There are some matters in a democracy worthy of protest and demonstrations. Restrictions on non essential businesses and a stay at home order are not. Especially at this point in time.
Two days ago, Lansing, Michigan was home to a significant protest. Thousands involved.
Lansing is Michigan’s capital.
Cars clogged the streets surrounding Capital buildings. Resulting in the streets being constantly jammed. From my perspective, the protest a little too much. Horns blaring. More walked. Some carried assault rifles. Protesters estimated in the thousands.
The demonstration was planned for 2 hours. It lasted nearly 8.
Michigan is having a difficult time with coronavirus. It is ranked #3 in the nation regarding the virus’ impact. Confirmed cases number 27,000, deaths 1,099.
Michigan’s Governor is Gretchen Witmer. A Democrat. Obviously not liked by the protesters. The protest was a planned one. Not spontaneous.
Shouts of “recall Witmer” and “lock her up” were constant.
Some protesters wore Trump gear.
The protest was labeled Operation Gridlock.
It reflected more a political rally rather than a protest against a stay at home order.
Behind the protest was the Michigan Conservative Coalition. The group was listed as a co-sponsor. It has strong ties with Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos and her family. The Coalition is funded in large part by the DeVos family.
Whether a political rally, a health protest, or a get me back to work one, the entire scene was too much. Especially the assault rifles. One errant shot or one car running into a non involved person and it would have been blood on the street time.
The DeVos family is probably the most influential Republican family in Michigan and one of the leading ones nationally.
Betsy DeVos is 62. Presently Secretary of Education.
Her father was a billionaire industrialist. In 2016, Forbes listed the DeVos family as the 88th richest in the U.S. Wealth estimated at $5.4 billion.
Betsy has long been involved in Republican politics. Served as Chairperson of the Michigan Republican Party. A staunch conservative. An equally staunch evangelical.
Betsy openly admits she is out to destroy the public school system and replace it with privatization. She claims she wants to use schools to build “God’s Kingdom.”
Her political credentials are worthy of note. She is recognized as a “political pit bull” and a good fund raiser. She and her family are reported to have donated $17 million to Republicans since 1989.
Forbes also lists noteworthy charitable givers. In 2015, Betsy and her husband Dick through the Dick and Betsy DeVos Family Foundation donated $11.6 million to charitable causes.
Dick and Betsy have donated to charities over their lifetime a total of $139 million. Dick by he way is heir to the Amway fortune and a billionaire in his own right.
Betsy openly concedes that her family buys influence.
In 2010, she and her husband donated $22.5 million to the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts. The bequest represents the largest donation in the Kennedy Center’s history.
Betsy’s brother Erik Prince is a person of influence and affluence also. He made his fortune with mercenary forces. He was the founder of Blackwater USA. The private military service contractor. He is still in business, though under other names.
The family’s affluence is reflected in the fact they own 10 yachts world wide.
SeaQuest is purportedly Betsy’s favorite. Generally moored on Lake Erie. One hundred sixty four feet long. Purchased in 2018 for $40 million.
I have taken the time to introduce Betsy and her family. Not only of significant political influence in Michigan. Also nationally. Strong Trump supporters.
My motivation for writing the blog based on my belief that the results of the Michigan coronavirus situation were not worthy of the April 15 protest.
Enjoy your day!
It looked to me like the Michigan Rally was only one part of a much larger and semi coordinated effort to enact Trump’s wishes to open the country up by the beginning of may (two weeks from now). There were other speeches and announcements on the subject, seemingly out of nowhere. None of it seemed very organic or spontaneous.
And their biggest grievance was that in Michigan during this crisis a person who lives on a lake is prohibited from going out on his fishing boat, even ALONE! No wonder the Michiganders were uprising against their kook governor who put that restriction in place. That’s why they brought Guns to their rally.
Americans have meekly given up too many freedoms to bureaucrats during this national lockdown. There is a good chance that blood will be spilled to get them back.
I don’t see it that way at all, but then I don’t listen/watch FOX news. Wake up, this is a national emergency, we need leadership, like we had in WW II, not Political BS. There have been several times we had to band together to get through national problems and we don’t need your Hanity dogma. In WW II we had to have lights out after dark, under penalty, for the good of everybody. Get with it fool.
Yes that is correct Fox News pushed for Japanese folks to be locked up in camps during WWII.
No, that’s NOT true. FOX News had NOTHING to do with those Asians being locked up. Get your facts straight Sandy Feets before you try and start trouble on this website
Sandy is being sarcastic You Troll, and you fell for it.
Easy target.
Clever way for Sandy (who really isn’t bright enough to be sarcastic) to cover up his lack of comprehension and poor writing skills. As a troll he is relentless, as a communicator he is hampered with limited skills, beyond that of hate. Clever is not usually his strong point although something you can bet HE believes he possesses. He’s a troll and really only interested in starting fights and arguments any way he can. Then crying about being abused and how everything is always someone elses fault.
Actually we gave up our freedoms the day we elected Trump, Freedom of Speech, Freedom of the Press, Free and honest elections?
Yes you are correct. Trump gave up his freedoms to run for office with out being spied on by our government by the FBI, and the DOJ and the CIA. Do not forget to by your Fairfield ham slices at the market today.
Yes, we switched to Fairfield Pork products too, after I heard that the Smithfield company was sold to China. The problem with Fairfield stuff is that it’s impossible to know where that is actually made and we’re worried it might be Chinese too and don’t want the Virus. Now we read that the Smithfield stuff is all actually made here in the United Sates from American pigs and that Smithfield sold out to China but the stuff we eat is all made here? Guess that stuff was all lies.
Actually that was Sandy Feet himself that was spreading all that hateful garbage about Smithfield Foods. He’s a well known and not very respected troll on Lou’s blog who can’t even seem to keep his lies straight.
Not respected by whom? You think you’re respected?
Anybody and Yes!
The natural American progression: from lakes to fishing boats to guns to killing one another.
Guns don’t fix anything do they! if they did, Pence would be president.
Trump is still convinced this is all still just a HOAX. Proof of that is he’s insisting we ignore the experts and ignore the Virus thing and just return to normal. Well, what could possibly go wrong with that?
We don have enough PPE stuff, not enough Ventilators, test kits, etc., etc. and we’re sending stuff to Russia, our sworn enemy, just because Putin and Trump are friends?
What is wrong with Trump?
There is a Joke circulating in Europe:
“What borders on stupidity?”
“Mexico and Canada!”
I don’t recall trump saying this was a hoax. He clearly said this was going to be the Democratics new hoax in their attempt to impeach him.
Neither does anyone else, I said he treats it as if he believes it’s a HOAX. That’s clearly a fair as*essment, considering all of his dismissals, delays and insistence it will just go away by April.
You don’t have to say it’s a hoax to believe it’s a hoax, actions speak louder than words.
There was a poster a couple days ago on here that swore there was proof that Trump said the virus was a hoax. Although, all the poster would say is, “it’s all over the news”. The poster never could post the actual quote…since it doesn’t exist.
It doesn’t matter if it exists, or if you insist it doesn’t exists. it is irrevelant, at least from a realistic point of view. He clearly acted as that is how he felt and even now continues to do so. Actions ARE louder than words.
You can’t, ignore, dismiss, diminish and make facial gestures about something as serious as this Pandemic really is, all the time using the term Hoax (in any fashion) and then try and make everything right by saying you never said is was a Hoax. He even seemed to get a kick about using that word as if he was saying ‘pus*y’ outloud in public!
Trump owns this now and he will forever be deservedly known as the president who called (OK treated) the CaronaVirus Pandemic a Hoax!
Those, like you, who try and deny and defend Trump on this by saying he never said that, are greatly helping to amplify and expose the absurdity of this whole denial thing. HE owns this.
“It doesn’t matter if it exists”. Because truth doesn’t matter?
Got it. So because you dislike him, you can lie about what he says, because you “feel” he meant it. If you are going to criticize Trump. There are plenty of things you can use that are actually factual. No need to lie or perpetuate a lie that is already out there.
Could you please find where “There was a poster a couple days ago on here that swore there was proof that Trump said the virus was a hoax. Although, all the poster would say is, “it’s all over the news”. The poster never could post the actual quote…since it doesn’t exist.”
I can’t find ‘that’ anywhere even the post where someone says “it was all over the news” which is of course not saying “there was proof that Trump says the Virus is a Hoax” not even close.
I would appreciate help with this because if you cant find where There was a poster a couple days ago on here that swore there was proof that Trump said the virus was a hoax.” then you are basing your constant argument on something that isn’t true and basically saying that truth doesn’t matter.
Um, have you looked at posts for April 13?
umm, Yes, I have looked carefully at the comments of April 13th and I was wondering if that is really your ‘final answer’ because i don’t see anywhere on that page where anyone has said “..that swore there was proof that Trump said the virus was a hoax. Although, all the poster would say is, “it’s all over the news”.
Perhaps, you want another stab at this?
Please team me where where “There was a poster a couple days ago on here that swore there was proof that Trump said the virus was a hoax. Although, all the poster would say is, “it’s all over the news”. The poster never could post the actual quote…since it doesn’t exist.”
I am still waiting for you to identify anywhere on any of Lou’s site where you insist that “There was a poster a couple days ago on here that swore there was proof that Trump said the virus was a hoax. Although, all the poster would say is, “it’s all over the news”. The poster never could post the actual quote…since it doesn’t exist.” Including your reference to the posts of April 13, where NO ONE said any such thing, or even close.
I guess that we can once again confirm by now that your blustering as*ertions were nothing but Bull Sh*t, as usual! It is bad enough you abuse Lou’s good grace to allow you to come on HIS website and expound your personal views with reckless abandon, but to lie about it the way you frequently do is beyond acceptable. Your constant “gotcha” nonsense is one thing, but your disrespect for Lou, and the rest of us, is not only crude and deplorable, but unnecessary and vulgar. I really don’t understand why Lou puts up with you on any personal level anymore,.
Interesting how there is more violence at leftist Antifa riot or shutdown wall street protest. Not only was a shot not fired but the grounds were probably nearly as clean as it was before the peaceful protest.
But Trump’s inauguration sure left a HUGE mess.
Charlotte 2016 ?
You mean where the Antifa thugs, without permit, attacked the marchers who had permits, instead of just ignoring them?
And the Antifa thugs who chased the car driver into a crowd?
What a weird spin that one is Sandy, you sober?
That’s not even decent bait.
We’re Parrot Heads living in Michigan, wondering if we’ll ever get back to Key West. Our daughter is married to a professor at MSU and they live in Lansing. She says those protesters here last week were not from Michigan but people bussed in. There were busses lined up everywhere, most from Indiana and Ohio, but some too from Illinois, probably Chicago. This was definitely a put up job with a lot of money behind it, not something spontaneous at all. She thought it was pretty scary.
I read with the State Police in Lansing during those riots were told to stand down because if there was any injories there was no way to get ANYONE to the hospitals, everything was completed blocked with the protester’s gridlock.