Much of what is outlined in various parts of the Constitution remains up for debate today, hence the need for Congress and the Supreme Court to interpret the law in times of speculation. However, the right of the people to peaceably assemble is among the rights clearly stated in the First Amendment. Recent protests against statewide shutdowns have undoubtedly abused that simple right by placing even more lives in danger.

A gathering of more than 4,000 people at the Michigan state capitol in Lansing last Wednesday, dubbed “Operation Gridlock,” was organized by the Michigan Conservative Coalition and Michigan Freedom Fund, which are linked to the family of Education Secretary Betsy DeVos. The protest resulted in one arrest as people began to ignore the nature of the operation — to stay inside their cars. 

As I first saw the news, it became clear that one specific group felt much more strongly about the state’s stay-at-home order. Demonstrators carried several signs with grievances against governor Gretchen Whitmer, and some were seen in pro-Trump merchandise, carrying assault rifles, Gadsden flags, and Confederate flags– an action totally uncalled for and which bore almost no relevance to the meaning behind the protest.If this was truly intended to be a nonintrusive, peaceful protest, why would carrying semiautomatic weapons be necessary?

In truth, it was nothing short of a political rally.

To make matters worse, other photos and videos of the gathering clearly show several demonstrators getting out of cars and not practicing social distancing but still deciding to wear masks — as if that would somehow cancel out any risks of infection. An ambulance on its way to the nearby hospital was also blocked by the traffic.

Ironic isn’t the only word to describe the situation. It’s infuriating. 

Those who traveled to Lansing made sure that their voices were heard by chanting “Open up Michigan” and at one point, “Lock her up,” in reference to Whitmer, since they felt their “freedom” to carry on with their normal life is at stake specifically because of Whitmer’s actions. An overwhelming majority of the protesters were Trump supporters, so it only made sense that they would make full use of the opportunity to insult Whitmer, a potential vice-presidential candidate for Joe Biden. 

One of the reasons protesters cited was a strong belief in herd immunity, occurring when a significant percentage of the population is immune to a virus and it stops spreading. However, experts say that achieving herd immunity in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic is highly improbable and hardly worth considering due to the staggering death toll and unprecedented number of cases that would further overwhelm hospitals and strain scarce resources. Is it really worth it to reopen nonessential businesses if it could cost even more lives? 

Just two days after Operation Gridlock in Lansing, President Trump’s series of “liberate” tweets predictably took the media by storm. 

I couldn’t help but think, what exactly does “LIBERATE MINNESOTA! LIBERATE MICHIGAN! LIBERATE VIRGINIA, and save your great Second Amendment. It is under siege!” mean in the face of a deadly pandemic? Not only would Americans who are facing job losses or hospitalization probably care little about their Second Amendment rights at the moment, but the tweets also sent a dangerous message, potentially egging on protesters and encouraging them to further endanger public safety. 

Trump’s criticism of the “lamestream media” still hasn’t ceased, and he continues to deflect blame onto the states for failures attributable to the federal government, because, as he said earlier, “I don’t take responsibility at all.”

But how can the states increase access to testing without the assistance of the federal government?

The reason shutdowns would potentially be extended is, obviously, if the number of cases rise from people forgoing social distancing, and at a time where people desperately look to the federal government for answers, our commander-in-chief continues to encourage divisiveness when unity has never been so sorely needed. 

It’s hard to imagine that any reasonable person could possibly defend these irresponsible actions. But White House economic adviser Stephen Moore believed the protesters “need to be the Rosa Parks here and protest against these government injustices”– an extremely far-reaching and shockingly inaccurate comparison to make. 

The protest in Lansing (and perhaps the tweets as well) gave rise to other Operation Gridlock movements in several other states, including one here in Pittsburgh. In Colorado, one protester yelled, “Go to China if you want communism,” directed at a healthcare worker– someone who has risked their own safety for the lives of others. 

The stay-at-home orders and nonessential business shutdowns are, without question, necessary measures intended to save lives. Every respectable public health authority in the nation supports such measure.  To protest them is unimaginably selfish. In fact, it simply isn’t right.