Protecting Us from Ourselves

I recently had an interesting conversation with a liberal friend. As would be expected, we disagree on many political issues. During our conversation, she said that many people will make bad decisions, and government needs to protect them. I agree with her that many people will make bad decisions. I disagree with her that government needs to protect them.

A parent certainly wants to protect his child. But, if that child is to grow into an independent adult, he must be allowed the opportunity to make choices. Sometimes the child will make good choices, and sometimes he will make bad choices. The parent should monitor and guide the child as he struggles through these decisions, helping the child understand how to make better choices.

But if the parent never allows the child to make decisions–good or bad–the child can never develop into an independent adult. The child becomes dependent on the decisions of the parent. The child cannot become self-responsible. The same occurs when government attempts to protect us from ourselves.

When government removes choices–such as by making us wear seat belts or get vaccinated–it stifles individual responsibility. We no longer have to make a choice. Government has done it for us. And when more and more choices are removed, the ability to make rational choices is increasingly diminished. Over time, individuals lose the will and the ability to make choices.

Government isn’t our parent. But it can and should provide the social conditions that allow us to make choices. It should protect our freedom to act on our own judgment, so long as we respect the freedom of others to do the same. Then it should protect us in our freedom to enjoy the fruits of good decisions, and it should refrain from absolving us of the consequences of bad decisions.

A proper government does not seek to protect us from ourselves. A proper government protects our freedom to be ourselves–to act as we deem best.