Local leaders have used freedom as an argument against mask mandates. While I agree that masks are unpleasant, I don’t agree that they infringe on the freedoms granted to me in the U.S. Constitution. Using that terminology in opposition to a widely accepted public health recommendation is a disservice to our community.

As Union County Sheriff Cody Bowen knows, unchecked freedom is chaos. His job is to uphold law and order, and these are achieved by limiting freedom to a narrower band in which our lives are more predictable and safe. Laws, rules and mandates provide a protected space in which we can enjoy our rights to self-expression, community and enterprise. In this country, freedom has never been carte blanche to do anything we want. We accept this limited version of freedom because, for the most part, it gives more than it takes away.

It is often said in times of war that “freedom isn’t free” — freedom costs money, human life and constant vigilance to uphold. Here, in the war against a deadly and highly contagious virus, freedom is equally expensive. Either it will cost our community more lives, personal suffering, medical debt and stress to small business, or it will cost each of us the discomfort of wearing a mask. Either way, it won’t be free.

In America, freedom is a set of mutually beneficial limitations, and it always has a price. I hope our leaders will acknowledge that masks are the cheaper way to uphold freedom in our COVID-19 world.

Sarah West

Cove