LETTER: Free speech means freedom to call out bad opinions – St. Albert Today

"Someone can reserve their right to an opinion, but I reserve my right to call that opinion the garbage that it is."

Freedom of speech is a beautiful thing. It allows each person to express their ideas freely, without fear of reprisal. What doesnt it do? Protect us from having another person call our ideas garbage! (If a group, corporation or government did so, that might be considered censorship another story).

So, loosely in response in to Kelly Kerrs Aug. 12 letter, No one deserves to be personally attacked for writing an opinion, I agree with the statement of avoiding personal attacks when writing or responding to a letter. However, in regards to mask-wearing, a lot of people who may be fine, upstanding citizens otherwise have very dumb opinions!

Dumb opinions are open to being called out at any time, but are especially vulnerable when it comes to this respiratory pandemic. Almost everyone can wear a mask to no ill effect. Oxygen levels dont deplete. You dont re-inhale carbon dioxide. Its not an affront to human rights.

Compare two other well-known failsafes in our society: vaccines and seatbelts. There is an extremely small number of people who really, really, really cannot have a vaccine. So the rest of us vaccinate to help give that person protection they wouldnt otherwise have. There is, however an increasing number of people who refuse to vaccinate, even though they can do so safely. This behaviour should be pointed out for the reckless one that it is! Compare it to seatbelts. Would any of us accept the argument: I dont need to wear a seatbelt ... I know better. My Body, My Choice!? Well, it sounds silly doesnt it? If a person crashes their car, flies out of the seat, and that car continues on to run someone else over, it was only their body now, was it?

To compare to vaccination, there is an infinitesimally small number of people who shouldnt be forced to wear a mask, even though it probably wouldnt hurt. However, there is, again, that increasing number of people who are sheep to use their own words against them and believe any content they read online, and think they shouldnt wear a mask. Who are the sheep? The ones who read, and parrot word for word, alternative slop from crummy, easily-debunked websites, or the ones who understand and respect science?

Someone can reserve their right to an opinion, but I reserve my right to call that opinion the garbage that it is. May freedom of speech persist!

Damon Davies, St. Albert

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LETTER: Free speech means freedom to call out bad opinions - St. Albert Today