Pandemic reveals GOP indifference

One thing the COVID-19 pandemic has shined a light on is Republicans could care less about the health effects of this disease on the population. While case number continue to climb, state-level Republican representatives and senators are trying their best to open up the state regardless of the effects on the citizens.

Case in point is Macomb County Public Works Commissioner Candice Miller providing data showing Macomb County’s positivity rate increasing 125% in the last 14 days “with cases continuing to climb into next week.” Every day we see schools going back to remote learning and sports being shut down because case numbers going up.

Even while cases increase Republican State Representative Lisa McClain says the state’s pandemic response is “draconian” compared to Florida and South Dakota and wants Governor Whitmer to completely open up citing unemployment at 8% compared to 5.1% in Florida and 3.3% in South Dakota. What she fails to cite is Michigan has 7,023 cases per 100 thousand people while Florida has 9,215 and South Dakota at 13,124, according to the CDC web site. Looking at deaths, Michigan has 169 per 1,000 people and South Dakota at 217. This data clearly shows that opening up not only causes sickness but deaths.

Not to be outdone, Republican state Senator McDonald sponsored a bill that was passed on party lines and was sent to the House prohibiting the Michigan Health Director from issuing caps on party sizes and restrictions. From the beginning of this pandemic the GOP has been trying to whittle away at the Governors powers to keep the state’s residents safe for the sake of increasing economic activity. They must not understand that sick and dead people don’t contribute to the economy.

Businesses and their employees are taking the brunt of the shutdowns but in doing so, are protecting the public’s health. The Republican Party needs to check their greed for once in favor of people over money. These are unprecedented times that require caution and the sooner we get through this pandemic by following the public health mandates, the sooner all businesses can open 100%

Dennis Marentette

St. Clair Shores

Weapons ban won’t work

I see president Biden is trying to reinstate the assault weapons ban of the Clinton era. It didn’t work then and it won’t work now. Our Constitution says that every person has an inalienable right to life. But I ask how can you have a right to something — like your life — if you are not allowed to defend and keep it? You can’t and you won’t. And that is what the Democrat gun grabbers want; the defense of your life in their hands, not yours.

To label any weapon as an assault weapon is to ignore the fact that any weapon can also be used in self defense. To ignore the self defense use of any weapon is to confess that one’s real target is not the actual weapon but its use in self defense. The demon to be destroyed is not the gun but the citizen’s right to self defense.