A commenter asks an excellent question: what can we do about the many attacks on liberty from the unscientific promoters of lockdowns and mandates over the last 14 months? Billions of people worldwide haver suffered during these times because of these assaults on liberty. What can we do about it now and what can we do about preventing these attacks in the future?
Each person has to decide for him or herself what to do. The reality is that if you take a strong stand on issues like these you will get endless abuse from “friends” and family members and co-workers, among others. You will be unpopular with all kinds of people, so you must accept that from the beginning. Here are my suggestions.
1)Believe in the restored Gospel of Jesus Christ and modern-day prophets. Jesus will eventually come and heal all wounds, and modern-day prophets will guide us through difficult times. I cannot over-emphasize how much peace I got from April General Conference and the messages from prophets at conference.
2)Know that standing up for other peoples’ liberty is always the right thing to do, even if many of them will not appreciate it at the time. I have been against the lockdowns and the mandates from the beginning, and this made me extremely unpopular with many people, including “friends” and family and co-workers, but in the last few weeks several people have come back to me to sheepishly admit I was right from the beginning. You will always be on the right side if you stand up for liberty.
3)Speak out on blogs and social media, in addition to making your voice heard in private conversations. Do not be argumentative. Know that you will be abused, but don’t get into heated arguments, just put forward your viewpoints and don’t allow yourself to be suckered into lengthy harangues in person or on-line. Just keep on saying you are in favor of individual liberty and keep on showing the science that is on your side. Realize that many commenters will be difficult to convince, but your job is not to convince the trolls and the fanatics on the other side — your job is to keep on saying the truth and reaching the undecideds while giving new arguments to people who may be on your side.
4)Consider running for local political offices (see the post from Lattertarian on how to speak at local meetings). There are an increasing number of liberty-minded people who have been inspired to run for school boards, city council, state house or state senate or even Congress because of the leadership of Ron Paul and other proponents of liberty. You could be one of these people.
5)Don’t be discouraged. There are other people out there who are in favor of liberty, and you give strength to others by not backing down. One of the interesting things that has happened in the last two weeks is that when people see the one guy (or woman) in the store without a mask they starting saying to themselves that maybe they will be brave enough not to wear a mask. Liberty is contagious, and courageous people standing up for freedom will inspire others.
These are my ideas. I am open to other ideas that people may want to put forward specifically on the subject of: “why did so many people allow their liberty to be taken away in the last year, and what can we do about it to prevent this to happen in the future?”
Your job is not to convince…
Your job is to keep saying the truth…and give new arguments…
I can wrap my brain around that.
You do your job well, Geoff.
Thank you.
Over half the people in our local stores have not worn masks for the past 2 months. The greeters at the grocery stores who had been diligently handing out masks through the winter had stopped even looking at many customers.
Stores that enforced the corporate mask policy would lose too much business. I live in the suburbs of a medium sized city. The city mayor lifted the mask mandate a few weeks ago. One reason was that city tax revenue was down, while the nearby suburbs were up where masks were not required.
I kind of like what they’re doing in France: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yUowa6-JFXM
But I think your suggestions are actionable and sensible and much needed. Thank you!
EC, yes, I saw that. Awesome.
Geoff, all good ideas. However, one must begin to share the concepts of liberty and the gospel before the crisis. When people get swept up in a fervor is not the time to begin teaching about liberty.
That is why so many people are being abused for believing in liberty.
I am against government mandates. That is where our liberty is at threat.
That said, private companies have a right to determine policy. If we choose to enter the premises, then we are obliged to follow their policy. Period.
Free speech regards government intervention, as does freedom of religion. So it is with private companies and homes. If you come into my home, expect to follow my rules: no smoking, drugs, nor drinking. If I choose to have all wear masks, then that is my policy.
If we enter an establishment and ignore or rebel against the rules, then WE are the problem. If Walmart tells us to wear a mask – then wear a mask. Don’t turn those following the rules into the bad guys. They aren’t.
It is the same concept as with the Jan 6 assault on the Capitol. Daily, people enter into the Capitol peacefully and follow its rules. No problem. However, on one day, a bunch of idiots that thought they were following their liberty ransacked the place. They refused to follow the rules, pretending it was their liberty.
There is a difference between liberty and licentiousness. There’s a difference between the American Revolution and the French Revolution, where one ended in liberty and the other in the Great Terror.
We need to teach true liberty and the responsibility that comes with it. If you own a business and call for no masks, good on you, for exercising your liberty. However, when in another’s house, follow their rules.
Otherwise, we all risk losing liberty. When some abuse the rules, we all pay for it in a loss of liberty. This is why government seeks to limit speech, religion, protest, and 2A rights. It only takes a few abusing the rules of liberty (do not infringe on other’s rights), to cause an outcry.
And that’s why there are so many ready to shame those who do not wear masks.
Again, Liberty has to be taught, along with the responsibilities of Freedom, prior to a crisis. People need to follow the rules of liberty and not fall into licentiousness in order to preserve liberty.
Good to see Pennsylvania work to prevent emergency orders from the governor. We need a lot more of this:
https://www.westernjournal.com/state-residents-rip-back-power-governor-enact-two-constitutional-amendments-keep-covid-power-grab-ever-happening/
Hey thanks for the shoutout, Geoff. It’s time for everybody to get more active in their local community. The future is local, and good people *must* get into those local electoral arenas. It takes work, but it’s critical work.
Thanks for speaking up for liberty, Geoff. And I second the admiration for the French in the video E.C. posted. It was very cheering.