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By Kaylee McGhee, Washington Examiner
Discontent with the coronavirus shutdowns is growing across the country, but not to the extent that the media has suggested.
Protests took place in at least five states this weekend. Protesters descended on the states’ capitol buildings in Washington and Illinois. In Colorado, Tennessee, and Florida, drive-by protesters clogged the states’ streets as part of “Operation Gridlock.” Similar protests have taken place in California, Michigan, Kentucky, Minnesota, Virginia, Utah, North Carolina, and Ohio over the last week or so.
These protests are by no means insignificant. The economic uncertainty this shutdown has created is becoming unsustainable, and the lengths to which some local governments have gone to enforce social distancing measures are alarming. And now a good chunk of the American public has decided that enough is enough.
But an even larger number of Americans remains hesitant to return to normal. A recent Gallup poll found that four in five Americans said they’d prefer to wait for updated information about the coronavirus, testing and potential treatments before resuming day-to-day activities. It turns out that the threat of a potentially fatal virus has the potential to change the behavior of entire cities, states, and countries.
That doesn’t mean Americans are willing to live like this indefinitely. Indeed, only 9% of participants told the survey they’d continue to limit social and physical contact without an end date in mind. But most Americans do prefer a soft, gradual reopening that will balance the U.S.’s immediate needs with its long-term health.
This mindset was commonplace well before state governments mandated business closures. Flight cancellations began to soar in early March, which was around the same time the rates of eating out began to plummet. By the time the states began to implement shutdowns, businesses had already lost 73% of their normal revenue.
As Charles Fain Lehman noted in the Washington Free Beacon, America shut itself down with very little direction from the government. And that means America must reopen itself as well. The government can aid this effort, but it can’t force it. In fact, the best thing our state governments can do right now is to simply allow the reopening process to begin. Americans will take it from there.
Until the states begin to roll back these restrictions, the protests will continue. But it’s unlikely these protests will accomplish much, since it seems they’ve identified the wrong culprit. Even if the state governors were to completely lift the stay-at-home orders today, people would probably stay at home. Restaurants would remain largely empty, churches would be hesitant to reconvene, and large gatherings would still be socially discouraged. Why? Because Americans are still largely worried about the coronavirus.
Restoration of confidence in the public health will not be an easy feat, and it will not happen overnight. And it's worth wondering whether continued protests will help that process, or whether they'll backfire, causing new outbreaks and resulting in even more public reluctance.
See more at Washington Examiner
Discontent with the coronavirus shutdowns is growing across the country, but not to the extent that the media has suggested.
Protests took place in at least five states this weekend. Protesters descended on the states’ capitol buildings in Washington and Illinois. In Colorado, Tennessee, and Florida, drive-by protesters clogged the states’ streets as part of “Operation Gridlock.” Similar protests have taken place in California, Michigan, Kentucky, Minnesota, Virginia, Utah, North Carolina, and Ohio over the last week or so.
These protests are by no means insignificant. The economic uncertainty this shutdown has created is becoming unsustainable, and the lengths to which some local governments have gone to enforce social distancing measures are alarming. And now a good chunk of the American public has decided that enough is enough.
But an even larger number of Americans remains hesitant to return to normal. A recent Gallup poll found that four in five Americans said they’d prefer to wait for updated information about the coronavirus, testing and potential treatments before resuming day-to-day activities. It turns out that the threat of a potentially fatal virus has the potential to change the behavior of entire cities, states, and countries.
That doesn’t mean Americans are willing to live like this indefinitely. Indeed, only 9% of participants told the survey they’d continue to limit social and physical contact without an end date in mind. But most Americans do prefer a soft, gradual reopening that will balance the U.S.’s immediate needs with its long-term health.
This mindset was commonplace well before state governments mandated business closures. Flight cancellations began to soar in early March, which was around the same time the rates of eating out began to plummet. By the time the states began to implement shutdowns, businesses had already lost 73% of their normal revenue.
As Charles Fain Lehman noted in the Washington Free Beacon, America shut itself down with very little direction from the government. And that means America must reopen itself as well. The government can aid this effort, but it can’t force it. In fact, the best thing our state governments can do right now is to simply allow the reopening process to begin. Americans will take it from there.
Until the states begin to roll back these restrictions, the protests will continue. But it’s unlikely these protests will accomplish much, since it seems they’ve identified the wrong culprit. Even if the state governors were to completely lift the stay-at-home orders today, people would probably stay at home. Restaurants would remain largely empty, churches would be hesitant to reconvene, and large gatherings would still be socially discouraged. Why? Because Americans are still largely worried about the coronavirus.
Restoration of confidence in the public health will not be an easy feat, and it will not happen overnight. And it's worth wondering whether continued protests will help that process, or whether they'll backfire, causing new outbreaks and resulting in even more public reluctance.
See more at Washington Examiner
