If anything could have annoyed us more, it was those damn demonstrators in Ottawa and at border crossings, waving the Canadian flag. These people were not respecting the flag nor the country it represents. It made the wife and I angry to see it.
At the same time, we tried to respect their rights. It is hardly difficult to suggest that they were absolutely wrong in why they objected to being vaccinated. We did not care if they got vaccinated to protect themselves. We wanted them to get vaccinated to protect the rest of us. We wanted them to wear a mask properly to protect the rest of us. Our country’s freedom does not give them the right to spread disease.
Our Charter of Rights and Freedoms starts out by saying that it is reasonable rights that are guaranteed. If we go to war against an armed enemy or an enemy such as a highly contagious disease, we may have to restrict some individual rights. If you want to be friendly with a country in armed conflict with us, you can be locked away from society for the duration of the conflict. Be thankful though. In some countries you could be shot. People who refuse to be vaccinated or to wear a mask can only be shunned or forbidden entry to places that observe a mask or vaccine mandate.
In this durance vile of an ongoing, seemingly endless, pandemic, I hate wearing a mask. They drive me crazy and I wear them anyway. It is like the courtesy of making sure your fly is zipped. As much as you might like the cooling breeze, you are considerate of others.
And that is what freedom really means. We are not alone on our island. We extend the olive branch of freedom to others. We expect the same olive branch in return.
Freedom is certainly not the right to block others from their free movement. It is not the right to have some foolish notion that you can dictate your concept of freedom without recognizing that others share their freedoms with you. All you have to do is respect the rights of others and they will respect yours.
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Copyright 2022 © Peter Lowry
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