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Letter: land of the free? 

Letter to the editor paso robles daily news

To the editor,

–The last, and maybe most celebrated, line of our national anthem contains the phrase ‘Land of the free and home of the brave.’ This song was written over 200 years ago. We still sing it today. Early in our Declaration of Independence the framers called out certain “unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.” The first amendment of our Bill of Rights calls out “the right of the people peaceably to assemble.” Personal freedom and personal liberty are foundational elements of America. Unfortunately, we’ve recently lost our freedom, not by the hand of some foreign enemy, but by our own government. They control too much of our lives now.

There is no denying the seriousness of the coronavirus but the government’s preventive measures currently in place are wrong on principle, but also far too damaging economically and emotionally. The measures imposed on us by our government are causing immediate financial and emotional damage to many people.

I love our downtown area and support the local businesses. I’ve gotten to know some of business owners and employees. I know a married couple, one is a bartender and the other a local musician. They are missing out on their wages as well as tips. Two single moms I know are out of work. The lost income and the stress of not knowing when or if they will work again is an outrageous and unfair cost for them to pay. It’s a cost imposed on these people not by the virus, but by our own government. Let them get back to work if that’s what they choose to do.

Our state and local governments should continue to provide information on the virus and even guidelines, but taking away our liberty and our freedom is going too far. The government should restore our rights. I know that every time I step out of my house and go out into the world there are risks. I might catch a cold, get a virus, have rain fall on me. But it is my choice. It’s a choice we should all be free to make.

Marlon Pearson
Paso Robles


Editor’s note: Letters to the editor do not necessarily reflect the views of the Paso Robles Daily News or its staff. We welcome letters from local residents regarding relevant local topics. To submit, click here. 

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