Republican governors from various state governments are refusing to follow expert Dr. Fauci’s urges to implement stay-at-home directives. These governors are risking the health and wellbeing of their citizens seemingly out of loyalty to Trump. They are waiting for a nationwide directive that Trump does not seem to be making anytime soon. Instead, Trump cites the Constitution and its protection of state’s rights. However, just because a right is protected does not mean it should be exercised when it compromises the health of the American citizens it is supposed to protect. This is yet another instance of the Republican party’s attempted monopoly on “patriotism”. Why else cite the Constitution during a time like this? States rights’ are not being contested right now, national unity however is. Trump claims he will intervene when there are severe outbreaks in states that have not implemented stay-at-home directives. Well, one of South Dakota’s main meat packing plants, Smithfield Foods, has finally been forced closed after 438 employees reported positive for coronavirus, subsequently infecting another 107 individuals. And still no stay-at-home order.
