Freedom. It’s a word that has become quite controversial of late here in Canada. In 2022, freedom has become the rallying cry of a vocal minority who feel it appropriate to deface our flag, make public threats against our prime minister, and attempt to overthrow our democratically-elected government.

Today’s Simple Living Sunday post offers a perspective on freedom and individual rights.

A hero is someone who understands the responsibility that comes with his freedom.

Bob Dylan

Three simple pleasures and highlights

Continuing my practice of celebrating the simple things in life, here are three simple pleasures and highlights of the last week.

• Last weekend, we had my mum and my sister over for a barbecue.
• The Toyota dealership called. We finally get the new car we ordered in May next week! I’m grateful that our old car made it through the summer with my daughter driving it to work every day.
• After several busy weeks, I had my first “regular” Friday off in over a month this week. It was a good opportunity to get some errands and chores done, and I even had a chance to do a little reading.

This week’s simple living focus: On freedom and individual rights

Tomorrow, August 29, is Individual Rights Day, named for John Locke, an English philosopher and political theorist from the 1600s.

Contrary to what you might think given the day named in his honour, Encyclopaedia Britannica reports Locke to be the father of modern liberalism. His writings on the three basic freedoms of life, liberty and property support the importance of a social contract between individuals, and tolerance for others.

Pandemic-fuelled political unrest

History is filled with horrific examples of individuals and entire populations being stripped of their individual rights. It’s one of the things that makes the current “freedom” movement in Canada so puzzling to me.

In an earlier reflection on freedom and pandemic life, I discussed how the sacrifices of the pandemic paled in comparison to those made by our parents and grandparents during the war years.

Yet, the longer the pandemic dragged on, the angrier people became about their individual freedom being taken away. Our democratically-elected government has been called a dictatorship, and personal threats have been made against our prime minister. These “freedom fighters” claim to represent the silent majority, yet I have to wonder where that majority was during the 2021 federal election because the outcome didn’t reflect their extreme right-wing views.

Freedom isn’t about getting your own way

Compared to some of the atrocities committed around the world throughout history, our government is far from a dictatorship.

I have often said that the public health decisions governments at all levels were forced to make during the pandemic were a no-win situation for any politician. Sadly, it’s all too easy to point fingers and criticize when you’re not the one being held accountable.

Over two years into the pandemic, I remain grateful for the freedoms I enjoy as a Canadian citizen. At no time in the last two and a half years have I felt I was being asked to do anything unreasonable. Our restrictions may have been harsher than some other countries, but we also had a lower death rate than many countries.

As a human being and citizen of the world, I feel I have a responsibility to others. My right to freedom doesn’t override another’s right to be safe and secure. I chose to follow public health guidelines not because I’m a brainless sheep (as some would have you believe), but out of care and respect for people like my elderly mother, people living in congregate care settings, and the frontline workers struggling to make ends meet.

For to be free is not merely to cast off one’s chains, but to live in a way that respects and enhances the freedom of others.

Nelson Mandela

I recognize that others made different choices and had to live with the consequences of those choices. Call me a left-wing liberal if you like but, in my opinion, the ability to make those choices is what freedom is all about.

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To do this week

At this point in my Sunday post, I usually provide three things to do this week related to the theme. This week, I leave you with one…

Be grateful for the rights and freedoms you enjoy. Despite what some would have you believe, we are free to make our own choices. And the freedom to choose means living with the consequences of those choices.

Freedom consists not in doing what we like, but in having the right to do what we ought.

St. John Paul II

I’m not naïve enough to believe the pandemic won’t have long-term implications for society. It has taken its toll on our families, our friendships, and the education of our children. It has magnified healthcare, mental health, and labour force crises that were already out of control before 2020.

Above all, the pandemic gave us all an opportunity to stop and think about the kind of world we want to live in. For many, it’s clearly a world where individual rights are more important than kindness and the greater good.

Maybe if we listened to each other and showed each other a little more tolerance and grace, we could find a way forward together.

How do you define freedom? Tell me your thoughts below.