Freedom or Security

To the Editor:

Much of the arguments we hear today are split into two sides: those that want freedom, and those that want security from the government. I think we may all argue that it is the government’s job to do both provide freedom and security but these two can collide and infringe on each other, forcing us to ask which should have precedence. Should the government guarantee our freedom to the point of self-endangerment, or guarantee our security to the point of having no freedom?

This question was raised again when Texas ended its mask mandate and allowed businesses to function at full capacity. The state of Texas chose to give its citizens the freedom to make their own decisions concerning masks and restrictions.

Security is a good thing. We all want to be safe, and expect our government to protect us. But how are we protected, and from what are we protected?

The government offers protections by restricting us. The government offers security by growing bigger. It infiltrates society to do so, and in the name of our security gets more of a say in our lives and decisions. Soon, our security comes at the loss of our freedom, and we will find ourselves surrounded by government on all sides. Security from government means being told how to run your business, raise your family, take your chances, perform your job, and live how you see fit It places you inside four padded walls, and tells you to take a seat. You are safe, surrounded by the government You can’t do anything unless it says so, but you are safe.

This type of security is dangerous. I am afraid of it The more government restricts, the more government grows. The more it grows, the greater power it will have over us, the more control. If it can mandate me to wear a mask and hide indoors, why can it not mandate me to have a certain job, live in a certain state, put my children in a certain school? Why can’t it control my every move in the name of my security?

Governments are not the ultimate source of wisdom and authority. They are made of people—people that can make mistakes, that can take advantage of others, and desire pearr. They are not infallible. Time and time again, governments have failed to uphold the people and have only protected those in pm/a—America is not an exception to that rule. The more power a government has, the more tempting it is for men to take advantage of it.

But freedom seems dangerous. With freedom people make their own decisions. Good decisions. Bad decisions. All without the great wisdom of the government forcing them one way or the other. These choices can be stupid. Dangerous. Ill-advised But they are our choices.

America fought for freedom for a reason. They believed that government was dangerous, and the way to protect the people from it was to restrict government and free the people—not the other way around. Freedom is not just a right we have, but a wall we hide behind. So long as we have control of our own choices, the government does not If, in the name of security, the government can restrict us, then who is to say our lives, our liberty, and our happiness cannot be swept away too, all in the name of ‘security?’ Freedom is our security.

And, even if freedom didn’t protect us, I would rather make my own decisions, be they stupid or wise. And so, I support those that will continue to wear masks. I support those that will not open their businesses to full capacity. I support those who will not wear a mask, and who will open their businesses to full capacity. I support it because it is their choice—it is their freedom to do so.

We are offered two choices. One is security: life in a ‘safe’ cell. The second is freedom: risk in a free world. I support the second, mask on or off.

Karlee Kelly

Muldoon