Last week, we reported about how Shelley Luther, owner of the Salon Á La Mode in North Dallas, Texas, who opened up her business in defiance of lockdown orders in the city. The salon owner said that she was ignoring a citation and a cease and desist order from the city to shut down. This one act of defiance created a big protest one day later where salon owner Shelley Luther publicly ripped up the citation before a crowd of about 100 people.

There were a handful of people outside the salon supporting the owner’s decision, which she says was made despite the risk of a stiff fine.

Luther spoke out about her rights:

“I want them to know we have rights, but if you cannot afford to pay us and feed our families and help us because the systems are so backlogged, then you have to let us work.”

Today, Shelley Luther was sentenced to 7 days in jail and will have to pay a $7,000 fine for defying the state’s executive order.

Emergency orders that “non-essential businesses” remain closed during the Covid-19 crisis have devastated small business owners across America. A wave of business owners across the nation are defying executive orders by their governors and opening their businesses anyhow.

Today, a small business owner in the state of Michigan, where Governor Gretchen Whitmer has imposed arguably the most draconian lockdown orders of any state, defied his state’s executive order and opened his barber and beauty shop to the public.

WLNS reports- Karl Manke’s Barber and Beauty Shop has been in the Owosso community since 1961 and this week the owner decided to open the doors again, despite state orders to remain closed.

A photo on Karl Manke’s Barber and Beauty Shop Facebook page reminds everyone of how so many businesses that have been around for decades in Michigan are in danger of shutting down.

Photo from Karl Manke’s Barber and Beauty Shop Facebook page

To help limit the spread of the coronavirus, Gov. Gretchen Whitmer is requiring businesses such as hair, nail, tanning, and spas to remain closed until May 28th.

After being denied twice by unemployment Karl Manke said he had enough.

“The governor decided she was going to go another two weeks, and then another two weeks, and now this last time when she said we weren’t going to come back May 1st, that we were going to be secluded here until the 28th– it brought me to my knees.,” Manke said.

He says dozens of people have come by.

Karl Manke – Facebook photo

Craig Cummings came in for a haircut today. He says he should be able to make the choice of whether to stay home or not. “Adults should be able to make their own choice. If you’re scared, stay home. If you’re not, do what you got to do,” he said.

Karl says support has come from all over.

“I had a policeman stop by this morning, and I thought, okay here it is—it’s done. He said ‘I love you,’ and walked out,” Manke said.

Comments on Karl Manke’s Barber and Beauty Shop Facebook page praise Karl’s Salon and suggest everyone in Michigan should visit his salon to get their hair cut.

Signs like the one below are showing up in the state of Michigan. Citizens of Michigan are getting fed up with being out of work, and are ready to take their freedoms back.

What do you think? Should businesses be able to open their doors if they agree to limit the number of customers, especially in small towns like Owosso, MI?

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