Letter: Be careful what you wish for

A caution that most people have been exposed to is to be careful what you wish for. In recent elections it appears that many voters have cast their ballots wishing for greater freedom and expanded rights.

Does this include the right to deny millions of people adequate health care coverage or any health care coverage whatsoever? Does this include the right of people with severe mental illness who lack any license to carry a gun to do so and to roam your streets? Does this include freedom from regulations to protect us from the dangers of climate change that has been judged by the military authorities as the major threat to our security? Does this include freedom to discriminate against vulnerable members of society?

Sometimes words like freedom and rights are used by politicians in a way that is misleading. Too often these words have been used to dupe the susceptible into accepting policies that do not reflect their best interests.

Robert J. Boes

Ely