NYC Mayor De Blasio Is Blocking Traffic

On April 27 Mayor of New York Bill De Blasio announced he would shut down about one hundred miles of city streets to vehicle traffic in response to COVID-19. Apparently – there is justification for emergency safety purposes to block citizens from traveling by car. The alleged reason for the closure is to “give pedestrians more space to social distance and be outside.” This sudden concern for open spaces is very convenient when the nation is starting to rally behind demands that businesses reopen and liberal officials like de Blasio are not only refusing, but doing everything they can to make it difficult for free flow of commerce to take place. 

Ironically – all over the country have been protests for liberty calling on lawmakers to remove shelter in place orders and reopen economies. Those protestors have come under fire from the liberal media for blocking traffic and closing down streets. But in the case of the protestors, the individuals were only blocking streets temporarily and in the name of the right to freely assemble. In the case of de Blasio – this is an official government move to restrict free movement. But the differences in media coverage couldn’t be more stark. The protestors are villainized as dangerous murderers who are also somehow idiots but overall enemies of society. De Blasio is heralded as a champion for open space. He’s not closing roads: he’s “opening pedestrian space.” Hero!

Whether or not de Blasio’s intentions are pure or not – you simply cannot argue that it is safer to be out of the car traveling than inside of the car traveling. And if New York lawmakers had good intentions: why would it make sense to close state parks which would allow people to socially distance outdoors? The two policies are at total odds and are not relevant to human life and safety. It is clear that the decision to close roads will make commerce more difficult and make controlling the movement of citizens much easier.