Yesterday, some Michiganders took to the streets to protest Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s decidedly excessive measures to halt the spread of COVID19. Whether or not you agree that protests like this are a good idea, health-wise, protesters’ frustrations are understandable.

So, naturally, Vox’s Aaron Rupar is making the protesters the bad guys:

these people have no problem with you dying as long as they can buy their lawn fertilizer and get their hair done pic.twitter.com/MJ8mmRwFFd — Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) April 15, 2020

Did any of the people interviewed say that? We certainly didn’t hear it.

But then, Rupar’s not known for accurately representing people’s remarks when those remarks don’t support his preferred narrative.

In addition to being crude and inflammatory, this assertion has nothing whatever to do with actual evidence about the likelihood of infection, much less death. The great 'Rona is now a cult https://t.co/IgfVjXbYVy — Matthew Walther (@matthewwalther) April 16, 2020

As we suggested above, Rupar should feel free to disagree with the protesters’ decision to go out and protest. But there’s literally no need to suggest they don’t care about other people’s welfare unless you just want to remind us that you’re a jerk.

People like this put zero value on freedom — which is what makes them bad Americans. https://t.co/T0qD66EV5n — David Harsanyi (@davidharsanyi) April 16, 2020

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Related:

Michigan Gov. Whitmer explains with a smile why ‘cracking down’ on travel, planting, landscaping, golfing, etc, shouldn’t matter because it’s snowing anyway (no, seriously!)