A simplification of a foundational concept of psychology is,

People change when it hurts bad enough

I also want to remind people of Hanlon’s razor

never attribute to malice that which is adequately explained by stupidity

With those two things in mind, let’s talk about freedom and responsibility. First we will separate freedom from license. Consider James Bond (007). He has a “license to kill.” So what is it that he has that is different from anyone else? He has the ability to terminate someone at his own discretion with no repercussion. Consider your license to drive. It gives you the ability to travel on motorways to the destination of your choice with no repercussion.

Obviously license is given to you by a licensing authority to have the ability to act without facing repercussion for the action for which you are licensed. There MAY be limiting factors AROUND the use of license (speed limit when using a motorway), but the fact you were using an automobile on a motorway is not a violation. WITHOUT license you are prohibited.

Freedom on the other hand is considered innate. It comes from “all persons being created equal…” (regardless of your position of a supernatural creation or a natural one). There is no licensing authority on a freedom. A freedom exists because you do.

So what about limitation? Are there limitations on freedoms? What happens when you walk into a movie theater and yell, “Fire!” And there isn’t one? You are exercising freedom of speech. People panic, run out out of the theater, some are trampled to death… but you have no responsibility right? That’s not your fault, right?

You take a loved one to the firing range. Both of you are there voluntarily shooting at targets, you turn and accidentally shoot them. There is no responsibility here for the injury or death because you were just exercising your freedom of, “keeping and bearing arms,” right?

My point is freedom is inseparable from responsibility. In some freedoms there is a responsibility to act (like voting). In some freedoms there is a responsibility to not act. In the separation of church and state clause you have a responsibility to not impede someone’s beliefs. However, is there a limitation to this?

Let’s look at the fourth amendment. This protects citizens against search and seizure? Is this protection against ALL search and seizure? No, it’s against unreasonable search and seizure.

Let’s go back to the first amendment. Are there limits to the freedoms there? Obviously yes. Defamation and slander to name two. What about the second amendment? Yes, there are limitations. You can not own a firearm if you are a felon or have a dishonorable discharge.

Two things are true. We accept limitations to freedoms and we accept that freedom comes with responsibility (freedom is not license). Why? Why do we accept this limitation? Because we understand the truism, “your freedoms end where mine begin,” AND the converse, “my freedoms end where yours begin.”

Where does this put vaccination? TLDR; get your shot, and STFU you coward. Expanded version? Regardless of your beliefs you do NOT have a right to imperil me or risk my life for the sake of your ignorance, cowardice, or convenience. Expanded further, just like I can’t walk in to a theater yelling, “Fire!” under the protection of freedom of speech, you CAN NOT skip out on getting the vaccine or mask mandates because of your belief (acceptance of claims without evidence) OR faith (acceptance of claims despite evidence) OR religion (the codification of belief and faith).

I’m tired of people demanding their inability to accept reality to play second fiddle to that which consistently comports to reality to the exclusion of all other possibilities (what we call evidence). No, I will not sit quietly while you demand the country go through another Dark Ages. No, I will NOT pretend that your belief, faith, or religion hold ANY validity regardless of HOW deeply held, while you cower behind it imperiling my wife and my children.

I’m calling out your beliefs of convenience that are more strongly based on the selfishness, narcissism, and egocentrism, of what you BELIEVE freedom to be, rather than what it is. Freedom is NOT an excuse for idiocy. Freedom is not an excuse for cowardice. Freedom is not an excuse for ignorance.

…Life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness

That’s the Declaration of Independence speaking. It’s in THAT ORDER for a reason. You CAN NOT have pursuit of happiness WITHOUT liberty. THAT IS TRUE. But it is NOT the ONLY truth.

YOU CAN NOT HAVE LIBERTY WITHOUT LIFE! Dead people have no freedoms. THE REASON freedom is fought for and people die for it is BECAUSE there is no difference between slavery and death. Slaves have nothing to lose by fighting for freedom.

Don’t call me a sheep while you are taking animal medications pretending that it is a better solution. You’re the only one acting with the intelligence of a barn yard animal.

WHAT ABOUT MY BODILY AUTONOMY?!?!?! Why don’t you accept that argument from women needing an abortion? Since you won’t accept that argument from them, violating Doctor patient confidentiality, and inserting yourself in a decision that not only has nothing to do with you, it’s already been legally decided by the Supreme Court, I won’t accept your hypocrisy in using it.

BUT THEY’RE KILLING BABIES!!!!! So is your ignorance, idiocy, and cowardice in not getting vaccinated. So no, I don’t accept this argument.

IT’S JUST THE PHARMACEUTICAL INDUSTRY MAKING MONEY!!! Because they make MORE money from the public getting two vaccine shots than they do from hundreds of thousands of multi week stays in an ICU? But that’s just the beginning. Many ICU patients die and family gets to pay. Pay for medical bills and pay for funeral expenses. That’s DEFINITELY cheaper than two FREE shots, right?

And you have NO rational, reasonable, logical argument. “I don’t wanna,” is the realm of toddlers. And I don’t care if you don’t want to.

I know the next TRUMPeting of a conspiracy is going to be, “oh noes, all the conservatives are dead cuz freedom required them to not get vaccinated and now the dead can’t vote…” so what? MOAR GERRYMANDERING! NO, BETTER, require a 3/5’s compromise under “the vaccinated are slaves to reality and we in our enlightened religion aren’t slaves and slaves only count as 3/5’s of a vote…”

Stop acting like an ass… horse… whatever, this isn’t “Animal Farm,” stop being a coward, grow up, put on your big girl panties on (whatever gender you claim), and get vaccinated.

Signed — An Army Veteran

Edit “But what about people that can’t get it for medical reasons?”

You mean people that HAVE a rational, reasonable, logical reason NOT to get vaccinated?