To the Editor:

Two letters of opinion printed on 5/21/21 echoed the same assertion; that requiring masks and vaccinations is a violation of personal freedom. Both letters tried to claim that HIPAA and OSHA laws somehow protect their “rights” in that regard. But no, those laws don’t apply to this situation. What was apparent was their shared outrage and rebellion about being told what to do.

They don’t think businesses have the right to require masks and vaccinations? Well, it’s capitalism and they do. A business can turn you away, since a coronavirus outbreak in their establishment results in loss of income. (You have every right to shop elsewhere.) The Texas hospital that mandated that its employees be vaccinated by June 7th or lose their job just suspended 170 people. Federal court backed them in that action. The hospital loses income if a coronavirus outbreak results in loss of confidence in their medical facility. (Employees have every right to work elsewhere if they disagree with those requirements.)

Hysteria about losing our freedoms? One letter said, “Next thing you know they’ll be requiring me to be weighed before getting on a plane”. Well, capitalism again. It’s their right to net more profit by charging for heavy baggage or maybe a heavy person too. (You have every right to fly another airline.)

Anti-mask and anti-vax people are swept up in their narrow-sighted “righteousness” that freedom should give them special permission to do as they please and be exempt from mandates. But constitutional rights aren’t one-sided. They apply to your actions and how your actions affect others. We should be thanking respectful citizens for following rules (not attacking them or calling them “lemmings” as one writer did) because facts indicate the good news that areas with higher vaccination rates are seeing infection rates decrease.

Martha Hodges
Massena