Letter to the editor: Leaders seem oblivious to public's personal freedom to shop elsewhere

Posted

Josh VanGelder and Tricia Davis (candidates for Battle Ground City Council) have a point, promoting a city ordinance to prevent outside health care mandates on the basis of personal freedom.

Personal freedom is of course important. The ability to move around freely and make our own choices is basic to our way of life. Also fundamental to our current condition is that we no longer live in small isolated groups. We live in communities. Communities that are getting packed closer and closer together. In this environment, freedom is divided into two realms, the personal and the communal, with the latter taking priority when a general threat occurs (requiring an effort to provide for the general well being.) This wider approach is only effective if based on real data and experience, and a coordinated strategy with a majority willingness to work together.

If Josh and Tricia are sincere in their devotion to right-side thinking, then they should also consider mandating the elimination of stop signs and speed limit signs (definite obstructions to personal freedom.)



In the meantime, whether true or not, Battle Ground is being portrayed as a place run by rednecks where the bug has its own freedom to roam about, and whose leaders seem oblivious to the public’s personal freedom to shop elsewhere.

Ron Pulliam,

Ridgefield