@Shop-et-al wrote:
Remember Benjamin Franklin? He once said: "Those who would give up essential Liberty, to purchase a little temporary Safety, deserve neither Liberty nor Safety."
This was issued in a different time, but the essential principal is the same.
Please do not throw tomatoes at this mask-wearing cynic/skeptic.
No tomatoes thrown.
I think I've said this before, but to repeat (maybe slightly modified): I think we also have to consider how values interact with each other.
Individual liberty is certainly an important value and I do think we can overstep its bounds by allowing government to control too much of our lives/decisions. But, equally important (to our founding fathers and many other moral systems), are a whole host of other values that can be implicated in everyday life, including:
safety (right to not be harmed)
privacy (no unreasonable searches, surveillance, etc.)
religious freedom
freedom of speech
private property
racial equality (obv. added later)
etc.
What happens when multiple rights/values interact in some situation? Does one take priority over the other(s)? I think sometimes it can and should. For example, safety often trumps other rights, but I think for good reasons.
Take freedom of speech. One cannot falsely yell "FIRE!" in a crowded theater, as that poses a safety hazard for crowded patrons, who may trample each other trying to find an exit. Likewise, you cannot use free speech to incite a riot or violence. When it comes to COVID masks, I think there is a similar principle: under normal circumstances, you should not be forced to wear a piece of clothing if you do not want to. But, if it is to protect against the spreading of a highly infectious and/or highly deadly virus (w/ implications on overwhelming the healthcare system), then safety comes first.
By the way, what do you think of seat belts? Are they an infringement upon our individual liberties? Why are they required? Most people wear them to protect themselves, but what if someone doesn't care and think they are a hassle to put on? Are the required by law, b/c you person without one may hurt others (like get ejected from the car and get hurled into someone/something)? I genuinely don't know, but am curious about it.
Lastly, would Benjamin Franklin's "essential liberties" include the right to not wear a face mask? Or, are those essential ones more like freedom of speech and religion?