarantine and “claiming their freedom.”
A big issue with the government is that they are making a lose-lose decision. If they keep people quarantined, the economy may collapse, but if they let people out, they are risking killing millions of people.
President Trump has expressed his positive opinion of anti-quarantine affairs on social media. In some tweets, he has supported a few of the states who have had protests. From Politico, ‘“LIBERATE MINNESOTA!” Trump wrote, followed soon after by a message that read, “LIBERATE MICHIGAN!” He also tweeted, “LIBERATE VIRGINIA, and save your great 2nd Amendment. It is under siege!”’ Trump’s actions have encouraged more to protest and risk their lives to make a point that they “want their freedom back.”
In Michigan, one place of popular protest, Governor Gretchen Whitman is under fire. Since Michigan is one of the places where COVID-19 has been affected deeply (2,977 deaths and 35,000 cases since April 23), Whitman has implemented strict quarantine rules. Thousands have gathered to protest in “Operation Gridlock.” Time stated, “The event was organized by the Michigan Conservative Coalition, and one of the key organizers was Meshawn Maddock, who sits on the board of Women for Trump and is a co-chair of the Trump campaign in Michigan, according to her Twitter account.” Trump showed nothing but support for this, not to mention the thousands of others who protested.
Some hospital workers are fighting back. ABC News said, “Erich and Kristin Bruhn of Winchester, Virginia, are among the medical professionals who have turned out in recent days to counterprotest at anti-lockdown demonstrations across the nation, many of them frustrated that while they have been in hospitals trying to save the lives of coronavirus patients, people outside have taken to the streets to demonstrate against the one thing government experts say is helping to defeat the virus: orders to stay at home.” Many nurses and doctors are showing up to the protests with signs such as “Sign up here to die for the economy” or “You have no ‘right’ to put us all at risk, go home.”
With Trump’s support of the protests, coronavirus will be very hard to defeat. The people are prioritizing their money over their lives and others. If anything will get done, it’ll only happen if America works together. The only way to completely stop the spread is to stay at home, be responsible, and adhere to CDC guidelines.
Bibliography
https://www.politico.com/news/2020/04/17/trump-states-stay-at-home-orders-192386
https://time.com/5825840/anti-quarantine-protests-organizers-trump/
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