LogFAQs > #936882131

Smarkil posted...

I believe, in principle, that everyone should have the right to their own bodily autonomy and frankly the right to make idiotic and stupid decisions. You also have the right to shun those people from society and disassociate yourselves from them for potentially being exposed to stupid viruses. As long as no one is forcing them to go to their dumbass church service, they should be able to make that decision to potentially kill themselves.

The problem, however, is that it's not just themselves that they're endangering. Sure, we have the right to shun people who might have gotten themselves infected, but that's hard unless they wear a giant sign saying "I gather in large groups every week I'm probably infected." The fact of the matter is that people still have to go outside sometimes, even with distancing recommendations in place. Cutting down on the number of people that are able to gather in large numbers helps to make sure that when people do go outside, they're less likely to encounter infected people (and, by extension, to become infected and risk infecting other people).

These regulations aren't to protect individuals, they're to protect society. Yes, society is made up of individuals and the regulations require actions and sacrifices on the part of individuals, but it's a mistake to think of this in terms of telling people not to endanger themselves. This is much, much bigger than that, and the more people comply with the recommendations/requirements, the more lives are going to be saved.

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