Lockdown has now been in full effect throughout most states in the US, and many people are critical of the government for its way of handling the crisis — some believing the government is not doing enough while others claim they are doing too much, stifling the economy in the process.
The latter has recently made headlines for coming together in protest against their state’s lockdown orders. The majority of these individuals are specifically calling for businesses to re-open, as many are workers who are out of a job or business owners.
There are many officials and members of the media criticizing the acts of these protesters, but some are defending their position. Stephen Moore, an economic advisor for the White House, recently praised the protestors and even compared their protests to the civil rights movement in the 1960s. “I call these people the modern-day Rosa Parks,” Moore said. “They are protesting against injustice and a loss of liberties.”
While there may be justification in criticizing parts of these stay-at-home orders, the people protesting in the streets can in no way be compared to Rosa Parks. Her actions were a result of decades of racial inequality and injustice against black people in America, climaxing in the horrific lynching of 14-year-old Emmett Till.
In contrast, the protests against the stay-at-home orders are a result of a month where non-essential businesses have been closed by the government to slow the spread of a deadly virus.
American history teacher Joe Youngbauer believes the two can not be compared. “To try and draw a line of comparison between the two takes away from the sustained effort of civil rights era protesters and does nothing to help America through this difficult time,” he commented.
Whether this comparison is justified or not, these people do have the right to protest. “Our First Amendment rights allow for the expression of opinion, as some Americans have exercised in the last couple of weeks regarding getting their states opened back up,” Youngbauer added.
However, these protests — in which dozens (or even hundreds) of people are gathering together in one place — are tone-deaf to the current social distancing recommendations at best, and perilous to public health at worst.
By gathering in large numbers and admonishing the state government to open non-essential businesses, these protesters are doing more harm than good. While businesses are an essential part of society, the cost of operating should never be human lives. Until more is known about this virus, re-opening would put those lives at risk.
