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Freedom and baseball

I would like to respond to Mr. Barnhardt’s last two articles. First, why do you and other like-minded folks confuse the freedom provided by our U.S. democracy with “absolute” freedom — meaning having the freedom to do whatever the heck you want regardless of the impact on others? Why do you not act on that “freedom” to ignore traffic lights, to disobey speed limits, to bypass airport security, or to drink and drive? Because you could hurt or kill other people by following that freedom.

Your perceived “freedom” to not get vaccinated or wear a mask is the same thing — by taking that narrow interpretation of freedom you are putting yourself, your family, and others in the community at great risk of getting very sick or dying. With freedom comes responsibility and empathy for others. Your use of “freedom” in the case of vaccines and masks is merely selfish. People — get vaccinated!

Second, I am as big of a baseball fan as you are and, like you, believe that Hank Aaron is one of the greatest of all time. But by using one (and the least objectionable) of the many voter-suppression acts in Georgia as your objection to the All-Star Game being moved from Atlanta is actually a dishonor to Hammerin’ Hank. Reducing early voting days/times (is the non-existent voter fraud more likely to happen on certain days or on Sunday mornings?), limiting mail-in voting boxes (do more boxes cause more non-existent fraud?), and making it a crime to provide food and water to voters in line (are hungry and thirsty voters more honest?) are egregious measures taken only to punish and prevent certain Georgians from voting. With these new laws, Georgia and Atlanta did not deserve the MLB All-Star Game, and certainly Mr. Aaron would loudly agree. You really swung and missed on this one, too.

— Mike Jeske
Clemmons