Reader: Let’s stay home and save lives

Midland Daily News, 21 Apr 2020

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https://www.ourmidland.com/opinion/letters/article/Reader-Let-s-stay-home-and-save-lives-15214527.php

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Midland Daily News

Opinion

Reader: Let's stay home and save lives

Letter to the editor

Published 1:12 am EDT, Tuesday, April 21, 2020

To the editor:

While Americans value hard work and personal freedom, it is not a just reason to endanger others' lives over it.

Last Thursday, a group of conservative Michiganders met outside the Lansing Capital to protest Gov. Gretchen Whitmer's Stay-at-Home orders.

Some protesters blocked traffic, including an ambulance. Others, not wearing facemasks or staying 6 feet apart from each other, held American flags, Confederate flags, and flags that read, "Don't tread on me." Wearing MAGA hats, they carried guns and handmade signs expressing the desire to re-elect President Donald Trump and, most of all, to go back to work.

While people in America enjoy a lot of freedom compared with many countries and value work, this approach is misguided during this crisis. Gathering together in a large group, protesters are most likely furthering the spread of the corona virus and infecting many people. Each person likely transmits the virus to 40 other people and the infection rate grows exponentially from there.

While these protesters asked for freedom, they were impinging on the freedom of others: the elderly, those with underlying medical conditions, and the general population (likely including themselves). While these citizens resented being told they couldn't work, buy non-essential products from stores, or gather in large groups because of their convictions of personal freedom, they were endangering the lives of their fellow Americans. They are not considering their fellow citizens' freedom to live, their right to life.

While work is important to provide others with goods and services and keep the economy strong, Americans often place too much value on capitalism. While the right combination of capitalism and socialism has made our country great, many people link their personal worth with their paychecks. If they're not working they feel like they're not contributing to society, that they're worthless because they're serving no purpose.

We are all connected, everyone deserves the freedom to live, and all people have inherent worth beyond a non-essential (or essential) job. Let's all stay home, stay safe, and save lives.

Emma C. Johnson

MIDLAND