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The debate on the importance of freedom and security has a long history. With the emergence and development of states, people began to contemplate the dilemma of liberty and public safety. The governmental response to the COVID-19 pandemic contributes to the discussion and can be examined as a real-life instance of this social issue. In particular, the numerous restrictions placed on public gatherings, travel, and many other aspects of life have raised a question regarding fundamental human rights (Funk & Linzer, 2020). Overall, there is a need to examine the trade-off between safety and liberty to establish ways to maintain balance. Even though certain security measures and constraints are unavoidable to maintain public safety, they must be justified and appropriate to the threat to preserve freedom as one of the fundamental values in the United States.
To establish a trade-off between liberty and security, rules and laws must be well-reasoned and effectively designed with the purposes of improving safety and protecting people from danger. According to Kristof (2002), “the public is willing to compromise in its embrace of the Bill of Rights when it feels the need to adapt to heightened risk” (para. 5). In this regard, the government’s main tasks are to intervene and strengthen safety measures in an appropriate manner. Security is prioritized during challenging times, and the public tends to be more acceptive of the idea of temporarily limited freedom when real safety threats are present. Therefore, people can compromise with regard to restrictions and fundamental rights in case governmental decisions can help decrease risks. At the same time, it is essential to evaluate the threat and design adequate safety measures that help preserve individual freedoms when possible. Disproportionate limitations can result in public outrage, and the balance between liberty and security should be achieved through well-reasoned and properly designed laws.
References
Funk, A., & Linzer, I. (2020). Opinion: How the coronavirus could trigger a backslide on freedom around the world. The Washington Post. Web.
Kristof, N. D. (2002). Security and freedom. The New York Times. Web.
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