Do You Like Me, Too?

According to statistics posted by Johns Hopkins University this week, the bump in coronavirus cases has been most pronounced in states without stay-at-home orders.  Oklahoma had a 53% increase this week.  Arkansas had a 60% spike.  Nebraska had a 74% increase.  Iowa had an 82% jump and South Dakota had a whopping 205% jump—this week!  Wyoming, Utah, and North Dakota also had increases.  I’m not a health professional, statistician, economist, governor,  or scientist, but these facts, numbers, data and projections tell me that this terrible virus ain’t over yet!  Statistics also tell me that stay-at-home restrictions have been crucial in lowering the spread. According to one poll, 66% of the American public is as concerned as I am about lifting the stay-at-home restrictions too soon.  But that leaves another 44% of the public who believe that the restrictions won’t be lifted soon enough to save the economy, or that the restrictions are too strict and intrude upon our individual liberties guaranteed by the Constitution.  

Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer has become “a lightening rod” for this latter group given her stringent stay-at-home directives.  This week (in spite of the “bump” in coronavirus cases in states without stay-at-home directives)  three to four thousand people gathered outside Michigan’s capital to protest  Whitmer’s stay-at home directives.  Now it has been reported that some wore MAGA hats, that “lock her up” was a persistent chant, that some carried weapons, that some violated the governor’s guidelines by getting out of their cars without face masks and without regard to social distancing.  I wasn’t there, but I did view a video of the event. Governor Whitmer, already struggling against a GOP legislature attempting to override her directives, said of the protestors “that’s their right.  The sad part is, though, that the more they are out and about, the more likely they are to spread Covid-19 and the more likely we are going to have take this posture for a longer period of time.”  Michigan has lost 2,200 residents to Covid-19.

That same day, Mr. Trump tweeted his take on the protest:  “Liberate Michigan.”  Is he egging-on protestors to violate not just Governor Whitmer’s policies, but his own?  He has told governors to “call your own shots.”  What is he saying?   He followed up his tweet in his daily press briefing, saying, “they seem to be protestors that like me…”. The question is not whether or not the protestors like Mr. Trump—the question is do they like the rest of us—the 66% who are concerned that stay-at-home directives may be lifted too quickly?  

Divisiveness is a reality, we all know that.  So is public safety a reality, and we all know that.  We are polarized, and we all know that.  This is certainly not the time for rhetoric that encourages an already polarized nation to split even more—especially over something as important as public health.