CNN anchor Jake Tapper brought a rock-solid argument against public lockdowns during a discussion on "The Lead" Thursday about the ongoing manhunt for Maine shooting suspect Robert Card.
"I have to say, I always find it questionable," Tapper told his guest. "I'm always kind of curious about the decisions by these towns when there's a manhunt, and they go into complete lockdown and schools and businesses close. I understand the fear, but it's not sustainable for a long time. And there's part of me that wonders if it actually makes anxiety worse. How do police reconcile public safety with the need for people to live their lives?"
CNN's Jake Tapper argues that lockdowns are "not sustainable for a long time" and "make anxiety worse" in the context of a manhunt for an armed and dangerous fugitive. If only there were other contexts where this excellent logic could be applied. 🤔 pic.twitter.com/kSEhbYQhY0
— Scott Morefield (@SKMorefield) October 26, 2023
Tapper was referring to police in two Maine counties asking the public to "shelter in place" Thursday with a presumed armed and dangerous Card on the loose.
Tens of thousands of people in two Maine counties are sheltering in place as the urgent manhunt continues for the suspect in the Lewiston mass shooting.@emilieikedanbc has more details on the lockdown at many schools, including Bates College, and the toll on the community. pic.twitter.com/fXIPu4kYLB
— NBC Nightly News with Lester Holt (@NBCNightlyNews) October 26, 2023
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Of course, we've all heard the words "shelter in place" enough times to last more than a lifetime, so you'll be forgiven if your instinct to such a request these days is a resounding "hell no!" It's just too soon.
Tapper's logic that lockdowns, even in the wake of an armed killer on the loose, are "unsustainable for a long time" and could make public "anxiety worse" is perfectly sound. Now, if only he and other mainstream media figures had only applied the exact same logic, or at least just asked the question like he did Thursday, to the Covid lockdowns of 2020, things might have gone differently.
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