Joshua Munroe’s explanation of positive and negative liberty should be required reading for every citizen (“Local View: Wearing a mask is an expression of liberty,” The Columbian, Aug. 9). In its simplest terms, it says that every citizen has rights but also has responsibilities. Unfortunately, a lot of people have either forgotten this or choose to ignore it.
“Freedom isn’t free” has become a trite saying in the past few years but it’s true whether or not you wear a mask. If you’re wearing a mask, it’s a bit inconvenient but it’s the right thing to do. If you’re not wearing a mask, you may be leaving death and destruction in your wake and not even know it. You can shirk your responsibilities in other ways: not voting, not completing the census form, not serving on a jury, etc. But these are minor in comparison to spreading the pandemic and killing others. If you’re not wearing a mask, you might as well be an ISIS terrorist, because you don’t care about your fellow Americans. Please, wear a mask, save lives, and help open up the economy again.
