While most of us were sitting at home on Monday, confined once again to quarters, a bunch of our fellow Arizonans descended on the state Capitol.

While the rest of the world practices social distancing, hundreds of irresponsible idiots were marching across Wesley Bolin Plaza and standing shoulder to shoulder inside the lobby of the Executive Tower, demanding that Gov. Doug Ducey “reopen Arizona.”

They forgot their masks but hey, they brought their kids and isn’t that special?

We get it. The Republican Party’s right wing, spurred on by President Donald Trump, wants Ducey to unleash the economy.

I do, too. I'll repeat that. I WANT TO REOPEN ARIZONA, TOO, but in a responsible way – one that follows the best advice of those who know about infectious diseases.

Sorry, but I don't count Donald Trump among them.

The real experts have repeatedly warned us that opening up the country too quickly will result in more disease and more deaths -- and yet another lockdown.

These protesters either don't believe it or they figure it's an acceptable risk ... presumably as long as that risk doesn't touch them. Or their kids, who were there with them at Monday's “Patriot’s Day Rally”.

This, after all, is America, where we have a God-given right to endanger other people -- never mind the God-given imperative that we act like decent members of society.

Everybody is hurting right now. Everybody is scared -- if not of disease then of economic collapse.

And most everyone is sacrificing in the hope of weathering this virus and protecting those on the front lines of fighting COVID-19.

In the hope that restraint, right now, is the best path back to resuscitating the country.

Standing shoulder shoulder, decked out in red, white and blue and waving a flag with your kids in tow?

That's not patriotism. It's disgraceful.

God Bless America because clearly we need all the help we can get.

Reach Roberts at laurie.roberts@arizonarepublic.com.