Letter to the Editor - The macho man myth

Editor,

“This is a free country, so nobody can tell me to wear a face mask. I have the right to decide for myself whether I want to wear a face mask or get a COVID-19 vaccination.”  Right? Wrong! This macho man — or woman — attitude is wrong legally, morally and from a common-sense perspective.

The constitution guarantees everyone freedom of speech. However, this freedom is restricted. It does not confer the right to libel or slander others. Additionally, Supreme Court Justice Marshall stated that the Constitution does not bestow the right to stand up in a crowded theater and shout, “Fire, fire!”

The right to bear arms also has some restrictions. For example, the National Firearms Act of 1944 restricts the right of individuals to own short-barreled shot guns.

In the late 18th century, the Supreme Court ruled that an individual’s religious convictions could not be used to justify a behavior that was otherwise illegal. Judicial and legislative bodies at federal, state and local levels have issued numerous rulings and enacted countless laws that reasonably restrict some individual rights in all areas of our lives. They do this in order to protect society. These restrictions are the glue that molds us together. Unless all rights have reasonable restrictions for some of us, the rest of us can have no freedoms.

Each of us should feel an obligation to keep ourselves healthy and act with concern for the health of others. It would be unfortunate if a macho person’s right to avoid COVID-19 protective measures put that person’s health or death at risk. However, national experts have made it abundantly clear that an infected person puts at risk family members, close friends and even people they have never met. As more people become infected, an ever-growing number will become infected.  Should the macho person’s right to avoid protective measures outweigh the rights of hundreds of thousands of people not to become ill or die?

Finally, people whose thinking includes a measure of common sense realize that all rights and freedoms must be restricted. Acting otherwise would result in anarchy.

The nearly miracle vaccine will slowly, but surely, help everyone. In the meantime, each of us should actively demonstrate that we accept and follow the rules of our legal system. We must be morally concerned about the health and welfare of ourselves and others. Most importantly, we must use common-sense protective measures to maintain our own health and protect others.

Pat Tierney

Havre