Tuesdays with Torrey
Any views or opinions expressed in “Tuesdays with Torrey” are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views or opinions of the Watershed Voice staff or its board of directors.
Hello double standards, welcome to Tuesdays with Torrey.
Over the last three-plus years a statement I have heard a lot is, “He’s still your president.” A couple of funny things about that statement are one, I’m fully aware of this fact. And second, I have never said he wasn’t. With that being said, many of the same people who said that in the past were the same ones standing outside the state capital calling for the removal of the governor of Michigan (and many other states).
Gov. Gretchen Whitmer has been trying to stay in front of this pandemic and is making decisions based on our safety, the constituents of her state. Requesting supplies from the federal government, closing schools, and issuing stay-at-home orders are all part of an attempt to flatten the curve on this deadly virus, and will save lives if done correctly. Her decision to extend the stay-at-home orders and to create more stringent rules are not because she has decided to be a dictator, nor are they because she is trying to become Joe Biden’s running mate.
It’s because we as residents of this state were not making intelligent decisions. Here in Three Rivers, I personally saw people hanging out, barbequing at the dam. Later on that same week I witnessed seven trucks with boats on lifts parked next to each other with about 15 guys standing in a circle at the boat launch. An hour later, those same guys were still there when I drove past again.
I saw groups of kids walking around downtown and hanging out at the skate park. I have had former associates of mine who work at Menards tell me a full family of five plus both grandparents came in to the store to pick out paint colors for their house. This, people, is not intelligent social distancing. So because of the actions of some, yes, we all have had things taken away temporarily.
The state of Florida has reopened their beaches with restrictions. That same day they had the biggest 24-hour rise in new confirmed cases since testing was started with more than 1,400. So let’s think about this fact fellow Michiganders before we storm the castle demanding our motor boats and ability to purchase seeds from big box stores in the coming days or weeks.
Torrey Brown is a loving husband, father, and son, and also an outspoken champion for the black cause and all social injustices.
