‘Reopen’ Protests Are Evolving — But Will We Listen To What They Say?

Is it time to reopen America? That is the question that is on top of mind as the nation navigates its shift from sheltering-in-place to getting back to work. On one side of the debate are numerous elected officials, scientists, and doctors who are urging caution and restraint, on the other side is an increasing number of leaders, business owners and activists who are pushing for a more rapid restart of the economy. In the midst of all of this there is a growing protest movement that is urging state and local governments to take aggressive actions to reopen America.

Many of the so-called ‘reopen’ protests have been headline grabbing, especially when paired with the disconcerting photos of protesters carrying firearms and provocative signs. Our over-heated news media is also feeding a growing sense of alarm about the nature and intent of the reopen movement. But somewhere between legitimate curiosity and frothy fear-mongering, now is a good time to ask a level-headed question: could the reopen movement actually be a positive force for civic dialogue?

The optimistic answer is unquestionably yes. But like all other aspects of this pandemic, it’s complicated.

 

On one hand, there are the provocative protesters in Michigan storming the state capital while brazenly carrying firearms and ammunition. And there are also those who openly — and sometimes violently — defy the recommendations of their health officials who are grounding their guidelines in science and data. On there other hand, however, there are countless individuals who are trying to organize restrained grassroots online groups to advocate their local and state leaders without resorting to physical intimidation

Take for example Pennsylvania which, along with states like California, Michigan and Wisconsin, has become one of the reopen hotspots. It would be easy to think that the protests in Pennsylvania are simply a reactionary mix of the Tea Party movement mashed up with the Trump rallies of 2016. But if you really listen to some of Pennsylvania’s reopen leaders, you might get a different perspective.

One example of of such a leader is Reopen Pennsylvania cofounder Teo De Las Haras. During an interview on Fox & Friends this week, De La Heras was thoughtful in his rationale for the group, explaining:

"There [are] people out there that from the beginning just want to get back to work. They're concerned about their well-being, their families. They're really just not happy with the situation. And again, it's easy to dive into politics," De Las Heras stated. "I think we just need to elevate the conversation and make it about how this is affecting people."

That sound’s pretty reasonable, doesn’t it?

But during our politically-charged pandemic, we often miss hearing those kinds of statements. Partially that is because we live in our own media bubbles, but also because sometimes it is the more extreme statements that get all the oxygen. We overlook the reasonable while we desperately search for the reprehensible. And in the process, we oftentimes demonize the very people who might, at the core of it, share our very same aspirations.

In that light, perhaps we might be able to see the reopen movement as something more than what the political left might characterize as Trumpian-agitators or that the political right might describe as freedom fighters against government tyranny. Instead, we could see the protesters much as we would like to see ourselves – passionate citizens trying to balance the wellness of our communities with the wellbeing of our families. And while any group will always have those who wish to hijack the agenda for their own reasons, even hateful or violent ones, perhaps we could recognize that that for most of the supporters of the reopen movement, the main issue is one of truly balancing life and liberty.

Just because we live in extreme political times does not mean every protester is an extremist.

So can the reopen movement be a force for truly positive ongoing civic engagement by its members? It depends on not only its leaders, but all of us as well. If the reopen movement continues stays grounded in its principles and is vigilant on how and who helps advance its agenda, it has the ability to contribute to the national conversation in meaningful and constructive ways. But for that to happen, not only our elected officials need to listen to their appeals, but all of us should too. Before we judge a movement, we need to truly encounter not only their protests, but their ideas as well.

It might be wishful thinking to believe that, in the thick of a pandemic-infused presidential campaign and a rapidly-accelerating economic downturn, we can find a way to embrace a more clear-eyed civic dialogue. But if we apply optimism to how we listen and learn from one another in these challenging times, then not only will we reopen our nation…

we might renew it too.