The Detroit Free Press Attempts Revisionist History And Reports We Were Never Locked Down In Michigan During The Pandemic

It is called an attempt at revisionist history to save their candidate from getting defeated in the November election.  Boy, the Detroit Free Press must be very worried about Governor Whitmer’s chance at being re-elected as Governor.

According to an article in the Michigan Capitol Confidential news site, the Detroit Free Press does not agree that Governor Whitmer ever put Michiganders under “lockdown”.  In an article they published Sunday, March 13^th, they wrote:

Some of the claims attacking [Gov. Gretchen] Whitmer and other Democrats are too broad, lack context or are simply inaccurate. There never was a ‘lockdown’ per se, but customer or staff fears of catching COVID-19 and orders that required businesses to limit operations forced many establishments to close.”

Interesting use of “per se”.  The definition of per se is “by or in itself; intrinsically”.  The definition of intrinsically is “Of or relating to the essential nature of a thing”.

How do the words “per se” or “intrinsically” fit into their statement?

Perhaps the Detroit Free Press was completely unaware of Governor Whitmer’s Executive Order 2020-21  issued on March 24, 2020, at 12:01 am. That little “per se” order stated:

Subject to the exceptions in section 7, all individuals currently living within the State of Michigan are ordered to stay at home or at their place of residence. Subject to the same exceptions, all public and private gatherings of any number of people occurring among persons not part of a single household are prohibited.

That was followed up with:

Consistent with MCL 10.33 and MCL 30.405(3), a willful violation of this order is a misdemeanor.

Wait, does Dave and the Detroit Free Press not consider “ordered to stay at home” to not be a “lockdown” per se?

To make matters worse for the Detroit Free Press and one of the authors, Dave Boucher, of their March 13^th article, they have admitted to the lockdowns in the past.  At a previous press conference, Dave Boucher asked Governor Whitmer

As you noted, the spread of COVID was down substantially, or at least the state was able to do that earlier in the year, and in part, that’s probably because there were lockdowns or stay-at-home orders in place. Why not issue a temporary stay at home order or lockdown right now, as opposed to waiting for the legislature?

Dave, you ask a question of Governor Whitmer acknowledging that she lockdown the state. Or as you put it that “there were lockdowns or stay-at-home orders in place”, why would write a piece this month stating that she never locked down the state?

Sounds to me as you and the Detroit Free Press are trying your best to rewrite history to help your candidate.  Is that something that a “real” per se newspaper should be doing?