Michigan Legislature Closes to Avoid Gathering of Lockdown Protesters
Michigan is a hot mess
Michigan is a hot mess. See here, here, here, here, here, and here.
Thursday, Mary blogged about a lockdown protest, which by all appearances, seemed perfectly rational and understandable, given the circumstances.
We are not the “rednecks” the media portray us to be, said an organizer of Lansing protest against Michigan’s coronavirus-prompted stay-home orders told the crowd.
“We’re still showing up, we’re not going away,” ‚34-year-old Wendy Darling of Ann Arbor, who identified herself as the founder of Michigan United for Liberty, the group behind the rally. “We won’t be bullied, we won’t be harassed … We’re not going away until Gov. Whitmer resigns from office, gets impeached gets recalled — that’s what we want. We want Michigan open.”
One person held a sign that said, “Whitmer is the virus.”
Mike Gibson told MLive.com that “he would have been standing in the same spot had former Gov. Rick Snyder” issued the same lockdown restrictions:
“The Constitution is meant to put shackles on government,” he said. “That is an American concept. It shouldn’t matter what party you belong to.”
He’s not expecting the rally to impact Whitmer’s decision making.
Whitmer “will most likely extend everything,” Gibson said. “That was her intent from the beginning. I don’t think this will stop or dissuade her.”
He equated his attendance to a 150-pound woman fighting off a 300-pound assailant in a back alley.
“The 150-pound woman doesn’t just lay there and get beat; she needs to defend herself,” he said. “That’s pretty much the extent of it, for why you have to speak up. Because you have illegal actions from a politician that violate natural law.”
We’re the 150-pound woman and the assailant is the government, Gibson said.
Because of the protests, Michigan’s legislature called an early end to their session. From Bloomberg (which explains the skewed language):
Michigan closed down its capitol in Lansing on Thursday and canceled its legislative session rather than face the possibility of an armed protest and death threats against Democratic Governor Gretchen Whitmer.
The gathering, meant to advocate opening the state for business despite the coronavirus pandemic, followed one April 30 that resulted in pictures of protesters clad in military-style gear and carrying long guns crowding the statehouse. They confronted police and taunted lawmakers.
“Taunted lawmakers.” Gee, if only lawmakers worked for us… if only… Bloomberg ctd:
The shutdown was done with little fanfare at the end of Wednesday’s State Senate session. About 4:30 p.m., lawmakers in the Republican-majority chamber simply adjourned until Tuesday rather than call the next previously scheduled meeting for Thursday morning at 10 a.m. The Michigan State Police are closing the buildings due to the coronavirus, said spokesman Lieutenant Brian Oleksyk.
For the past week, lawmakers have been debating how to safely enable lawmakers to work and vote in session while the state’s laws allow people to bring firearms into the capitol building. The debate grew more tense in recent days as some lawmakers read about threats to the governor’s life on social media, which were published in the Detroit Metro Times.
Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel issued an opinion on May 11 saying that the State Capitol Commission — a body of six lawmakers who oversee the building and its grounds — could ban firearms. The commission voted to study a ban this week, but took no action.
Thursday’s protest, billed as “Judgment Day,” was organized by the right-wing group Michigan United for Liberty, which is protesting the state’s extended stay-at-home order. Whitmer pushed the order to the end of May while giving automakers, their suppliers and other manufacturers the green light to go back to work. On its Facebook page, the group posted a memo asking that protesters remain peaceful.
“The group posted a memo asking protesters remain peaceful.” Talk about a buried lede, but anyway. Michigan needs to get their ish together.
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Comments
Run away….
“rather than face the possibility of an armed protest and death threats against Democratic Governor Gretchen Whitmer.”
“Possibility”…. oh dear. For a second I thought they were fearful of a meteor strike… a Deep Impact to the Deep State (already starting to happen in DC!).
Virginia and now Michigan as the People make their complaints known. The Anti-Antifa are making the Blues nervous.
The Anti-Antifas are infinitely more skilled in the art of conflict and infinitely more restrained. Let’s pray it does not come to conflict. Democrats are slow learners out in Michigan. Special Ed Students. The Legislature not meeting may be a sign that they feel triggered.
Democrats don’t learn, wherever they are.
Given the blatant abuse of power by both the feminist governor and the feminist AG, why isn’t impeachment being considered by the legislature?
I think the people already are starting a recall petition. Democrat Blanchard a few decades ago faced the petition but it didn’t get enough signatures.
Limp wristed rino’s.
A lot of Michigan is starting to ignore the governor. The more people who ignore her, the less power she has. She can’t arrest the entire state.
Civil disobedience is the answer, pass it on.
Gee, what do you suppose are the chances that some on Governor wHitler’s side are making up phoney death threats? I mean, the leftist progs have NEVER EVER done that before….
/sarc
The best thing Michiganders can do is ignore Whitmer and simply go back to work.
In large numbers, that’s the key. Stuck it up her keister.
rather than face the possibility of an armed protest and death threats against Democratic Governor Gretchen Whitmer.
Give me a break. She was screaming that one protest closed down the road so Ambulances could not get to the hospital. The hospital issued a statement that it was BS.
She was screaming that they had Nazi signs. Ha, yes they did and they were calling her a Nazi for being a dictator.
It is ok to buy lottery tickets and pot but not seeds for the garden. What a fricken idiot.
Her family should have her institutionalized and, if there is a Lt Governor, let there be a structured transition of office.
He could very well be worse. He’s an ActBlue ahole. We need to oust all three.
Prison would be nice for them.
“Everybody get outta here! There’s a lobster loose! Look out, everyone, he’s vengeful! Quickly! Cover yourself with butter and carry lemons just in case you have to squirt him and so forth to repel him! There’s gonna be a tragedy! Oh God…”
Your post has made my day. Many thanks.
Oh, no it’s a group of the most law abiding demographic in the country! So of course the leftist response is to be afraid of them.
I normally grow my own transplants, and I have become used to either buying additional seeds locally, or getting them in two days.
This year I find I am stymied getting local seeds, and at the same time Amazon reniged on two day shipping in order to service new customers, meaning that shipped seeds would arrive 2-3 weeks too late.
And that has cost me $150 to buy plants, and a lot of other BS.
It is insane.
There should be a windfall profits tax on Amazon.
I get that these legislators convinced themselves that this action allows a de-escalation and a cool down. If they believe that these folks won’t be back they are mistaken.
I certainly hope that their capital commission doesn’t believe that they have the authority to override the bill of rights. In this case specifically the 2nd amendment. If they are so inclined I hope the capital police or state police make the correct decision to decline to attempt enforcement of that.
The best thing for government to do when this many folks are this upset is not to test them. I would urge these government officials to remember that if/when this many folks revoke their consent to be governed that the better course of valor is to stand down as long as things remain peaceful. Please don’t make the mistake of escalating a tense moment.
My neighbor’s best friend hung up on her when she said they should meet. Her friend is scared schiffless. The fascists found the weakest links and are exploiting them hard.
Good news is the weather is getting better, we had a wet chilly spring. Weather will be a huge factor as people will not stay indoors when it’s really nice outside.
Been seeing more people out and about as the traffic is increasing. And I went to Walmart today out of boredom and was surprised to see many folks not wearing a mask or wearing it incorrectly.
But still a lot of doomers hiding inside and evil eyeing others doing their thing.
So…
Um, what’s the term for when the representatives in a representitive republic actively avoid the self-governing people they represent?
I mean besides “Not clear on the concept.”
Traitors.
Cowards.
That’s pretty blatant avoiding citizens who haven’t gotten the memo telling them what they’re supposed to want.
If you can’t dissolve the people (and replace them with anotehr), at least you can ignore them.
I have to be honest, while I welcome the insurrection, the crowds look terribly small, and that’s disappointing. On Change.Org, the petition to recall Natasha Whitmer (but not Boris) has less than 350,000 signatures so far, and it’s been over 300,000 since I started watching it a couple of weeks ago. The will ain’t there, folks. Neither is the reporting, to be honest (nothing about recalls and the size of the protest, for instance). It’s pretty easy to practice civil disobedience, and with enough of it the cops will eventually just give up. But if I lived there, I would be hopping mad at the repeated authoritarian miscues, because they reveal a lot about her true character, and I would want that within a mile of any rule-maker.
( would NOT want that within a mile of any rule-making)
That’s what 3% means. Only 3% of the people were enough to fight the American Revolution successfully.
Hopefully the protesters will recognize three things quickly:
1. Each and every one of those legislators, and their staffs, lives somewhere.
2. Each legislator had to file public documents listing their actual address to prove they live within the district. This doesn’t even count all the guerrilla ways to find them on line or otherwise.
3. Those legislators thought they were unsafe meeting in the Capitol Building where security measures were easy to implement in a small area. They’re going to quickly meet the reality that a security force split up into a hundred penny packets all over the state, on ground at least some of the protesters know better than the security staff, is even less secure.
Consent of the governed should have real meaning. There are some citizens in Michigan that emphasize that. The “leaders” better pay attention. Do not close up, go home, put on their flannel footie pajamas and hide under the covers.
I lived in Michigan all my life until the last 7 years. It is a beautiful state but it is sad to see how it is being governed now! Being a full time resident in Florida now, we are opening up and starting to look like it used to be before Covid 19 is so refreshing. It gives us hope that all might not be lost.
My heart goes out to those who are having to tolerate a governor that rules with an iron fist. It ruins the states imagine and I have to think it threatens their tourist season. Which is now just St arting with the Spring season. Your state government is a mess. Who in the heck put these tyrants in office. I think you are now reaping what you sowed back in the voting booth two years ago. I am glad I don’t live there any longer. I feel sorrow for a state that doesn’t deserve the pattern that is being set by the Democrats that they ignorantly voted into office. Democrats have ruined the state and for some reason that will never change. The state is doomed to be forever a victim of bad decisions in the voting booth.
I lived in Michigan all my life until the last 7 years. It is a beautiful state but it is sad to see how it is being governed now! Being a full time resident in Florida now, we are opening up and starting to look like it used to be before Covid 19 is so refreshing. It gives us hope that all might not be lost.
My heart goes out to those who are having to tolerate a governor that rules with an iron fist. It ruins the states imagine and I have to think it threatens their tourist season. Which is now just Starting with the Spring season. Your state government is a mess. Who in the heck put these tyrants in office. I think you are now reaping what you sowed back in the voting booth two years ago. I am glad I don’t live there any longer. I feel sorrow for a state that doesn’t deserve the pattern that is being set by the Democrats that they ignorantly voted into office. Democrats have ruined the state and for some reason that will never change. The state is doomed to be forever a victim of bad decisions made by the voters.
I lived in Michigan all my life until the last 7 years. It is a beautiful state but it is sad to see how it is being governed now! Being a full time resident in Florida now, we are opening up and starting to look like it used to be before Covid 19 is so refreshing. It gives us hope that all might not be lost.
My heart goes out to those who are having to tolerate a governor that rules with an iron fist. It ruins the states imagine and I have to think it threatens their tourist season. Which is now just Starting with the Spring season. Your state government is a mess. Who in the heck put these tyrants in office. I think you are now reaping what you sowed back in the voting booth two years ago. I am glad I don’t live there any longer. I feel sorrow for a state that doesn’t deserve the pattern that is being set by the Democrats that they ignorantly voted into office. Democrats have ruined the state and for some reason that will never change. Same tyrant rules just different people implementing them.