Liberty or Safety?

Liberty or Safety?

Benjamin Franklin’s original quote was “Those who would give up essential Liberty, to purchase a little temporary Safety, deserve neither Liberty nor Safety.”

We are now in a continuing dialogue, which, it seems like almost everything of importance in our country, has become partisan.  Should we open the country and risk more lives being lost to the continuing pandemic, or should we remain shut in and risk economic disaster, not to say loss of lives from continued confinement?

The political left has taken what they deem the “safe” position – keep the country shut down until the danger from Covid-19 passes, or until a vaccine is available, or, coincidentally, until after the presidential election, and Trump is defeated for the dire economic consequences of the country’s economy being shut down.  Leftist extremists, like Governor Whitmer of Michigan, have imposed draconian, totalitarian executive rules, in defiance of Michigan’s legislature, worthy of the worst dictators.  “Narcing” and police action against joggers, park-goers and swimmers is encouraged.  Other states have taken less drastic steps, but still restrict freedoms that are guaranteed in the Bill of Rights, for the sake of what they define as “safety”.  The overarching theme of what some deem to be fascist moves by leftist governors is the classic old liberal saw, “we know what’s best for you and your well-being”, so acquiesce to whatever rules we impose, obey our dicta by sheltering in place and keep the country shut down.

The right-wing view is that “all of these rules infringe on our freedoms and liberties which are guaranteed by the Constitution and Bill of Rights”.  “It should be up to us how much risk we are willing to assume by leaving confinement and opening up the country”.  Again, the extreme here is corrupting peaceful assemblies and demonstrations by brandishing swastika type signs and carrying AR-15’s.  Responsible opposition takes the form of a Dallas hair salon owner risking jail to oppose a dictatorial district court judge, to Elon Musk opening his Tesla plant in defiance of another dictatorial leftist California shutdown rule.  

There will always be extremes and bad actors on both sides of any issue, particularly one as charged as this one.  No matter what guidance the Trump administration and their scientific and medical advisers propose, and what the governors of the states, impose, there will be loud yowls and editorials, particularly against Trump and any republican governors who have made decisions.  Democrats, of course, will be given a pass, or afforded gobs of praise.  Such is the overwhelming leftist bias of most of our mainstream media. (Wall Street Journal, National Review, Fox News and a few others thankfully excepted).

For most of us in our Covid-19 mandated ovine pens, we are slowly starting to return to some degree of normalcy.  We might be able to get a haircut or visit a beauty salon.  Maybe have a “socially distanced” sit-down meal at a restaurant?  For those of us that are lucky enough to be working at “essential” jobs, some of us are “telecommuting”.  Others are working in hospitals or food supply or defense or health-oriented industries.  30 million Americans are currently unemployed, with some being kept whole (or nearly so), by government financial assistance, which is sporadic and not always timely.   What is so sad to see are the long lines at food banks all over the country.  This is reminiscent of the old socialist and communist regimes of Soviet Russia and China and third world countries, in the twentieth century.

Because of the contagious and virulent and transmissible nature of this novel corona virus, nearly all of the world’s experts told us to mitigate the spread by essentially shutting down virtually all social and economic activity.  We have responsibly (and some say, ovinely), done this for two months now, and it is clearly evident, even to the most vigorous left-wing democrat, that we cannot continue the shutdown, or the world may never recover.  We need to open back up, if necessary, safely, cautiously, in stages as outlined by the federal government scientific and medical advisers.  We need to protect our elderly population, since the virus makes this demographic the highest risk.  But we have to open up, and to be aware that the virus will continue, no matter what we do, until we find a vaccine or vaccines to stop it.

In the last national crisis, when terrorists destroyed the twin towers in Manhattan, we downplayed our partisan politics and were all Americans for a while, in the aftermath.  Would it not be great be during this national emergency pandemic, if we could set aside the “hate Trump” and socialist rhetoric and congressional actions on the one side, and put down our AR-15’s and anti-government symbols on the other side, and all of us, be Americans again?

Ray Gruszecki

May 16, 2014