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Protesters Descend On Wisconsin Capitol To Send A Message: We’re Done Staying Home
The Federalist ^ | April 25, 2010 | Kylee Zempel

Posted on 04/25/2020 6:09:05 AM PDT by Kaslin

Wisconsinites are signaling they're done playing political games and aren't buying into the idea that they're 'Safer at Home.'


MADISON, Wis. — Wisconsin stay-at-home orders were supposed to expire Friday. Instead, thousands of disgruntled Wisconsinites descended upon the capitol in protest after the Evers administration extended the Dairy State’s so-called Safer at Home order another month.

Endless blaring honks turned to white noise as vehicles backed up East Washington Avenue before circling the capitol, with many waving signs and flags out of windows and sun roofs. One man drove a Yukon decked out with Trump 2020 gear, pulling a trailer he had transformed into a “Trump Unity Bridge” and leading passersby in a chorus of “M-A-G-A” to the YMCA song.

One man played an audiobook of the Constitution from a boombox in his driver’s window. Somebody navigated a remote-control plastic virus, chasing people around the State Street intersection, and one man tossed out roll after roll of toilet paper, which a nearby woman scurried around to gather.

Some rally attendees donned masks and stuck to the periphery, while others packed in close to one another. Several counter-protesters straggled through — a woman in scrubs held a “Go Home” sign — but they were few.

Coronavirus Cases in Wisconsin Aren’t What They Seem

April 16, on joint letterhead with Democratic Gov. Tony Evers, Department of Health Services acting Secretary Andrea Palm unilaterally decided the stay-at-home order would continue through May 26, ensuring schools, many houses of worship, and “nonessential” businesses will remained shuttered for more than another month at least. Republican state lawmakers on Tuesday filed a lawsuit to block the latest order, asking the state Supreme Court to take the case directly, which would bypass lower courts to get a faster ruling.

As of April 20, a total of 5,350 people in Wisconsin have tested positive for the Wuhan coronavirus, with 262 fatalities. Wisconsin has 5.8 million residents, meaning positive cases are 0.09 percent of the state population.

“This isn’t a game. This isn’t funny,” Evers wrote on Facebook. “People die every day because of this virus — often times painful and lonely deaths — and the more we delay or play political games the more people die.” Of the stay-at-home orders, the governor said, “It’s working. We have flattened the curve here in Wisconsin and have prevented the death of at least 300 Wisconsinites, and perhaps as many as 1400 lives.”

While Evers cites “flattening the curve” as the impetus for continued shutdowns, statewide data reveals most counties have few-to-no COVID-19 cases. Milwaukee County, the urban hotspot, has seen the greatest outbreak in the state by far, with 154 deaths. From there, the numbers drop off dramatically. Dane, Waukesha, and Racine counties follow with 21, 14, and 10 deaths, respectively. Most other counties in the state show zero or one fatalities.

“Rural counties of our state haven’t seen nearly the number of cases that urban and suburban areas have, yet are bearing the full economic impacts of this crisis,” Republican Scott Fitzgerald, the Senate majority leader, said in a statement.

Many Wisconsinites, especially outside Milwaukee, are tired of the draconian lockdowns. Some are skeptical the shutdowns will end in May after seeing the April deadline so easily extended despite the drastic economic toll. More than 380,000 people have lost their jobs after countless businesses have been deemed “nonessential.”

“I think that everything that produces a paycheck is essential,” Nanci Valentino of Monroe, a county with only 14 positive cases and zero coronavirus-related deaths, told The Federalist.

“I’ll tell you what irritates me — to be treated like a child, almost like being told to go to your room,” Gerry Holton, a business owner from Delafield in Waukesha County, told The Federalist. “We’re adults. Tell us what the issues are. Tell us what the risk is. Tell us about the virus — I get that. We’re adults. We will adjust. Even with our workers, we give them masks, we give them hand sanitizers, make sure they have it constantly, tell them to keep their distance from each other. … You can’t just shut [businesses] down. It’s wrong.”

“It’s so over-the-top,” his wife Linda added. “And it’s hurting people, little people. It’s got to stop.”

Churches Are Essential

The Freedom Rally also invoked religious themes, with speakers praying and calling for attendees to keep the faith.

Pastor Tim Hallett of Birch Street Baptist Church in Eau Claire told The Federalist how his congregation is adapting to the governor’s order, meeting in the same building for services but spreading throughout the 17 rooms with no more than nine congregants in each. Eau Claire has had 23 confirmed cases of COVID-19 so far, with zero fatalities.

“My desire is to see all churches open back up so that we can start seeing folks come back to church, and be able to hear the gospel and be able to hear a message that will be helpful and encouraging to them,” Hallett said.

The Federalist | WI Freedom Rally Interview with Pastor Tim Hallett

This Rally Follows a Train of Abuses

The Wisconsin protest follows a similar rally in Michigan last week, when thousands gathered in Lansing to protest Democratic Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s sweeping order, under which the “little tyrant” dictated even which items were essential, telling grocery stores which products they could or could not sell. Fruit and vegetable plants and seeds were banned, but lottery tickets made the cut. The use of motorized boats was prohibited, but not boats without a motor.

The Dairy State rally also comes on the heels of other state drama earlier this month when Evers issued an executive order to postpone the Wisconsin election less than 24 hours before polls were scheduled to open, a move the state Supreme Court struck down. While Democrats blamed Republican lawmakers for the election panic, saying the GOP forced voters to choose between their safety amid the pandemic and their constitutional right to vote, the timeline of events suggests Democrats tilted the election in their favor.

Wisconsinites are signaling they’re done playing political games and aren’t buying into the idea that they’re “Safer at Home.”

“To extend [‘Safer at Home’] to the end of May, that’s just wrong,” said Holton. “It’s hurting people.”



TOPICS: Business/Economy; Culture/Society; Editorial; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: businesses; christianity; churches; coronavirus; covid19; dairystate; donaldtrump; economy; gretchenwhitmer; lockdowns; madison; michigan; pandemic; protests; quarantine; religion; schools; smallbusinesses; statelegislatures; stayathomeorder; tonyevers; wisconsin; wuhancoronavirus; wuhanvirus
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To: Kaslin

Comrade Evers has assumed the role of Commissar of Wisconsin.
This POS was elected by the parasites and puppets of Milwaukee and Madison and thinks he has a mandate to lord over this State.

I think he should think about this.

“When governments fear the people, there is liberty. When the people fear the government, there is tyranny.”

And what we now have in this State is Tyranny!

Too many subjects of Evers are frightened children looking for someone to protect them.

Many have lived through Polio, Smallpox, Avian Flu, Swine Flu yet they believe the absolute BS being handed to them by these tin horn politicians that can’t do anything but cower because they saw a “MODEL”, false as it was they still buy it.

Been around a long time and have never seen a more overt attack on America.


21 posted on 04/25/2020 7:16:07 AM PDT by JayAr36 (The worthless dispicable party must be destroyed)
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To: Kaslin

Trump girl is HUGE!..lol.


22 posted on 04/25/2020 7:20:10 AM PDT by Beagle8U (Slo-Joe Biden... puts the DEM in Dementia.)
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To: Junk Silver

They say shut down the economy to save lives. I say the economy is life. Destroy the economy, we destroy ourselves.


23 posted on 04/25/2020 7:24:08 AM PDT by virgil (The evil that men do lives after them)
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To: Junk Silver

Try the quotation marks from your keyboard if you want them back in your tag. Sometimes copy/paste characters don’t always translate right.

My thought on these ‘stay at home’ orders,

No Extensions, No Exceptions, Open Now!


24 posted on 04/25/2020 7:26:43 AM PDT by Son House
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To: Kaslin

The left hates these people because it wants the economy brought to a total halt and people to be starving and miserable, and dependent on the government. Then they will blame what they caused on Trump.


25 posted on 04/25/2020 7:27:38 AM PDT by I want the USA back (I fear my government more than the bug. I hate the media.)
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To: Kaslin

Idiot Evers is being controlled by Fake Doctor Andrea Palm. Palm was an Obama appointee who landed in Wisconsin. The Fake Doctor does not think any laws apply to her. What she decides for Wisconsin is the law.


26 posted on 04/25/2020 7:32:19 AM PDT by EC Washington
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To: Kaslin

Finally - some of “our” folks protesting something worthwhile and actually getting out to do it...


27 posted on 04/25/2020 8:01:31 AM PDT by trebb (Don't howl about illegal leeches, or Trump in general, while not donating to FR - it's hypocritical.)
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To: Son House

“Try the quotation marks from your keyboard if you want them back in your tag.”

Thanks for the tip, much appreciated.


28 posted on 04/25/2020 8:07:48 AM PDT by Junk Silver ("I think that everything that produces a paycheck is essential." - Nanci Valentino, Wisconsin)
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To: Kaslin

The question I ask is this.

How many people are willing to break the quarantine?

How many cops are there that can stop them?

On average there are 24 cops per 10,000 population.

So who is to stop the people from doing what they want to do?


29 posted on 04/25/2020 8:11:11 AM PDT by Ruy Dias de Bivar
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To: Buckeye McFrog

Police: Roughly 1,500 assemble in protest of ‘Safer at Home’ order at state Capitol

The Capitol Police may have undercounted the crowd ??


30 posted on 04/25/2020 8:12:14 AM PDT by RicocheT (Don't argue with an idiot; people watching may not be able to tell the difference.)
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To: jeffc

I really think Trump should stop the daily briefings. I think this would help wind things down and get us up and running again.


31 posted on 04/25/2020 8:19:41 AM PDT by dandiegirl (BOBBY)
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To: dandiegirl

We need some protests specifically focused on Fauci.

Time to freeze the target and personalize it.


32 posted on 04/25/2020 8:41:25 AM PDT by Buckeye McFrog (Patrick Henry would have been an anti-vaxxer)
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To: Yogafist

33 posted on 04/25/2020 8:44:32 AM PDT by Daffynition (*Mega Dittoes and Mega Prayers* & :))
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To: Kaslin

The protests are spreading faster than the virus.


34 posted on 04/25/2020 9:41:47 AM PDT by philman_36 (Pride breakfasted with plenty, dined with poverty and supped with infamy. Benjamin Franklin)
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To: philman_36
👍
35 posted on 04/25/2020 11:11:59 AM PDT by Buckeye McFrog (Patrick Henry would have been an anti-vaxxer)
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To: Kaslin
“This isn’t a game. This isn’t funny,” Evers wrote on Facebook.

Who said either of those things?

36 posted on 04/25/2020 2:17:22 PM PDT by lasereye
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To: Popman

The correct word is “exist” exit means leave.


37 posted on 04/25/2020 2:46:32 PM PDT by Kaslin
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To: Junk Silver

Thanks. What are liberty trees? I have never hear that term


38 posted on 04/25/2020 2:50:55 PM PDT by Kaslin
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To: cableguymn

Jason Lewis was one of the best people on the air in Charlotte when he was around.

I always looked forward to hearing him.


39 posted on 04/25/2020 6:06:51 PM PDT by wally_bert (Transmission tone, Selma.)
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To: Kaslin

Thomas Jefferson quote:
“the tree of Liberty must be refreshed from time to time with the blood of patriots and tyrants.”


40 posted on 04/25/2020 6:20:19 PM PDT by pburiak
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