Give Me Liberty or Give Me Death
By the Editorial Board
With the whimsy of summer behind us, and the crisp fall air beckoning the coziness of the Holiday season, millions of Americans have turned their attention to the holidays. However, rising rates of COVID-19 and state—imposed lockdowns are stifling those plans as the country holds on for FDA approval of the COVID-19 vaccine. The holidays are critical for seeing family, relaxing, and generally resetting as a nation. This year has been anything but normal; Thanksgiving, its traditions, and its food are a beacon of attempted normalcy. America needs the holiday season more than ever, and we cannot mentally or monetarily afford to go back into lockdown.
For two centuries, we sent our men into war to fight for the freedoms we take for granted today. Men flew across the world to fight for America, and many of them never returned home. When COVID-19 swept across our country, Americans were stripped of the fundamental freedoms and traditions our Constitution mandates. Our government told us we couldn’t go to church, we couldn’t see our family or friends, and we had no choice but to shut down our businesses. Americans stayed inside, hiding in fear, and sacrificed months of their lives to quarantine as the government shuttered our businesses and forced us into isolation. While there are vulnerable members of our population, and we need to support them in every way possible, we also have to acknowledge the economic, societal, and personal implications of locking our society down. To the vast majority of Americans— locking down does far more harm than good.
The CDC estimates the infection fatality rates are 0.00003% between the ages of 0-19 years, 0.0002% between the ages of 20-49 years, 0.005% between the ages of 50-69 years, and 0.054% for those over 70 years old. This is a free country, and it is essential that Americans are given the freedom to choose what is best for their lives. If a citizen feels as though they are in a higher risk group, they can choose to quarantine. However, Americans who face virtually no risk should never be forced into lockdown. When many Americans weigh the risks of their livelihoods and quality of life to the risk of COVID-19, the choice is clear on which is more deadly to them. It’s time we give Americans the freedom to make decisions for themselves. We need to end the lockdowns.
The reality is that lockdowns come with incredible collateral damage but appear to do little to prevent the spread of coronavirus over the long term. This is precisely why the World Health Organization reversed course in October and began advising nations to refrain from using them. “Lockdowns just have one consequence that you must never ever belittle, and that is making poor people an awful lot poorer,” Dr. David Nabarro, the WHO’s Special Envoy on COVID-19, observed. The long-term economic and social effects of locking down, from small businesses being crippled to mentally wearing out a population, do little for the long-term COVID outlook.
Our country is facing a mental health crisis of unprecedented scale. A crisis that is greatly exacerbated by lockdowns. More than 50% of young people are exhibiting signs of depression, suicide rates, divorce rates, and abuse have all skyrocketed during this pandemic. If the election and its subsequent fallout are any indications of the state our country is in, we’re dangerously divided. We need to get out of our homes, we need to see people, and we need to see our families. The leaves are falling, the snow will soon follow, as will the seasonal mood swings. This country, mentally, cannot afford to go back into lockdown
We also economically can’t afford to go back into lockdown. The pandemic and the ensuing recession permanently closed thousands of small businesses, while profits at big-box retailers and e-commerce sites ballooned. As 40 million American workers filed for unemployment, Jeff Bezos added more than $67 billion to his fortune. Lockdown policies, like those in New Mexico, allow big-box retailers to remain open while shutting the doors of small businesses. In a year that has seen unprecedented shocks to demand and revenue, local businesses are counting on a strong Black Friday and holiday season to stay afloat through the winter— with lockdowns, that becomes near impossible. Lockdown policies and stay-at-home orders force valuable buyers out of local businesses and into Amazon’s arms.
What’s worse is that our politicians haphazardly mandate lockdowns while ignoring their own orders. Gavin Newsom gave a lazy apology on Twitter for attending a birthday party at The French Laundry in Napa Valley. While Californians struggled to put food on the table and got fines for seeing their families and keeping their businesses open, Gavin Newsome dined at a restaurant that costs $350 a head (and that’s before wine). Pointing out that the rules should apply equally to politicians and citizens is far from controversial. Many Americans rightfully suspect that the lockdown orders are power grabs being used to undermine individual liberty. Why else would politicians impose them only to ignore them? Gavin is far from the only offender, Lori Lightfoot, Nancy Pelosi, and Gretchen Whitmer have all defied draconian measures they themselves implemented.
What is perhaps most concerning is the comfort many Americans are embracing this fundamental breach of liberty with. This country was founded with the spirit of Patrick Henry, bellowing, “Give me liberty or give me death.” As Americans, we should be free to choose what risks we do and do not take. This virus is severe, but it does not warrant the wanton breach of our most basic rights— especially when such a clear double standard is present. From Governors and politicians disobeying their own orders to the media covering for mass protests, their double-standard is a glaring example of why so many people are fed up with our state and local leadership. Liberty is our birthright as Americans, and we are forfeiting it for temporary “safety.” We may recover from the virus as a nation, but we may never recover our freedoms if this trend continues.
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