Roots of American Individualism and the Current U.S. Response to COVID-19
Figure 1 : Governor Tony Evers of Wisconsin, February 4, 2021. Photo courtesy of Morry Gash-Pool via Getty Images Senate Republicans of the Wisconsin legislature alluded to their opposition of mandating measures such as wearing a mask in public while asserting this type of action should require legislative vote. Another critical allegation included a belief voiced by Senator Duey Stroebel. In a statement, Stroebel exclaimed the recent orders from state and local governments have resulted in “unprecedented limitations on individual freedoms.” [1] Stroebel’s remark of such action being “unprecedented” is not historically accurate, but more on that later. Wisconsin also remains far from the only state with people who oppose orders requiring citizens follow pandemic-related restrictions. Additionally, reactions from the general American public reflect a strong opposition obligatory mask-wearing. While states like Idaho have yet to require people to w...