{"id":148983,"date":"2021-02-19T10:41:52","date_gmt":"2021-02-19T15:41:52","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=148983"},"modified":"2021-02-19T10:58:19","modified_gmt":"2021-02-19T15:58:19","slug":"young-americans-must-lead-the-way-in-opposing-additional-covid-shutdowns","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/young-americans-must-lead-the-way-in-opposing-additional-covid-shutdowns\/","title":{"rendered":"Young Americans Must Lead The Way In Opposing Additional COVID Shutdowns"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">22<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fyoung-americans-must-lead-the-way-in-opposing-additional-covid-shutdowns%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=148983&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><div><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/GettyImages-1209895275.jpg?w=1200&amp;h=800&amp;ixlib=react-9.0.3\" class=\"ff-og-image-inserted\" \/><\/div>\n<p><span>As a recent college graduate, I \u2014 and many others \u2014 watched in horror as the events of this past year unfolded. One particularly haunting aspect was the complete disarray caused by politicians who implemented large-scale national shutdowns in a supposed attempt to combat COVID-19 without, seemingly, considering the long-term consequences.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>Amidst November\u2019s massive<\/span> <span>uptick<\/span> <span>in COVID-19 cases, a<\/span> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/2020\/08\/22\/politics\/biden-coronavirus-shutdown\/index.html\"><span>second<\/span><\/a> <span>national shut down<\/span> <span>remains a possibility, with some local leaders already renewing<\/span> <span>failed<\/span> <a href=\"https:\/\/apnews.com\/article\/kate-brown-thanksgiving-oregon-holidays-salem-6fe6ddc6a95c120d0d11f143090d82fe\"><span>restrictions<\/span><\/a> <span>from earlier this year, even despite the progress made regarding vaccine distribution. It\u2019s imperative that we understand that t<\/span><span>hese nationwide lockdowns are damaging our society in ways that will take generations to reverse, and Millennials and Gen-Z left to rebuild from within the rubble.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>Younger generations of Americans are uniquely positioned to lead the charge against any new, poorly designed COVID restrictions by working to inform our peers of the tangible consequences of a second lockdown, contacting elected officials, and, if necessary, peacefully protesting. Shutting people inside for prolonged periods may stop them from spreading a disease with<\/span> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.breitbart.com\/politics\/2020\/09\/25\/cdc-data-shows-high-virus-survival-rate-99-plus-for-ages-69-and-younger-94-6-for-older\/\"><span>well over a 90% survival rate<\/span><\/a><span>, but committing our nation to a second shutdown will yield worse consequences than the problem it is attempting to solve. The reality is that COVID-19 presents a<\/span> <a href=\"https:\/\/reason.com\/2020\/08\/31\/cdc-data-confirm-that-young-people-face-a-negligible-risk-of-dying-from-covid-19\/\"><span>negligible risk to young people<\/span><\/a><span>. According to the<\/span> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.cnbc.com\/2020\/09\/15\/the-coronavirus-has-killed-at-least-121-young-people-in-the-us-mostly-minorities-cdc-says.html\"><span>CDC<\/span><\/a><span>, the novel coronavirus is less lethal for healthy young people by a considerable margin, with 20-49-year-olds having a<\/span> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.cdc.gov\/coronavirus\/2019-ncov\/hcp\/planning-scenarios.html\"><span>99.98%<\/span><\/a> <span>chance of surviving the virus.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>In addition, our nation\u2019s medical system was<\/span> <span>never<\/span> <span>truly<\/span> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.pbs.org\/newshour\/show\/our-health-care-system-has-not-been-overwhelmed-by-covid-19-says-pence\"><span>overwhelmed<\/span><\/a><span>. The Army Corps of Engineers mobilized to erect emergency, overflow field hospitals throughout the country, and most of<\/span> <span>these facilities<\/span> <span>were<\/span> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.npr.org\/2020\/05\/07\/851712311\/u-s-field-hospitals-stand-down-most-without-treating-any-covid-19-patients\"><span>never utilized<\/span><\/a><span>. Even medical facilities within the<\/span> <span>USNS Comfort<\/span> <span>were hardly put to use while docked in New York. This indicates that,<\/span> <span>across the country<\/span><span>, the mad scramble for<\/span> <span>resources<\/span> <span>and<\/span> <span>hospital space<\/span> <span>was fueled not by need, but by hysteria and confusion.&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>Beyond explicitly physiological aspects, the national lockdowns also wreaked havoc upon the mental health of Americans. Suicide hotlines experienced a<\/span> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.forbes.com\/sites\/gracemarieturner\/2020\/05\/22\/600-physicians-say-lockdowns-are-a-mass-casualty-incident\/?sh=a1d5de750fa5\"><span>600% increase<\/span><\/a> <span>in calls,<\/span> <span>substance abuse rates<\/span> <span>skyrocketed, thus contributing to<\/span> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.npr.org\/sections\/coronavirus-live-updates\/2020\/08\/13\/901627189\/u-s-sees-deadly-drug-overdose-spike-during-pandemic\"><span>increasing overdoses<\/span><\/a><span>, occurrences of<\/span> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.apa.org\/topics\/covid-19\/domestic-violence-child-abuse\"><span>domestic abuse<\/span><\/a><span>, and the<\/span> <span>overall<\/span> <a href=\"https:\/\/townhall.com\/tipsheet\/micaelaburrow\/2020\/07\/28\/redfield-says-more-abovebase-suicides-than-covid-deaths-n2573278\"><span>suicide rate<\/span><\/a><span>. Without a doubt, this impacts younger generations of Americans.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>In June,<\/span> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.npr.org\/2020\/09\/10\/911117577\/the-pandemic-has-researchers-worried-about-teen-suicide?t=1600951443446\"><span>one-in-four<\/span><\/a> <span>respondents to a<\/span> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.cdc.gov\/mmwr\/volumes\/69\/wr\/mm6932a1.htm\"><span>CDC survey<\/span><\/a> <span>between the ages of 18 and 24 said they had \u201cseriously considered\u201d suicide in the past month.<\/span> <a href=\"https:\/\/parentology.com\/breaking-news-teen-suicide-rates-rising-in-2020\/\"><span>Nearly half<\/span><\/a> <span>of the nation\u2019s youth have begun to seriously struggle with their mental health<\/span> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.dailysignal.com\/2020\/09\/29\/covid-19-linked-to-rising-suicide-rates-among-teens\/\"><span>since the COVID-19 shutdowns<\/span><\/a> <span>took full effect. Tragically, in early-December, an<\/span> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nydailynews.com\/news\/national\/ny-california-zoom-school-suicide-child-20201203-vadfqim3srb7lmlihca5e5n6je-story.html\"><span>eleven-year-old<\/span><\/a> <span>student in California committed suicide during a Zoom school session.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>The state-enforced isolation intended to protect people has yielded<\/span> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nber.org\/papers\/w28304\"><span>catastrophic<\/span><\/a> <span>consequences. We cannot allow our countrymen to fall victim to their darkest impulses because of our leaders\u2019 penchants for poor policy. Younger generations of Americans must speak out and ensure that our leadership is aware of the bone-chilling effects of these widespread lockdowns, and<\/span> <span>we need to use whatever leverage we have and ensure our concerns are acknowledged.&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>Just<\/span> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.pewsocialtrends.org\/2020\/04\/21\/about-half-of-lower-income-americans-report-household-job-or-wage-loss-due-to-covid-19\/\"><span>under half of low-income<\/span><\/a> <span>adults lost their jobs due to the economic shutdown, with<\/span><span>&nbsp;lockdowns drastically<\/span> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.msn.com\/en-us\/news\/politics\/how-covid-19-exacerbated-america-s-wealth-gap\/ar-BB164lm2\"><span>exasperating<\/span><\/a> <span>wealth and income disparities throughout the nation<\/span><span>. In the context of young adults, where can they look for income or employment? After all, you can\u2019t build a career on stimulus checks, and those $1,200 don\u2019t spread very far.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>Any young person with hopes of starting their own business or taking over the family store may have already lost hope. Thousands of<\/span> <a href=\"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/2020\/05\/15\/100000-businesses-have-permanently-collapsed-under-pandemic-lockdowns\/\"><span>locally owned businesses<\/span><\/a> <span>were forced to close, and almost<\/span> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thedailyfodder.com\/2020\/09\/yelp-60-of-business-closed-during.html\"><span>two-thirds<\/span><\/a> <span>of these will<\/span> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.yelpeconomicaverage.com\/business-closures-update-sep-2020.html\"><span>never reopen<\/span><\/a><span>. According to the<\/span> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.uschamber.com\/series\/above-the-fold\/new-poll-says-1-4-small-businesses-brink-of-permanent-closure\"><span>US Chamber of Commerce<\/span><\/a><span>, one-fourth of small businesses in this country risk permanent closure because of COVID-lockdowns.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>We must do our due diligence in taking personal responsibility in limiting our risk of exposure to COVID-19 and ensuring that people in at-risk demographics are as protected as possible on a case-by-case basis. But we must also understand that slamming on the economic breaks leads to catastrophic consequences, many of which will have long-lasting effects.&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>As the individuals who will be inheriting this world and becoming its next leaders of industry, we need to set aside our phobias and personal qualms about the state of the pandemic. Our generation must demand better from those in positions of power. We must be conscious of how the policies that affect our lives today impact the America of tomorrow.&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n<p><em><span>Samuel Mangold-Lenett is a resident of Cincinnati, Ohio. He is a contributor to Lone Conservative and the Editor-in-Chief of the Cincinnati Republic, a conservative media outlet that is based out of his hometown.<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n<p><em>The views expressed in this piece are the author\u2019s own and do not necessarily represent those of The Daily Wire.<\/em><\/p>\n<p><em>The Daily Wire is one of America\u2019s fastest-growing conservative media companies and counter-cultural outlets for news, opinion, and entertainment. Get inside access to The Daily Wire by becoming a<\/em>&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.dailywire.com\/subscribe\"><em>member<\/em><\/a><em>.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>As a recent college graduate, I \u2014 and many others \u2014 watched in horror as the events of this past year unfolded. One particularly haunting aspect was the complete disarray &#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":2181536,"comment_status":"close","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/GettyImages-1209895275.jpg?w=1200&h=800&ixlib=react-9.0.3","fifu_image_alt":"Young Americans Must Lead The Way In Opposing Additional COVID Shutdowns","footnotes":""},"categories":[],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-148983","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/GettyImages-1209895275.jpg?w=1200&h=800&ixlib=react-9.0.3","fifu_image_alt":"Young Americans Must Lead The Way In Opposing Additional COVID Shutdowns","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/148983","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=148983"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/148983\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2181536"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=148983"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=148983"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=148983"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}