A Facebook exec told Reason magazine that “events that defy government’s guidance on social distancing aren’t allowed on Facebook.”
That’s why we at the Convention of States created OpenTheStates.com– we believe “we the people” should be able to express themselves. We don’t concur – as the Raleigh, North Carolina police declared – that protesting is a “non-essential activity.”
As the COVID-19 outbreak sweeps the nation, governors and local officials are taking advantage of the crisis to impose rigid, draconian restrictions on our civil liberties.
This is where we draw the line.
We encourage all Americans to practice the individual safety and social distancing guidelines recommended by the CDC. But we’ve always been a nation of self-governing citizens, and we don’t take kindly to measures that infringe on our freedoms.
Local and state governments should allow the American people to practice common sense compliance with an attitude of defiance. Rather than stifling the liberties of the American people, they should empower us to take the common-sense measures necessary to slow the spread of the Wuhan Virus and get our economy back on track.
The grassroots uprisings in states across the country are truly inspiring. Convention of States wants to provide tools and resources for those patriots to connect, engage, and inspire change in their local communities.
Check out the new site here, and use #OpenTheStates when you talk about it on social media.
Image Credit: Flickr