Do you like to be free to choose?
NOTE: I tried to add an image or two but kept getting a CODE 500 error ☹️
I'm going to do something different in this article since it is all about choice. There are two versions of the article. The one that I wrote and the one that AI "cleaned up". I'll also include the messy : I wrote this version. One is shorter and tighter. Plus it does a pretty good job of stating my thoughts. The other one is absolutely me. However, it is much much longer at 1500 words. Which is more important? My right to write whatever I want OR your right to a shorter article that takes less time to read?
Jump to vaccination section
first time using a link to a lower place in the article. Don't know if it will work
You are free to choose 😃
The AI sanitized version
True freedom doesn't work in society
We love the idea of freedom.
“Do what you want.”
“My body, my choice.”
“No one tells me what to do.”
Sounds great… until you try to live in a society.
Because here’s the reality:
Society only works with rules. Like it or not.
Rules vs Freedom (Canada, Philippines, Singapore)
As a Canadian, I grew up hearing “the true north strong and free.”
And to be fair, Canada does a decent job of balancing things.
Compared to other places I’ve been?
Philippines
- Laws exist
- Enforcement is inconsistent
- Some people follow them, some don’t
- Feels more free… and more chaotic
Singapore
- Laws are strict
- Enforcement is consistent
- Break them and you’ll feel it
- Feels more controlled… but very orderly
Canada sits somewhere in the middle.
We follow the rules… as long as they seem fair, reasonable, and applied evenly.
That balance is the key.
What freedom actually means
Freedom isn’t the absence of rules.
It’s the ability to live your life within a system that lets everyone else do the same.
If there are no rules:
- the strong dominate the weak
- agreements mean nothing
- safety disappears
That’s not freedom. That’s survival of the fittest.
So real freedom looks more like this:
You can be who you want to be—without taking that same freedom away from someone else.
Which leads to a simple idea:
Your freedom will always create limits for someone else.
The goal isn’t “no limits.”
The goal is reasonable limits.
When “my choice” affects you
Now we get to preventive care.
This is where people draw a hard line:
“My body. My choice.”
And I get it.
No one likes being told what to put into their body.
But here’s the issue:
Some personal choices aren’t actually personal.
Vaccination is the obvious example.
If you choose not to vaccinate:
- you might get sick
- but more importantly, you might spread it
And not to people like you.
To:
- infants
- elderly
- immunocompromised
People who don’t get to choose.
The uncomfortable trade-off
So now we have a conflict:
- Your right to refuse treatment
vs - Someone else’s right to stay healthy
And both are real rights.
But they don’t coexist perfectly.
If your decision increases risk to others, then your “freedom” is no longer contained to just you.
That’s where society steps in.
My take
I don’t believe in forcing everything.
But I do believe this:
If a preventive measure clearly protects others, not just yourself, then society has a right to push for it—even if that limits individual choice.
Not blindly.
Not without evidence.
Not without weighing risk.
But when the benefit is clear?
I’ll side with the system that protects the most people.
Final thought
People like to say:
“Don’t infringe on my freedom.”
Fair enough.
But that goes both ways.
Your freedom doesn’t include the right to put others at risk.
That’s not control.
That’s the cost of living in a society.
⬇️ ORIGINAL VERSION BELOW ⬇️
True freedom doesn't work in society
My Original Voice version
...The true north strong and free...
If you don't know that quote up above about the true north strong and free it is actually part of the Canadian national anthem. As a Canadian I truly value freedom but Canadians are also known for the "Rule of Law".
In Canada we typically trust the government, we trust the police, we trust the institutions and we follow the rules. Mostly. Compared to other countries I've been in?
Philippines:
- Laws exist. Police enforce them. But enforcement isn't uniform, bribes happen, and some people seem immune while foreigners seem to get hit with every single one.
Singapore
- Laws exist. Break them at your peril. Enforcement is strict and stern. Right now there is a French teenager facing 2 years in jail. "For licking a straw". Okay, its a bit more than that. He licked a straw from a public juice machine, then put it back with clean ones. Plus he posted it online. Check the article here if you like.
There are huge differences between the two countries so saying one system is good and the other is bad would be grossly misinformed. However, I can say that the Philippines feels somewhat more free and chaotic while Singapore feels somewhat more constrained but also more orderly.
Canada? I'd put it somewhere in the middle. When I asked ChatGPT I liked its response:
We’ll follow the rules… as long as they seem fair, reasonable, and applied evenly
What freedom really means
To me freedom doesn't mean a lack of rules. It means rules that keep society running orderly while allowing me to be the person I want to be.
What freedom's does Canada state in our constitution?
- Freedom of religion
- Freedom of thought, belief, opinion, and expression
- Freedom of peaceful assembly
- Freedom of association
With the right to
- Fair legal system
- Equality
- Vote
- Mobility
It does NOT mean that I get to do whatever I want. Some people hate that society puts restrictions on them and pick and choose what restrictions they think are reasonable.
Restrictions in society
In general the reason for creating restrictions at all is because MY freedom shouldn't interfere with YOUR freedom. I would argue that in a functioning society laws exist so that each individual can be as free as possible without infringing on the freedom of someone else.
I'll look to the "Ten Commandments" from the Bible as fairly universally accepted restrictions. Feel free to disagree if you like but...
ONE) Don't kill people.
Sure a co-worker, customer, or random stranger might be really annoying but you can't kill them no matter how much you want to. Your freedom to remove a stressor doesn't override their right to live.
TWO) Don't steal.
Just because you really want a nice car you can't claim someone else's keys as your own. Your desire doesn't override their right to own something.
THREE) Don't lie / cheat
Sure it is way more convenient to lie and get what you want. However, your desire to get what you want doesn't override someone else's right for an honest deal. If contracts aren't trustworthy business breaks down.
FOUR) You can't just take any mate you want.
Just because someone is attractive doesn't mean you can automatically have them. You aren't free to take anyone you want as that would impinge on their freedom of choice.
I hope that is all really obvious
Without rules there is chaos. Without rules the powerful impose their will on the weak.
A society is only truly free when one person's freedom doesn't limit another person's freedom any more than is necessary to maintain order.
Sure those are only my words and thought but I think they make sense.
But what if its MY body?
Hive Learners has asked about preventative care. Now my mom is a strong Anti-Vaxxer. She firmly believes that the COVID vaccine was being administered by the government to kill the elderly.
I also had a cousin who had absolutely no desire to vaccinate either of her children as she worried about potential issues with the immunization.
As a Pharmacist I see people coming in to get abortion pills and I've seen medication go out to be administered to actively end someone's life.
Who is right? Who is wrong? How about benefits VS risk? How about limits on freedom and control over your own body?
Thorny Questions to be sure.
- My mom's refusal to get vaccinated
The whole COVID thing was awful. People understand laws but when it comes to actually administering something into their body? They drew the line. No matter how small the risk their body was their own and how dare someone violate it. I understand that. However I also understand that one unvaccinated person could infect many others.
For example: A healthy 25 year old male. Very unlikely to succumb to COVID and chooses NOT to be vaccinated. Sure he could get sick and recover so why bother? Except if HE is sick and sees a dozen elderly people? His choice could endanger, sicken or even kill a number of those people.
In my eyes one person's freedom is infringing on a lot of other people's freedom.
I absolutely am in favor of vaccination ... With a caveat. I want concrete proof that the vaccination is effective. I want concrete proof that the danger is real. I want concrete proof that the risk of the vaccine is far less than the risk of infection.
And YES there is a risk with every vaccination. Just like EVERY medication in the pharmacy has potential risks associated with them. As a pharmacist only give a medication when the risk is worth the benefit. Only give the vaccine in the same way.
- My cousins vaccinating her children
I could post the same idea behind vaccinating children so that the very small risk to one child saves all the children from debilitating or fatal illnesses. For my cousin that risk became evident very quickly when she moved to Guinea. She worked with sick children and saw the diseases that were preventable ravaging them. Once she knew the risk? Her children were vaccinated very quickly.
In Canada the risk was more "It won't happen to my children because everyone else is vaccinated" but in Guinea it was "this is a real threat" it changed her viewpoint overnight.
I've seen the medical documentation of the old diseases. Look up smallpox and it becomes very obvious why it is so important it was eradicated! I've had chicken pox and would NEVER wish that on my children. I've seen people who suffered with polio (yes I'm that old) and the simple fact that I haven't seen it in decades is proof to me that it works.
In my eyes an individual's right to not vaccinate impinges on another child's right to be healthy. I would choose vaccination again with a few possible medical exceptions.
- A woman's right to abortion
Ok. I'm really not wanting to go here so I'll only touch it briefly. Many women argue it is their right to choose what to do with their body. Others argue that the baby has the right to continue living. A mother and baby are closely linked and there are many other factors involved. It's messy and debatable so I'll leave this one to a different (much longer) discussion.
- A person's right to die.
This one is tougher. Is a person free to choose the date of their death? By my definition a person should be free to choose as long as it doesn't encroach on another person's freedom. Assume someone has limited time left, a very poor quality of life, and limited social interactions. Will their death be an imposition on another person's freedom? I would have to answer: Quite possibly not.
So should it be allowable?
Tough call. I took an oath to give no deadly drug so how do I feel when I see medication going out ... knowing the person will be dead by noon? Honestly? Awful. I value their freedom to choose but at the same time believe that life is precious. What does it say about a society when it says "You can end your life whenever you want".
Again.. a quagmire I'm not going to discuss here. However. I love freedom but I love a well running society with rules the protect life. Tough call.
But there is another wrinkle
How about life saving blood transfusions? Some religions do not allow transfusions as their statues say "You must not drink blood" and interpret that infusions as drinking blood. Do you allow them to refuse treatment that can save their life because of their religious beliefs? Again they should have the freedom to choose and it likely isn't infringing on another person's freedom. But again... should society be protecting life at all costs?
Still a quagmire question.
Back to the Hive Learner prompt
Yes. Forcing vaccinations and disease prevention infringes on a person's rights. Babies getting vaccinations? Infringing on their rights and the parents rights. However, for vaccinations where there is clearly more benefit than risk? I'll side with societies health and my right to stay healthy in it over another person's right to choose.
And as always feel free to disagree. I get criticism from my mom all the time and welcome respectful comments. Thanks for reading.