Endangering other peoples’ lives not a Charter right

By Lethbridge Herald Opinion on May 12, 2021.

One of the most important things I’ve learned from COVID is that there are two types of people in this world: those who believe in doing what’s best for everyone even if it means personal sacrifice, and those who see their own inconvenience as unacceptable no matter what.
My parents grew up in England and their generation remembers having to turn out the lights every night for fear of bombs being dropped on their homes. Black-out shades on the windows, lights out, all done to save their lives and their neighbours while living in fear every night that they would be the target of a deadly attack. None of them complained about their rights being infringed upon, they thought of the steps they had to take to save their lives and lives of those around them. Everyone did what they had to for the greater good. Imagine leaving your lights on because you “deny the bombs are real.”It seems crazy doesn’t it, but it’s happening today.
“Show me the evidence” the signs say. Look no further than the obits in this paper. I really wish you could walk into the ICU unit at our local hospital and see what it looks like when someone is on intubation. Fortunately, the hospital security won’t let you in as a way of saving you from yourself.
By making the choice to deny or ignore the reality we face today, you are choosing to endanger your life and the lives of people around you. Every day is another bombing raid by the COVID virus, every day we have choices to make about balancing our “rights” versus the well-being of ourselves and those around us.
Nowhere in our Canadian Charter of Rights does it say you have the right to endanger the lives of your fellow citizens.
The Charter does say, in Section 7, that we have the right to life, liberty and security of the person and the right to not be deprived thereof except in accordance with the principles of fundamental justice. Does it not seem to say that all lives and the security of those lives should be protected? Section 9 says “Everyone has the right to not be arbitrarily detained or imprisoned.” Arbitrarily? There is nothing arbitrary about COVID and the threat it imposes. I would venture to say most of the people waving their “rights” have never read the Canadian Charter. If they had they would realize they are talking without basis, another one of those social media myths “I heard this so I’ll repeat it and therefore it’s true” based on nothing more than fear of reality.
March with your signs, don’t get vaccinated, deny all you want but the facts won’t change – we are in this for way too long already.
As long as a small percentage of our population leaves a light on during the bombings, we will be in it for a lot longer, too. Seriously, wearing a mask and social distancing are infringements on your rights? Try hiding in your home, lights out, waiting for a bomb to drop. Have your modern day temper tantrums all you want but turn out the lights please.