It is true that liberty is precious; so precious that it must be carefully rationed. – Vladimir Lenin

FoxNews.com reports that

Gov. Gretchen Whitmer on Thursday extended Michigan’s state of emergency and disaster declaration through May 28, hours before it was set to expire and after hundreds of protesters, some of whom were armed, gathered in the state Capitol building to voice their displeasure with the Democratic governor.

Whitmer also took shots at the Republican-controlled legislature for refusing to extend the order earlier in the day.

“By refusing to extend the emergency and disaster declaration, Republican lawmakers are putting their heads in the sand and putting more lives and livelihoods at risk,” she said in a statement. “I’m not going to let that happen.”

The emergency declaration gives Whitmer additional powers to issue executive orders during an emergency. She claimed she had the emergency authority regardless of what state lawmakers did.

In a rejection of the governor, the state House and Senate adopted resolutions Thursday to legally challenge her authority and also approved a bill to allow some of her mandates but not her stay-at-home order, which expires May 16.

No lawsuit had been filed as of Thursday night, MLive reported.

Whitmer said she planned to veto the bill and won’t sign any bills that “that constrain her ability to protect the people of Michigan from this deadly virus in a timely manner,” her office said, according to The Detroit News.

Earlier in the day, hundreds of demonstrators, some armed with rifles, descended on the state Capitol building in Lansing to voice frustration over the stay-at-home order, which mandates temporary business closures and that residents remain home.

Many made it inside the building and stood shoulder-to-shoulder, calling for a return to normal daily life. Opponents accuse Whitmer of overstepping her authority by prohibiting sales of items like garden supplies and banning most travel between homes and certain activities.

An earlier rally on April 15 called “Operation Gridlock” drew thousands outside the Capitol building, in addition to another gathering outside Whitmer’s home. Similar demonstrations have occurred nationwide as many Americans remain concerned about their livelihoods.

The Michigan Court of Claims sided with the governor Wednesday, denying a motion for a preliminary injunction to the order. The court ruled that the stay-at-home order doesn’t violate residents’ constitutional rights.

Michigan recorded 41,379 COVID-19 cases as of Thursday, including 119 deaths, according to the state website.

In her declaration announcement, Whitmer said scientific data shows the state is not ready to resume normal operations.

“It defies common sense and science,” she said during a virtual town hall Thursday night. “We are still in a state of emergency. We have to take this seriously. If we are smart, we can start to reengage safely.”

The article above is a microcosm of the choice that faces Americans.

We, as free Americans, must decide for ourselves whether or not to live in fear, relying on a Nanny-State All-controlling central government, along the lines of the U.S.S.R. in its glory days.

I do not believe that President Trump wants Americans to live in self-isolation forever.

That is why he allowed the Federal Rules for Social Distancing to expire.

I also believe that he is not a fan of state governors, like Whitmer, who have used the Chinese Coronavirus as an opportunity to place their citizens under their thumb, acting punitively when their “subjects” object to their totalitarianism.

Yes, the health of Americans is a concern, it will always be a concern.

However, the same rules for personal hygiene which Americans have been using for yeas still apply.

Wash your hands, cover your mouth when you cough, be careful that you do not sneeze on anyone, and use common sense.

In other words, act like an American, instead of a panicked sheep hoarding toilet paper at the neighborhood Walmart.

God has given us all the ability to make our own decisions.

Each one of us must choose what is right for us and our families.

If you wish to continue to isolate yourself while other Americans “reopen America”, it’s a free country…go ahead.

However, one of our Founding Fathers, Benjamin Franklin once said,

Those who would give up essential Liberty, to purchase a little temporary Safety, deserve neither Liberty nor Safety.

As an essential worker (by the Grace of God) who has watched his fellow Americans so willingly give up their liberty…I will have to say that Ol’ Ben was spot on.

It is definitely time to reopen America for business.

And, petty little tyrants like Gov. Whitmer will just have to get over themselves.

Until He Comes,

KJ