In February, 2022 a "freedom convoy" of truckers, protesting a new rule requiring truck drivers crossing the Canadian/United States to be vaccinated against COVID-19, blocked city streets in and around the Parliament in Ottawa, Canada. The parked trucks and other makeshift structures effectively impeded traffic throughout the city and has lasted from over a week. Is this a form of legitimate protest? What would Mill say -- and do you agree?
Mill would argue that because the Truckers are impeding the liberty and wellbeing of others, their form of protest is illegitimate. While Mill advocates heavily for the liberty of individuals, he also states that "The liberty of the individual must be thus far limited; he must not make himself a nuisance to other people." In this example, the truckers are being nuisances on a few fronts. The most obvious nuisance, the blocking of traffic, has great effects on the other residents of the city, preventing them from going to work, getting home, or reaching certain locations. This has further ramifications when we consider that certain essential services, such as ambulances, are also affected by the Truckers' blockade. In inhibiting the flow of traffic, it is possible that the Truckers are inadvertently putting lives at risk. While this example is extreme, it proves how the nuisance created by the truckers is a legitimate problem, not just a slight inconvenience. I agree with the stance that the protest is illegitimate for the same reasons Mill would. It causes too much chaos and impedes the freedoms of others. I do not, however, believe that the idea of protesting is illegitimate. The Truckers have every right to protest the mask mandate and express their beliefs, but they must do so in a way that doesn't affect other people. Due to the protest's negative effects on the liberty of other people in the area, Mill would argue that this form of protest is illegitimate.
ReplyDeleteChaos started in late January when Canadian truckers began to protest the requirement that individuals crossing the Canadian-US border must be vaccinated. The truckers in Canada show the worrisome extent to which COVID-19 mandates and other regulations have become a powerful force on the rights of the people. This protest has become a symbol for what conservatives see as governmental assaults on their "freedoms." According to Mill, the truckers' method of protest is immoral because it infringes on people's rights and safety. Mill is a firm believer in the harm to others principle, which implies that a person can do whatever they want as long as their behaviors do not harm others, and that if they do, society can stop it. The truckers' behavior is causing economic difficulties in Canada and disrupting the motor vehicle industry's supply chain. They are also inflicting significant losses for businesses in the United States and Canada, as well as the threat of unemployment. Moreover, similar protests are taking place in the United States, Australia, New Zealand, and Europe in response to this situation. It's crucial to remember that if something is a sole constraint on our liberty (in this case it is the truckers’ nuisance), then this principle gives us a lot of flexibility in how we spend our lives. else. This protest has gone on for far too long, with nothing changing but people's freedom and safety, and as a result, it has harmed people and created a real problem. In consonance with Mill, this protest is immoral since it has a political, economic, and social impact on society.
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