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MI Governor Loses ‘Consent of the Governed’
Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s handling of the COVID-19 lockdown has stood out as one of the most severe and arbitrary in the US. Michiganders are unable to purchase gardening supplies but lottery tickets are fine. They can travel to Walmart but not to their cabins in the countryside. They can paddle a canoe but can’t ride a jet ski.
Many officials and citizens have had enough. A group of county sheriffs announced Wednesday that they will not enforce some of Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s lockdown orders. At the same time, thousands of Michiganders gathered at the state capitol to protest her actions in a rally they dubbed “Operation Gridlock.”
Sheriffs from four contiguous counties in the northwest corner of the lower peninsula are placing their constitutional duties above the governor’s mandates.
We write today to inform the public for our respective counties of our opposition to some of Governor Whitmer’s executive orders. While we understand her desire to protect the public, we question some restrictions that she has imposed as overstepping her executive authority. She has created a vague framework of emergency laws that only confuse Michigan residents.
As a result, we will not have strict enforcement of these orders.
…Our focus needs to be on reopening our counties and getting people back to work. We also need to be aware that this virus is deadly and that we need to continue to practice social distancing, washing of hands, wearing of masks as well as other medically recommended measures.
Gov. Whitmer has faced an unprecedented backlash from the public due to her bizarre overreach, both online and at the state capitol.
“There is no reason why she can’t be looking at some safe ways to be opening up businesses. Instead of talking about what’s essential and nonessential, let’s talk about what’s safe and not safe,” said Meshawn Maddock, a spokeswoman for the Michigan Conservative Coalition. “Safe businesses and safe workers need to get back to work.”
Officials with the Conservative Coalition said they had instructed all participants to remain in cars and adhere to social distancing guidelines, although video from the scene showed citizens milling about outside of vehicles. Michigan State Police have reportedly been told to stand down and not arrest the protesters for refusing to follow the public gathering ban.
“People are basically being told what they can and can’t buy at stores,” Conservative Coalition member Matt Seely told News 8. “Nothing makes sense. You can buy a bottle of liquor, but you can’t buy a gallon of paint.”
Whitmer (and several other governors, all Democrats) don’t understand that lockdown orders only last as long as officials and the public allow them to. The principle of “consent of the governed” was popularized by John Locke, but has existed forever. Even autocrats who theoretically held absolute power were overthrown when the people had enough. Roman generals shivved unpopular emperors and a Milanese mob swung Mussolini from a lamppost. Mercifully, our political leaders are merely recalled from office or tossed out on election day.
The Declaration of Independence made the US the first nation to enshrine this concept in its founding documents. “That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed.”
Aside from political theory, attaining the consent of the governed is just common-sense leadership. Many governors understood this from the start and are leading far more effective responses. Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey has spent the past three months meeting with healthcare experts, scientists, educators, business leaders, and political leaders from both parties. He shares their views with the public several times a day and telegraphs future orders to prepare everyone ahead of time.
After getting buy-in, he methodically recommended increasing limits on schools, businesses, and other institutions. And the vast majority of these moves were recommendations, not orders enforced at gunpoint. Arizonans, now educated on the issue, willingly chose to follow these guidelines. On Monday, he began preparing the public for a re-opening of our economy.
In response to this steady leadership, Sen. Kyrsten Sinema blasted him on social media. In March, she demanded a total shutdown everywhere, from downtown Phoenix to sleepy ranching towns. She ignored the consent of the governed and insisted on autocratic whim. Worse still, she shouted “take action now!” as she delayed the Coronavirus relief bill a week on the orders of Chuck Schumer and Nancy Pelosi.
Gov. Whitmer followed Sinema’s advice and the expected backlash has begun. If Whitmer wants to keep her job, she might want to read her John Locke. Without the consent of Michigan’s voters, her future COVID-19 orders will fail and she won’t stay in Lansing much longer.
Published in Politics
There doesn’t seem to be much difference in the severity of the pandemic between states that have strictly locked down and states that have not.
In Texas, many businesses have been kept open but have made pains to adapt to the pandemic. For example, they have put marks on the floor to indicated 6 foot spacing between patrons, put up Plexiglas shields between checkers and customers, limited the number of people in a store at one time, and so on. Texas is projected to see the peak of the disease a little later than some states, but otherwise looks to be in good shape.
Some businesses in Texas were not able to stay open because the customers stayed away. Barber shops and some restaurants come to mind in that regard.
You can call the Michigan Governor by her new nickname: “Tammy”
I didn’t say I never approve of civil disobedience. I say I don’t often approve of it. And that’s true: I think it is most often a mistake.
I think we need to work on the concept of humor.
Well, our stupid governor extended “Safer at Home” for five more weeks.
For the record, the models showed deaths in Wisconsin to be between 400 and 1500 by last Wednesday. That is 8 days ago.
We’re at maybe 180 today.
I wonder how many suicides due to despair and joblessness will be worth it to him. I wonder how many drug overdoses. How many homicides.
How many small businesses must be destroyed in order to make him happy.
The government wants to be the giver and taker of all goods and finances. You must be made to be subservient.
“They’ll turn us all to beggars ’cause they’re easier to please.”
Once a person views the video of third world workers rushing the production of the masks such that after being cut and sewed, they drop to the floor, where they end up being gently massaged by the workers’ feet, the notion of using a mask loses its appeal.
A popular meme going around on Facebook asks why Catilyn Jenner keeps talking about Michigan.
I would rather have Catilyn Jenner as Governor.
“my public support is melting!. It’s melting!”
It isn’t a good picture. I think she’s an attractive woman. Jon could at least have given us that, for crying out loud.
One of the main reasons I left Michigan was Democrat politicians like her. That was in 1979. Never regretted going to Texas.
The bolded must depend on where you live in Texas. Here in North Texas, the barber shops, hair salons, nail salons, etc. were told they had to close. Restaurants were told they had to close their dine-in facilities – so delivery and carryout only or lock the doors for the duration.
You took the words right out of my mouth @RushBabe49.
you’re not funny
I know. I know. Be careful what you wish for; you just might get it. But I’m going to say, “Hallelujah!” and “May the rest of the country start following this example” anyway. Why? Because I’m beginning to think this is the only way we’re ever going to be able to get on with life.
I guess it’s just me, but does anyone else see a resemblance between the governor and Leona Helmsley aka “The Queen of Mean”? Just wonderin’
But I amuse myself.
I read something or (heard it on NPR maybe) that the crowd who gathered at the state capital of Michigan were waving Confederate flags!! Really, I know I read or heard this…I looked at the video that Jon posted and didn’t see any flags other than the US flag and the Don’t Tread on Me Flags. What’s up with the rumor about the Stars and Bars? And why in the world would anyone in Michigan use that flag, anyway??
NPR lies.
This group started yesterday and doubled its membership today. The stats in Wisconsin as of today:
Total Population of Wisconsin: 5,822,000
Total number of Wisconsin COVID-19 diagnoses as of 04/16/20 according to worldometers.info: 3875
Percentage of Wisconsin residents diagnosed with COVID-19: 0.067%
Total COVID-19 deaths in Wisconsin as of 04/16/20 according to worldometers.info: 197
Percentage of Wisconsin residents who have died from?/with? (distinction unknown) COVID-19: 0.0034%
Total number of COVID-19 patients in Aurora hospitals (15 total hospitals) in all of Wisconsin: 112
She would have made a good Soviet Commissar.
Those bastards.
It could have happened somewhere. I don’t happen to know whether or not it did in this case, but there are Confederate flags to be seen here in Michigan. I am not in favor. I don’t think they’re quite as common as in north-central Indiana or Illinois, but I don’t have data to prove it.
She appears to have Lost the Mandate of Heaven, to use a Chinese expression.
Something about her appearance just seems a little off. The photos and videos I’ve seen of her aren’t flattering. She looks crazy to me. Another make-up artist, maybe? Someone not a mortician.
Out of curiosity, why is this post pinned? It’s an interesting and important discussion, and I don’t object — I’m just wondering.
Vampire.
What a wonderful time to be living in the People’s Republic of Michigan!
Some of my friends were defending the governor and attacking the protests. To which I replied. “Whats going on in Michigan that has thousands of people in cars driving around the capitol, but we see nothing like this in the other 49 states.”
They didnt really have a good answer to that.
yet.
They’re planned.
I think Wisconsin has one planned for the 24th (which was supposed to be the day our shut-down lifted) and I think they’re gathering at the capitol in Minnesota today.
But I agree. I have Michigan acquaintances who are just parroting the words of their governor about how recent snow means they can’t go golfing or do gardening anyway, so they should just shut up.
These people make for good “kept citizens.”