A couple of hundred protestors stormed Michigan’s capital on Wednesday, April 15 in Lansing protesting Governor Gretchen Whitmer’s extension of the coronavirus stay-at-home order. “Reopen America” protests like that in Lansing have popped up all over the country this week in Minnesota, Virginia, Kentucky, Ohio, Utah, and Pennsylvania with mask-less citizens openly disobeying social distancing guidelines while carrying semi-automatic rifles.

“I think in this situation you are seeing a continuity of the debate over security and individual rights and liberties,” said Mrs. Sanskruti Patel, U.S. history teacher. “Yes, the protestors do have a First Amendment right to share their thoughts and opinions with their elected officials, but the limitations they are protesting are put in place for the security and communities that the protestors are part of.”

During the protests in Michigan’s state capital, the group disrespectfully blocked an ambulance that was headed towards a nearby hospital. The protestors definitely did not think through putting whoever’s life in the ambulance at risk as they showcased their distrust and grievances towards the state of Michigan. 

As someone who is following the recommended guidelines from the government, doctors, and scientists, I do not think a crowded protest would be the best solution to counteract the coronavirus.  While many protestors stayed inside their cars, they were permitting a large number of people to join a disorganized event with a lack of focus on its message. It’s also not surprising that the 30 or so male protesters that were standing on Michigan’s capitol building were nowhere near six feet apart but maybe six millimeters apart.

“The protestors are the problem,” said Mingxiao Wang, sophomore. “The whole point of quarantine is to stay home. It might not be them who get infected but it could be someone else’s life or death if more people choose to congregate [together].”

Some men at the Michigan protest compared Governor Whitner’s restrictions to a “Nazi regime”. There is a stark difference between Hitler’s fascism and Governor Whitner prioritizing safety during a global pandemic. The majority of the crowd did not even wear masks or any protection against the virus which diminished their credibility and message. They made sure to bring with their Donald Trump political campaign posters as well.

Madeline Miller, a college student at  Hillsdale College in Michigan, follows up on her opinion of the protests’ response to restrictions that have already affected the rest of her school year.  

“It was a little disappointing to see that a lot of the protesters turned it into a bit of a Trump rally by wearing MAGA hats and a lot of them were armed which is not really relevant to the situation at hand,” Miller said. 

While Wednesday’s protests were supposedly aimed at excessive quarantine rules, some of the protesters seemed more motivated by their own political agenda than by their views regarding the economic costs of these severe restrictions. Even then, organizing an entire protest to “save the economy” does not make any sense either and will not boost the GDP. 

It’s disappointing to see that many are counteracting precautions that are in place to ensure the safety and health of everyone. Unlike the protestors, students and blue and white-collar job workers around the world have played their part so the world can get up and running again sooner rather than later.

“The protestors are basically negating the sacrifice healthcare workers across the world make every day by taking care of coronavirus patients,” said Ava Marginean, sophomore. “Staying home is a small sacrifice in the grand scheme of things.”

Like Illinois, Michigan has called off the rest of the school year. However, these precautions must be in place if we want to avoid an even more massive coronavirus outbreak. 

“Hillsdale has to follow the governor’s directions so we’re not meeting for class for the rest of the school year,” Miller said. “However, Hillsdale definitely values the freedom that it has to take away and is apologetic about it.” 

Many in the state of Michigan are concerned that their freedoms are being stripped away. I do see the point that many of the specific restrictions in the state of Michigan can be a little out of the ordinary. Governor Whitmer’s restrictions on the purchase of non-essential items like paint, garden supplies, and flooring seem very intrusive, especially since many spend time in their homes working on art projects as a therapeutic and calming method to cope in times like these.

However, it is important to understand that these new restrictions are all part of Whitmer’s efforts to limit points of contact among potential virus carriers and keep consumers and non-essential employees from traveling to and from stores. Instilling protests that are in part prolonging a process that has affected all of our lives is simply not the answer.