In early March 2020, when the United States was just recognizing the seriousness of the COVID-19 pandemic, I got a text from my college-aged son late one night. At its core was a rumor that America was about to undergo martial law, thus allowing military decisions to take the place of existing laws. My son told me that he heard it from a friend he’s known since kindergarten. My son’s friend said the alert came to him from his dad, who is a firefighter and first responder. The first part of the text I got indicated that the National Guard, the U.S. military, and all first responders were going to be deployed to help enforce the quarantine. After reading only a few lines, I immediately forwarded it to my sister.