Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer became the latest governor to issue another lockdown in her state because of COVID. It’s for the good of her people, you see. Whitmer joins WA Gov. Jay Inslee, OR Gov. Kate Brown, and NM Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham in issuing lockdowns of varying severity.

CO Gov. Jared Polis even went so far as to warn Coloradans that if they don’t start quarantining now, they might be “bringing a loaded pistol for Grandma’s head.” And who wants to kill Grandma?

These governors are from different parts of the nation, yet they all have one thing in common: they’re all Democrats.

Gretchen Whitmer issued her mandates in a Sunday night news conference, and a local news anchor explained the three-week partial shutdown:

Michiganders should be afraid, very afraid. That’s because during Michigan’s spring lockdown, Whitmer ordered stores to stop selling paint and other home improvement items. They were “non-essential,” you see. She also shut down lawn care services and golf courses. Plus, while you could use a non-motorized boat on Lake Michigan, you could not use one with a motor. She also allowed her attorney general to encourage employees to rat out their bosses and call police if they tried to open their shops.

So if these new three-week restrictions don’t work out the way she would like, imagine what Whitmer will do next.

President Trump’s medical advisor Dr. Scott Atlas of Stanford University pushed back against “Big Gretch” and her lockdown:

The only way this stops is if people rise up. You get what you accept. #FreedomMatters #StepUp https://t.co/8QKBszgKTM

— Scott W. Atlas (@SWAtlasHoover) November 15, 2020

Naturally the Twitterverse erupted in outrage, reporting Atlas’s tweet to the Powers That Be, and threatening him with the FBI. Atlas responded:

“Hey. I NEVER was talking at all about violence. People vote, people peacefully protest. NEVER would I endorse or incite violence. NEVER!!”

However, Dr. Atlas forgot the New Rules: that the only people who are allowed to “rise up” are BLM, Antifa, and anyone else who hates President Trump.

But Whitmer wasn’t the only one who spoke out in favor of clamping down on people once again. If you suspected Dr. Anthony Fauci of cheering on lockdowns, you’re correct. He appeared on CNN’s State of the Union on Sunday, telling Jake Tapper in this word salad that lockdowns are a-comin’:

“We’re not going to get a national lockdown. I think that’s very clear, but I think what we’re going to start seeing in the local levels—be they governors or mayors or people at the local level—will do, as you said, very surgical type of restrictions, which are the functional equivalent of a local lockdown, but we’re not going to have a national lockdown, but if things really get bad and you can put your foot on the pedal and yet still you have the surge, you may need to take the extra step that you’re talking about.”

Not only that, but Fauci also predicted that masks and social distancing are here to stay, even with a vaccine:

“I would recommend to people to not abandon all public health measures just because you’ve been vaccinated. Because even though for the general population it might be 90 to 95 percent effective, you don’t necessarily know for you how effective it is.” 

Hmm, does that apply to flu shots, too? Just asking.

Plus — and this is the most scary part — on a recent C-SPAN appearance, Fauci also advised Americans to give up their “independent spirit” and “do as they’re told.”

Dr. Fauci: America has an “independent spirit” but now is the time “to do what you’re told” pic.twitter.com/t7uY4nHyGk

— Tom Elliott (@tomselliott) November 13, 2020

Got that peasants? You will do as you’re ordered — and no big Thanksgiving or Christmas gatherings for you, either.

Facebook screenshot.

Meanwhile, Republican governors refuse to ruin peoples’ holidays with additional lockdowns. Now their states may or may not have mask mandates, but these governors realize that liberty and a healthy economy are vital.

For example, Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson realizes that while many of the new cases may be coming from home gatherings, they can’t be regulated, although Arkansas does have a mask mandate. In Florida, Gov. Ron DeSantis is not only refusing to impose any more restrictions, he’s also allowing greater leeway on visits to nursing homes. He says that mental health benefits outweigh the risk of infection, which is especially important during the holiday season. Missouri Gov. Mike Parson will not force students who have come into contact with a COVID-positive person to quarantine. Instead, they just need to wear a mask for the time.

And in Texas, which was the first state to top 1 million COVID cases, Gov. Greg Abbott continues with his state’s mask mandate. However, he supports local businesses opening up to 50% capacity provided that COVID patients take up no more than 15% of local hospital beds.

Finally, TX GOP Rep. Chip Roy showed his defiance about Christmas, Texas-style:

#StandUpForAmerica (H/T @YCT) pic.twitter.com/lGNXpVqPD7

— Chip Roy (@chiproytx) November 15, 2020

Will COVID cases go up in Republican-controlled states during the holiday season? Perhaps, even probably. But GOP governors also want their citizens to enjoy freedom and a stable economy. Democrat governors like Gretchen Whitmer and others, however, don’t trust their citizens, and don’t mind keeping them dependent upon the government. Republicans prize liberty, while Democrats relish using COVID lockdowns as a way to satisfy their control freak tendencies.

Featured image: Eden, Janine and Jim/flickr/cropped/CC BY 2.0.