It turns out civilians aren’t the only ones protesting draconian stay-at-home orders.
South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem has voted to keep her state open, criticizing others for giving “up their liberties for just a little bit of security.”
While states like Ohio and Texas are leading the way to reopen their economies, Governor Noem has spearheaded the charge to refuse locking down — period.
Like any other responsible leader, Governor Noem values human life.
However, data shows that COVID-19 isn’t impacting the entire United States on an equal basis.
New York remains the epicenter of the outbreak, with most of the cases centered around New York City.
Population density remains a factor, as cities like Los Angeles haven’t had as large of an outbreak as New York.
Governor Noem appeared on Fox News to explain her attempt to preserve freedom for South Dakotans.
Watch her interview below:
Governor Noem stands out, especially since so many other governors have taken dramatic actions to flex their power.
Governor Whitmer of Michigan, for example, is under fire for banning the sale of fruit and vegetable seeds in the state. Meanwhile, lottery tickets can still be purchased.
Other Democratic leaders have even banned gun sales or have ordered the police to ticket church members attending drive-in services.
Noem pledges that her actions are not political, but are actually based on the Constitution, according to Fox News:
Republican South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem hit back at critics who accused her of being too lax with her coronavirus response after there was an outbreak at a processing plant in the state. She said the liberal media “have not been telling all the facts behind this.”
Noem responded to the criticism Thursday on “The Ingraham Angle.”
“I had a real honest conversation with the people in our state. I told them I took an oath to uphold the Constitution of our state, of South Dakota," said Noem, who has not issued a stay-at-home order amid the coronavirus outbreak.
"I took an oath when I was in Congress obviously to uphold the Constitution of the United States," she continued. "I believe in our freedoms and liberties. What I’ve seen across the country is so many people give up their liberties for just a little bit of security and they don’t have to do that."
She went on to explain that "if a leader will take too much power in a time of crisis, that is how we lose our country. So, I felt like I’ve had to use every single opportunity to talk about why we slow things down, we make decisions based on science and facts, and make sure that we are not letting emotion grab a hold of the situation."
On MSNBC’s “The Rachel Maddow” show, Maddow noted that “Kristi Noem has insisted that she still will not issue a stay-at-home order in her state.” Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., who was a guest on Maddow’s show, said: “The governor just lets this problem get bigger and bigger and bigger.”
Speaking on “The Ingraham Angle” Noem responded to the blowback, saying: “What they are neglecting to tell folks is that this processing plant is critical infrastructure.”
“Regardless of a shelter-in-place order or not, it would have been up and running because it’s an important part of our nation’s food supply,” she continued. “So that’s what’s been happening on the national level. They have not been telling all the facts behind this.”
She went on to say that “the people of South Dakota can be trusted to make good decisions. We have common sense. That’s why people want to live here and that’s why I love living here.”
Indeed, many observers agree that the government should not and cannot be allowed to control everything.
At the end of the day, personal responsibility is still a factor that should be considered alongside freedom and liberty.
South Dakota's lack of draconian lockdown is a stark contrast to other states, which have seen widespread protests demanding that their governors reopen their economies.
Governor Noem is showing how states can remain open and protect their citizens as well as their livelihoods.
The governor even called on the National Guard to help build a facility that will provide 100-200 additional beds to ensure the state is equipped to handle a surge in cases.
While an increase is expected, the state has largely flattened and stabilized the curve, reports indicate.
Local NewsCenter 1has more details on the COVID-19 site location manned by the National Guard:
Governor Kristi Noem announced Friday that the South Dakota National Guard has selected locations in Sioux Falls and Rapid City to assist in the COVID-19 response.
“South Dakota is ready to respond to the future peak of COVID-19 cases,” Noem said. “We’re thankful for the National Guard’s hard work to help us surge our medical bed space capacity, fight COVID-19, and keep South Dakotans safe.
The Rapid City Alternate Care Facility will be located at the South Dakota National Guard Headquarters at Camp Rapid. This facility is located at the 2800 block of West Main St. in Rapid City.
The facility will provide 100-200 additional medical bed capacity to Monument Health’s ability to serve the Rapid City area. The South Dakota National Guard is working closely with Monument Health to provide medical care a t the Alternate Care Facility.
Sioux Falls will also be home to a 100-bed facility, located at the South Dakota National Guard Regional Training Institute. Sioux Falls area healthcare organizations are working closely with the guard to stand up the facility.
Governor Noem has made the case that it's up to individuals, not the government, to determine whether it's safe for them to continue going to work, school, or church.
She's not advocating either way.
Rather, she's saying that the choice remains in the hand of the people, not the government.
Noem doesn't want to flex power during the crisis. She wants the power in the hands of the people, those who have elected her to governorship.
The National Guard is helping control a minor outbreak in Sioux Falls, but 2/3rds of the rest of the state has been virtually untouched.
Noel is confident the situation is under control and that the people in South Dakota can make decisions in their best interst.
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