Coronavirus protesters, if you want people to listen, ditch Alex Jones. And wear masks

A robust debate is under way about how to return to some level of normal economic activity as the worst of the coronavirus pandemic passes.

There are no easy answers. Tradeoffs abound. But here’s one absolute truth: If Alex Jones is your spokesman, you’re likely to lose the argument.

Jones, the nutty conspiracy theorist whose greatest hits include taunting families of Sandy Hook shooting victims, is from Texas and lives in Austin. (But we refuse to call him a Texan.) He was involved in a protest this weekend at the state Capitol demanding an end to stay-at-home orders.

The small protest — and other relatively tiny gatherings around the nation — drew attention over the weekend in part because they violate such orders and because attendants refused to honor recommendations on wearing masks and social distancing. Austin’s mayor called the protests “pretty selfish,” and that’s spot on.

And yet, under the layer of nuts, there is a perspective shared by millions of Americans, many of them Texans. It’s an understandable desire to find a proper balance between keeping the coronavirus outbreak in check and returning to work, social gatherings, school — simply put, life.

Many also see arbitrary exercises of government power, from telling people they can’t buy seeds for their gardens to using drones to police social distancing, and fear their liberties are being not just curtailed but violated. That’s a healthy reaction that comes from deep in the American spirit.

Making it political, though, is a mistake. For one thing, you turn off a huge number of people by taking actions in the name of your cause that others will see as threatening their safety. You’re more likely to persuade someone with your sign if they see you wearing a mask while carrying it.

And if you align with conspiracy theorists and those opposed to vaccines and other sound science? Best of luck.

It’s odd that in Texas these protests largely target Republican governance that has been careful — many would say too careful — of overreach. Gov. Greg Abbott has started down the road of re-opening the state cautiously. His new plan balances safety with the desire to get back to work.

And for the most part, enforcement here has been gentle. Fort Worth police have tried to persuade crowds to disperse. The excesses seen elsewhere have largely not materialized in Texas.

The truth behind our current moment is that the vast majority of people have made responsible decisions for themselves. Many began to stay home because they saw the need to protect themselves and others, not because government ordered it. Business closings certainly reinforce that, but individuals have largely made the right choices.

Government plans that slowly unwind the closures, while carefully monitoring the spread of COVID-19 and adjusting public life for the reality of social distancing, make sense.

Protests will continue — there’s another one set for Saturday at the Capitol. Civil disobedience in the defense of rights can be noble. But aligning with conspiracy theorists, anti-vaxxers and anyone with the noxious views of Alex Jones is counterproductive to the cause of protecting these liberties.