Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s latest executive order has rightly drawn criticism from many in and out of the state, with thousands descending on Lansing Wednesday afternoon in protest. Yet Whitmer has done very little to acknowledge or assuage their concerns.
Indeed, when asked about her arbitrary restrictions, which ban gardening, motorized boats, and travel to and from “vacation homes,” inadvertently shutting down hundreds of businesses heretofore considered essential, Whitmer blamed the weather.
“So, we just had snow — I’ve got snow on the ground here in Lansing,” Whitmer said on Wednesday morning. “We’re expecting up to 30 inches in the Upper Peninsula. The fact that we’re cracking down on people traveling in between homes or planting or landscaping or golfing, really for a couple more weeks, isn’t going to meaningfully impact people’s ability to do that because the snow will do that in and of itself.”
Is it any wonder, then, that Michiganders are upset? Whitmer is not only needlessly and excessively restricting her citizens’ rights, she’s also dismissing their concerns cavalierly.
As a result, thousands of Michigan residents blocked the roads in front of Michigan’s Capitol building, blaring their horns and demanding to be heard. The protesters’ complaints are reasonable, but what followed was, in some cases, irresponsible.
“Operation Gridlock” was planned in accordance with health officials’ social distancing guidelines. The organizing groups instructed participants to remain in their cars to respect the health and well-being of those around them. But videos revealed that many participants ignored these instructions, left their cars, and crowded in front of the building.
Given Michigan’s current health crisis, this out-of-vehicle gathering was reckless, and it only served to undermine the reasonable objections these protesters raised. Fighting one extreme with another will only exacerbate the problem. In this case, the protesters’ deliberate violation of social distancing will give Whitmer reason to believe that Michiganders cannot be trusted to follow the rules on their own, and she will continue to justify the excessive restrictions she’s passed.
Whitmer has a responsibility to listen to the economic and social concerns of her state, just like Michiganders have a responsibility to make sure their government’s response to the coronavirus does not become unreasonable or permanent. This relationship is not always simple, but it is the best kind of governance we have, and both parties ought to respect it. That will require Whitmer to begin treating the people who elected her like responsible citizens — but Michiganders must prove they can act responsibly first.
