Global Protests Against Social Distancing, Lockdown, Vaccine Mandate

[Dotini]

Apparently in Bulgaria food shortage has prompted protest against lockdown.

Yet food shortages are not apparent in the US, and protests for other reasons are taking place. In Washington, under Governor Inslee's order, construction projects are shut down, with exceptions for government, roads and bridges. Yet in Whatcom Country, largely Democrat, the small city of Lynden has defied the state order and permitted general commercial construction to resume, which it has. The Governor is not amused, and is frantically checking his polling about how he should handle open defiance from local government. Citizen protests are planned in the state capital.

A Sheriff in Hastings, Michigan chooses to not enforce his Governor's orders.

 

[TexRex]

But I'd be willing to put money on it that it's a wealthy Trump donor or group of donors doing it.

Or even major Trump donor turned inept Trump cabinet member (the Department of Redundancy Department approves) Betsy DeVos.

On Wednesday in Lansing, Michigan, a protest put together by two Republican-connected not-for-profits was explicitly devised to cause gridlock in the city, and for a time blocked the entrance to a local hospital.

It was organized by the Michigan Conservative Coalition, which Michigan state corporate filings show has also operated under the name of Michigan Trump Republicans. It was also heavily promoted by the Michigan Freedom Fund, a group linked to the Trump cabinet member Betsy DeVos.

Edit: As for them blocking a hospital entrance, I'd not disapprove of them being shot dead in said entrance and having their lifeless bodies paraded about like idiot marionettes.

 

[Corsa]

I do not debate politics or religion, to each their own but I will say I can see both sides with the shut down.

@Joey D brought up a good point in unconstitutional, but also individuals should be responsible and not encourage the spread.

So the question today is not do you love Trump or Pelosi, it’s do you love herd immunity or a waiting period for the vaccine?

 

[Dotini]

I do not debate politics or religion, to each their own but I will say I can see both sides with the shut down.

@Joey D brought up a good point in unconstitutional, but also individuals should be responsible and not encourage the spread.

So the question today is not do you love Trump or Pelosi, it’s do you love herd immunity or a waiting period for the vaccine?

Definitely waiting. There may be no immunity, herd or otherwise, and there may be no vaccine in a year, or ever. The human race is in a global war with a merciless enemy we have no present ability or plan to defeat. We may hope it mutates into something less harmful. Fighting this war may cost us everything we have.

 

[TexRex]

Classic Dotinian sensationalism. I blame boredom and trite television drama.

 

[Dennisch]

Definitely waiting. There may be no immunity, herd or otherwise, and there may be no vaccine in a year, or ever. The human race is in a global war with a merciless enemy we have no present ability or plan to defeat. We may hope it mutates into something less harmful. Fighting this war may cost us everything we have.

Yes, the world's population is in great danger. So many people are dying, that even if we go at it like rabbits we won't be able to save Homo Sapiens. The Rise of the Planet of the Apes is near.

 

[Exorcet]

I do not debate politics or religion, to each their own but I will say I can see both sides with the shut down.

One thing to consider is that there might be more than 2 sides involved and we don't have to choose between complete shutdown and total complacency. A few businesses around me that remain open are enforcing social distancing by separating people on their property and limiting how many can go inside at once. Some have shifted to operating by appointment instead of walk in or on demand service. And of course no one is forced to used any of these businesses anyway. If the current shutdown is too stringent economically we can shift to less severe methods instead of just opening things up entirely.

 

[Joey D]

Not more "dehumanizing"? But that's what prompted my comment: that young woman ... & a lot of the other individuals appearing in the protest photos/videos don't really fit that description.

I'm not sure what I'm saying is dehumanizing. And I'm going by purely anecdotal evidence of the pictures I saw from friends on social media regarding the protests here in SLC yesterday and the ones in Michigan. But I'm not sure how you can ever tell what someone's political leanings are based on how they're dressed, especially when they just look like a pretty average early twenty-something.

Or even major Trump donor turned inept Trump cabinet member (the Department of Redundancy Department approves) Betsy DeVos.

This doesn't surprise me and it seems right up the DeVos family's alley, after all, they made their fortunes fleecing people out of there money through a pyramid scheme...errr multilevel marketing.

 

[FPV MIC]

One thing to consider is that there might be more than 2 sides involved and we don't have to choose between complete shutdown and total complacency. A few businesses around me that remain open are enforcing social distancing by separating people on their property and limiting how many can go inside at once. Some have shifted to operating by appointment instead of walk in or on demand service. And of course no one is forced to used any of these businesses anyway. If the current shutdown is too stringent economically we can shift to less severe methods instead of just opening things up entirely.

We have many businesses here doing the same thing and it seems to be working very well.

 

[Jezza819]

I think you're probably going to see Republican candidates for governor's races and the mayor's races in larger cities use this perceived protest or revolt or whatever you want to call it, as a rallying point in their campaigns. "I promise that I will never completely lock down this state or city for any reason". Now if they were completely honest to their supporters there would be a second part of this pledge. "Regardless of how many of you end up dying".

 

[MaxAttack]

Classic Dotinian sensationalism.

I sincerely hope that one day this phrase breaks out of GTPlanet and into every day use. I'd love to hear it out of the blue on the news one day. Or read it in a history book.

Call it unlikely, but ya never saw a viral pandemic coming, didja?

 

[TexRex]

Now if they were completely honest to their supporters...

...they'd have none.

It's a pity honesty isn't a requirement for holding government office.

 

[Spacegoat]

Protestors in Huntington Beach, Calif. protest state closures on April 17. Photo: Jeff Gritchen/MediaNews Group/Orange County Register via Getty

The dude holding the "COVID-19 is a lie" sign is throwing out some mixed signals.

 

[PzR Slim]

Healthcare workers protesting the protests.

 

[Jezza819]

Healthcare workers protesting the protests.

I'm real curious as to what that dude in the Bulls jersey can possibly be saying to that health care worker.

 

[Blitz24]

...they'd have none.

It's a pity honesty isn't a requirement for holding government office.

If that were a requirement, the occupation "politician" wouldn't exist.

 

[MaxAttack]

I'm real curious as to what that dude in the Bulls jersey can possibly be saying to that health care worker.

Nothing reasonable. He can't be a reasonable man.

He's wearing a Bulls jersey in Denver at a time when the Bulls have never been worse and the Nuggets have never been better. You can't trust a man like that.

 

[Tornado]

So long as these idiots stay out of New York, they can have at their Confederate flag waving, anti-vaxxing "My body my rights" crap all they want.

 

[TexRex]

I'm real curious as to what that dude in the Bulls jersey can possibly be saying to that health care worker.

Nothing reasonable. He can't be a reasonable man.

He's wearing a Bulls jersey in Denver at a time when the Bulls have never been worse and the Nuggets have never been better. You can't trust a man like that.

They're both looking in the same direction; he could be yelling at others to "go home"...or something along the lines but not nearly so benign.

 

[UKMikey]

She even has a sign saying "LAND OF THE FREE" which she unfolds with comic timing.

 

[SestoScudo]

Honestly im not American but man I never felt so patriotic in my life that I will never feel what it is to be an American!!!

 

[Danoff]

She even has a sign saying "LAND OF THE FREE" which she unfolds with comic timing.

The protest protest is great, but it does kinda undermine their point too. The premise is that coronavirus is so deadly and so poised to overrun our healthcare system, that we all need to stay home. And yet when someone is out making an ass of themselves, our healthcare workers also have time and energy to kill to go out into the streets and protest them?

 

[Submerged]

He could have had a day off.

Alternatively sometimes for some people, even though they are super tired, know that something like this is important to make a stand against.

Alternatively the flip side is, the guy isn't actually a nurse and dressed up like one to stand there. He may have family that are nurses/doctors and doesn't want them to have even *more* people in hospitals and all.

We just don't know

 

[Danoff]

He could have had a day off.

A what?

I'm experiencing exactly what it looks like when someone drops everything to save lives, and it doesn't look like that. It looks like working yourself ragged at the expense of everything else. A day off means sleeping.

Alternatively sometimes for some people, even though they are super tired, know that something like this is important to make a stand against.

Alternatively the flip side is, the guy isn't actually a nurse and dressed up like one to stand there. He may have family that are nurses/doctors and doesn't want them to have even *more* people in hospitals and all.

We just don't know

The optics of it just aren't perfect. I do like that people are counter-protesting the protest, just pointing out that it undercuts the message a little.

 

[TexRex]

He could have had a day off.

Alternatively sometimes for some people, even though they are super tired, know that something like this is important to make a stand against.

Alternatively the flip side is, the guy isn't actually a nurse and dressed up like one to stand there. He may have family that are nurses/doctors and doesn't want them to have even *more* people in hospitals and all.

We just don't know

Or, to present a notion likely making the rounds in certain circles:

"The protests against the totally legitimate and not at all astroturfed protests are themselves astroturfed."

Commonly referred to as:

"no u"

 

[Submerged]

I do agree with the last part of your comment that it does "undercut" the message about social distancing, @Danoff

For me, I'm just more stunned that it happened in the first place and also the fact that whether the nurses were astroturfed as well or not (@TexRex mentioned), it just does lead to even more people out there.

It just feels like an alternative, insane reality.

 

[Jezza819]

The nutjob in the pickup truck has a bad wreck on the way back to wherever the heck they live, let's see if she's still willing to talk down to a heath care worker then.

 

[TexRex]

The optics of it just aren't perfect. I do like that people are counter-protesting the protest, just pointing out that it undercuts the message a little.

I get it. And I appreciate it. I suppose my position is that idiots not being able to idiot as they please is worth a little muddying of the message.

Then again, mention optics to that one and she's likely to respond, "I don't wear glasses."

 

[Pupik]

I'm just amazed that none of these people are using their time off to actually accomplish anything worthwhile.

I've had time to work 40 hours a week from home, paint half my house, practiced cooking, spent time with my wife and children, took care of various around-the-house projects, discovered a lot more of my family ancestry, played some old video games, showed my kids how to do computer stuff, explained photography, history, science, religion, art, in some downtimes, and still found time to watch The Tiger King. I also showed my kids how to change a tire, practice using tools, organize their belongings/memories, throw and catch a football, balance a checkbook, and work on our garden. I can keep going...

These jackasses hadn't heard of the moral of the grasshopper and the ants, but they sure as heck will tell others to do the same when they're not disadvantaged. And they're going to spread more of the virus because they didn't sit still in Biology class and only paid attention to the descriptions of sex organs. Now they consume pseudoscience and poop out lies based on their homespun ideas of statistics. Our great nation is literally diseased and dying from freedom, because they're worried about when their local tattoo parlor is going open. They can spend their stimulus check which is just a tax money on a fishing reel. I'd like to think Darwin would take care of then, but they're going to careen, cough, and sputter themselves into our lives because they're selfish fools.

I guess I'm a Renaissance Man in the Second Dark Age. But for once, I suppose overreaching Big Government has mysteriously made me more productive, something even I wouldn't have imagined.

 

[Danoff]

I'm just amazed that none of these people are using their time off to actually accomplish anything worthwhile.

I've had time to work 40 hours a week from home, paint half my house, practiced cooking, spent time with my wife and children, took care of various around-the-house projects, discovered a lot more of my family ancestry, played some old video games, showed my kids how to do computer stuff, explained photography, history, science, religion, art, in some downtimes, and still found time to watch The Tiger King. I also showed my kids how to change a tire, practice using tools, organize their belongings/memories, throw and catch a football, balance a checkbook, and work on our garden. I can keep going...

These jackasses hadn't heard of the moral of the grasshopper and the ants, but they sure as heck will tell others to do the same when they're not disadvantaged. And they're going to spread more of the virus because they didn't sit still in Biology class and only paid attention to the descriptions of sex organs. Now they consume pseudoscience and poop out lies based on their homespun ideas of statistics. Our great nation is literally diseased and dying from freedom, because they're worried about when their local tattoo parlor is going open. They can spend their stimulus check which is just a tax money on a fishing reel. I'd like to think Darwin would take care of then, but they're going to careen, cough, and sputter themselves into our lives because they're selfish fools.

I guess I'm a Renaissance Man in the Second Dark Age. But for once, I suppose overreaching Big Government has mysteriously made me more productive, something even I wouldn't have imagined.

All I can do is try to get in work in between the moments when I'm trying to home school and entertain children. I'm working after they sleep, I'm working weekends... and I'm still burning vacation to make up for insufficient work hours.

Basically there have only been a few moments in my life where i have been busier. Maybe during exams in College, and maybe like when we sold a house and moved states.