When people engage in activities that are so blatantly stupid, it tends to make its way around the world.
America is the worst hit country in the world when it comes to the coronavirus pandemic, this is a fact. With the number of infections and deaths only getting higher as days go by, you’d think that people would maybe want to do their best to stay alive, right?
Wrong.
Over the past week, Americans have taken to the streets in protest at the social distancing measures designed to keep the spread of the virus at bay. These people are literally organising gatherings of hundreds in different states around the country, but why exactly is everyone so riled up over measures designed to save their lives?
It should come as no surprise that it’s for a bunch of obtuse reasons.
Some are protesting because they feel that the stay-at-home measures are an overreaction and that it infringes their civil liberties. These are also the people who come to the protests complaining about how they have to get two drinks at the drive-thru because they can’t get free drink refills at restaurants anymore. These are also the same morons who came bearing firearms, because hey.. the right to bear arms!
Then, there are people who feel that keeping these restrictions in place too long will cause long-term damage to local economies. I see your point, but it’s rather ironic because, to put it simply, the solution to the problem facing the economy right now is the eradication of the coronavirus.
Ignoring stay-at-home orders and possibly infecting a bunch of other people is only going to make things worse. Yes, lifting stay-at-home orders will see your shops and businesses open again, but who’s going to buy your shit when everyone’s either sick or dead in a years time? These people obviously feel that the coronavirus isn’t as deadly as the media portrays and It’s hard to argue with stupid so ¯_(ツ)_/¯.
And then, there are those who think that there are more important things in life than living. It’s crazy to think about it but that’s an actual sentiment shared by Dan Patrick, the Lieutenant Governor of Texas. Patrick is under the impression that there are more important things than living, like “saving this country for my children, and my grandchildren and saving this country for all of us”.
It’s funny because they propagate this narrative whilst bringing their children and grandchildren to these protests of hundreds in close proximity, with barely anyone wearing a face mask. How will bringing your children to a protest in the midst of a global pandemic help save the country for them? You might as well point to a random patch of grass in the field you’re protesting and tell your kids that that’s where they’ll be buried.
Trying to understand the logic and rationale behind these protests is impossible if you don’t take into account the notion that these people are terribly misinformed. They’ve said so themselves, “the coronavirus is over exaggerated.”, “It’s not as bad as the media is making it out to be.”, “Heck, I won’t die from this virus, why should I stay at home and lose money?”
I can’t help but to blame Donald Trump for this. Don’t get me wrong, these people were probably born stupid but Trump can’t stop validating their stupidity, and that’s the problem. The organisers behind these protests have largely been conservative, pro-Trump and pro-gun activists and Trump has been tweeting his support.
The presidents stance goes against that of the White House, the vice-president and even some Republicans. Trump eventually made a U-turn and said that some governors have gone too far and that “Some of the things that happened are maybe not so appropriate,” but by then, the damage had been done. Many protestors have cited Trump’s caution that the cure cannot be worse than the disease itself.
All that being said, I do want to point out that it’s unfair to assume that ALL Americans are this dense. A YouGov and Yahoo News survey published on Monday found that 60% of Americans oppose the ongoing protests, with just 22% supporting the demonstrations and 18% who said they were unsure. It’s just 40% of Americans, so do keep that in mind the next time you come across an American.
