Think Tank discusses Phoenix nurses’ counterprotest amid virus outbreak
May 1, 2020, 11:00 AM
Nurse Lauren Leander (The Think Tank)
(The Think Tank)
Two stories this week. Our primary topic concerns something that happened last week, the other exactly 50 years ago. We’ll spend most of our time on the first. I can connect the dots between the two stories. Stick around till the end and see if you can as well.
This week, the death toll from COVID-19 over the last six weeks surpassed the total number of American deaths in the Vietnam war over a decade. Yet, there was a protest a week ago Monday against, not for, the governor’s stay-at-home-order.
Four nurses: Brittany Schilling, Lauren Leander, Jasmine Bhatti, and Jade Juriansz, decided to stage a counterprotest.
The first three of these join The Think Tank this week. The fourth, sent in a statement. Like the others, she works a heavy schedule. We talk with them about the impact of the COVID-19 outbreak on their respective hospitals (Banner and the Mayo clinic), how why they decided to counter-protest and what actually transpired at the protest.
In addition, we also discuss the now-iconic photo of Leander and a protester that seemed to have captured the essence of the moment. And how these nurses have managed the media firestorm that engulfed them while continuing to work full-time schedules.
The story of these nurses gets most of this week’s show. For months, I had planned an entirely different topic for this week’s show but changed plans when these immediate events transpired. My original topic? I compressed that to five minutes. But you’ll have to listen in to hear what that was about. I hope you will do that.
The Think Tank airs on KTAR 92.3 FM on Saturday 3-4 p.m. and repeats Sundays 9-10 p.m.
Podcasts are available after broadcast.
