Freedom and the law

 The truck convoy to Ottawa has inspired me to point out the short sighted thinking involved that affects everyone.

Laws seem the opposite of freedom, but are they really?  A phrase learned as a youngster, "Your freedom ends at my nose."  In this modern age we recognize that we can be hurt by more than just a punch-we know about pollution, climate change, cigarette smoke, drunk drivers, shoddy construction, opioids  and viruses.  Consider there are also people who would like to cheat us and we all want protection against the many varieties of that effort.   Laws including mandates could be considered as regulations:  http://www.therealjohndavidson.com/2015/10/regulation-how-we-protect-ourselves.html

Early in our primitive history we appreciated that a strong man could pretty much get his way and in effect had the most freedom. However our ancestors, i.e. the ones that survived long enough to propagate realized there were common (less civilized) enemies, even more deadly than our strongest man.  Even the strongest man recognized he needed the support of those weaker.  Collective rights might not have been articulated in the early stages of our development, but in effect they were the mechanism that helped us survive.  In less civilized times viable Leaders might seem to be in charge, but only because others allow them to be:  http://www.therealjohndavidson.com/2014/07/selected.html

As mankind "advanced" some people did indeed become very powerful and could exploit others.   An historical example was King John in England, but he reached a limit when he wanted more money to go to war and was forced to accept the Magna Carta which was a critical step on the way to democracy.  Since then other men (and some women) have reached the heights of power usually by exploiting others.  

More recently wealthy elites have leveraged their resources to control  and exploit the masses.  The American political system depicts one example:  http://www.therealjohndavidson.com/2016/07/dark-money-by-jane-mayer.html

On the other hand there really is such a thing as "the tyranny of the majority."  Often progressive ideas are resisted by the status quo.  Misinformation or intimidation is used to get one's way.   

There is a need for a balance.  The majority should be respected, however should you disagree, by all means protest.  The majority needs to listen to the minority and evaluate their message.  In our current situation accurate information is vital.  If the anti vaxxers are adamant they are right they still need to respect the rights of the rest to protect ourselves and our loved ones.  Isolation seems the most logical option. 

Truck drivers play an important role in our economy and certainly are critical in our supply chain that is under stress.  I am a proud son of a trucker who thought a lot deeper than the convoy truck drivers.  http://www.therealjohndavidson.com/2012/06/remembering-my-father.html