The natives in Michigan are getting restless and they are politely telling the Governor to go pound some sand. Unfortunately for Big Gretch, Michigan has a LOT of sand.

I have written about the tale of a 77-year-old barber, Karl Manke, who last Monday decided to open his barbershop to continue earning a living. My previous stories here were…

*Michigan Barber Who Has Defied Gov Whitmer Gets Fined for Opening

*Michigan Attorney General Sends in State Police to Shut Down 77 Year Old Barber

Now it seems that Mr. Manke’s stance of defiance might be inspiring more residents of the Great Lake State to follow suit long before the Governor gives her blessing. According to Fox 17 West Michigan…

Most of Michigan is closed for business but one U.P business owner is asking non-essential business to open back up despite the governor’s executive order.

“Most people don’t want to speak their minds,” Erik Kiilunen says his manufacturing company is currently operating despite Governor Whitmer’s executive order not to do so.

“I just made a decision to open our business,” Kiilunen explained. “I asked all of our teammates if they wanted to come back to work, they were welcome. If they didn’t want to come back and they were nervous, they didn’t have to do that,”

His decision to open comes after most of his business dried up.

Keweenaw County in Michigan’s Upper Pennuisla is at the very tip of the little horn that juts out into Lake Superior. The last census count, the whole county only had 2,156 people. The reason I mention this is that Erik is about as far from the State Capitol in Lansing, as are some of the edicts the Governor has issued are from common sense.

In other words, that is a long haul.

So anyone that far from the center of power can throw a couple of verbal stones with not much fuss generally. Yet Erik wants to raise $50,000 dollars to rent billboard space all over the state to promote his message that simply says “All Business Is Essential.”

Reopening is a message Kiilunen hopes to take state-wide, raising more than 20 thousand dollars through GoFundMe. He intends to place billboards with his message in major cities across Michigan, including Grand Rapids.

“If you want to fine us, then come and fine us,” Kiilunen says. “It’s just a sad state where we’re in a country where business owners are now penalized for opening up for business and now we’re the criminals. Something just doesn’t strike me right,”

This is not striking a lot of people right.

We are continuously told that the decisions made in Lansing are based on the data and science. Yet how in the world can anyone justify saying buying mulch from a Home Depot in a building over 50,000 sq ft was COVID inducing but buying that very same mulch in a 20,000 sq ft ACE Hardware was safe? Don’t even get me started on the “you can golf but no golf cart” mandate.

This does not sound as if it were based on data but more darts. As in throwing darts at a board and seeing what the dart hit to allow or ban.

If I’m wrong, then release the analysis and get the people who have recommended this to step up and explain these decisions. Show the Karls and Eriks of Michigan that it is really in their and everyone’s best interest to stay inside for another 4 weeks while we wait for the COVID-19 to die off. Which, by the way, viruses don’t die off, you need to get a vaccine to protect yourself and how long are we from that? Don’t ask, you won’t like the answer.

Michigan seems to be leading the charge of questioning the very authority that is telling us that you must kill peoples livelihoods to save their lives. Maybe that argument can be made but here in the Mitten State, our leaders have not come close to making it yet.

Thankfully, we have people like Mr. Manke and Mr. Kiilunen willing to take a stand and say it is not really worth the trade. Gods Speed to them both.

If you are interested in checking out the Go Fund me that Erik Kiilunen set up please click HERE.