Coronavirus has devastated much more than the healthcare system—schools sacrifice quality of education by going online and millions have lost their jobs with the shutdowns. However, these problems are even more difficult to solve as our country becomes more polarized than ever; quarantine protesters run the streets, calling for the reopening of our nation’s economy.
These protesters, described as “conservative, pro-Trump and pro-gun activists,” claim the Democrats are overreacting to the COVID-19 outbreak and thus ruining the economy for no reason.
A demonstration in Pennsylvania.
Source: USA Today
To the protesters, it is not an issue of public health. It is an issue of tyranny; the government, in their eyes, is taking away some of the basic freedoms that come with being an American citizen. And so, as seen in the picture, they gather in large crowds to protest; many of them are not wearing masks, and thus increasing the risk of coronavirus spread. While their protests are dangerous, and deeply polarizing, there is the valid concern that many Americans are without jobs right now. Families struggle to provide for their children if they worked in a non-essential job; the unemployment rate in America is estimated to be around 13 percent right now, although this is not an exact figure. That is comparable to the unemployment rate in the Great Recession.
A protester using evocative language from the abortion debate.
Source: Business Insider
However, some protesters cite different reasons for going out. The virus to them is an issue of personal freedom, and brings into question certain limitations on government. They question if the government should have the authority to keep people in their homes even if it is for a public good. However, the argument quickly becomes convoluted. For example, the girl in the picture; it may be her choice to endanger herself for her freedom. People do it every day—smoking, drinking, and other harmful behaviors are not banned by the government in part because it is a person’s right to choose to do so. However, these protesters do not just make a personal choice—they make the choice for their family, their friends, anyone else they may come into contact with. It may be her choice, but it is not just her body—it is the health of everyone she is around.
On many levels, there is a struggle between what seems to be freedom versus the greater good. Those who follow the quarantine order do so because they recognize that the issue is larger than themselves, and want to quell the virus as soon as possible. Those who protest do so because they value freedom and personal right very highly; they do not care about what happens with the virus because at the end of the day, it’s about personal right.
This “battle” between the right and left brings up an interesting debate, too, about the power of the federal government versus the state. Trump recently claimed he had “total authority” over the states and when they would reopen. However, the 10th Amendment guarantees state’s rights. The governor of each state decides when that state will open. Georgia, for example, opened today, April 24th, despite not meeting any of the White House guidelines on decreasing COVID-19 cases. While incredibly dangerous and risky, it is the state’s right to choose when to reopen. That freedom is what makes America unique—even if it could be detrimental in instances like these.
The virus forces us not just to look at healthcare systems. It brings to light old debates regarding freedom, personal right, the size and scope of the government; these issues are more relevant now than ever. It is easy to stick by any given policy or philosophy when nothing is wrong. But now in times of crisis, these philosophies are put to the test—it now becomes the ideological problem of this generation that we must reconcile.