{"version":"1.0","provider_name":"The News Journal","provider_url":"https:\/\/qa.thenewsjournal.net","title":"Individual liberty strengthens the common good &ndash; The News Journal","type":"rich","width":600,"height":338,"html":"<blockquote class=\"wp-embedded-content\" data-secret=\"eXaVHbDRh3\"><a href=\"https:\/\/qa.thenewsjournal.net\/individual-liberty-strengthens-the-common-good\/\">Individual liberty strengthens the common good<\/a><\/blockquote><iframe sandbox=\"allow-scripts\" security=\"restricted\" src=\"https:\/\/qa.thenewsjournal.net\/individual-liberty-strengthens-the-common-good\/embed\/#?secret=eXaVHbDRh3\" width=\"600\" height=\"338\" title=\"&#8220;Individual liberty strengthens the common good&#8221; &#8212; The News Journal\" data-secret=\"eXaVHbDRh3\" frameborder=\"0\" marginwidth=\"0\" marginheight=\"0\" scrolling=\"no\" class=\"wp-embedded-content\"><\/iframe><script type=\"text\/javascript\">\n\/* <![CDATA[ *\/\n\/*! This file is auto-generated *\/\n!function(d,l){\"use strict\";l.querySelector&&d.addEventListener&&\"undefined\"!=typeof URL&&(d.wp=d.wp||{},d.wp.receiveEmbedMessage||(d.wp.receiveEmbedMessage=function(e){var t=e.data;if((t||t.secret||t.message||t.value)&&!\/[^a-zA-Z0-9]\/.test(t.secret)){for(var s,r,n,a=l.querySelectorAll('iframe[data-secret=\"'+t.secret+'\"]'),o=l.querySelectorAll('blockquote[data-secret=\"'+t.secret+'\"]'),c=new RegExp(\"^https?:$\",\"i\"),i=0;i<o.length;i++)o[i].style.display=\"none\";for(i=0;i<a.length;i++)s=a[i],e.source===s.contentWindow&&(s.removeAttribute(\"style\"),\"height\"===t.message?(1e3<(r=parseInt(t.value,10))?r=1e3:~~r<200&&(r=200),s.height=r):\"link\"===t.message&&(r=new URL(s.getAttribute(\"src\")),n=new URL(t.value),c.test(n.protocol))&&n.host===r.host&&l.activeElement===s&&(d.top.location.href=t.value))}},d.addEventListener(\"message\",d.wp.receiveEmbedMessage,!1),l.addEventListener(\"DOMContentLoaded\",function(){for(var e,t,s=l.querySelectorAll(\"iframe.wp-embedded-content\"),r=0;r<s.length;r++)(t=(e=s[r]).getAttribute(\"data-secret\"))||(t=Math.random().toString(36).substring(2,12),e.src+=\"#?secret=\"+t,e.setAttribute(\"data-secret\",t)),e.contentWindow.postMessage({message:\"ready\",secret:t},\"*\")},!1)))}(window,document);\n\/* ]]> *\/\n<\/script>\n","thumbnail_url":"https:\/\/qa.thenewsjournal.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/03\/Jim-Waters-beacon.jpg","thumbnail_width":234,"thumbnail_height":84,"description":"(OpEd by Jim Waters, president and CEO of the Bluegrass Institute for Public Policy Solutions, Kentucky\u2019s free-market think tank.) Our nation was founded on the unique principle that individuals acting in their own self-interest would overcome the greatest of challenges while keeping government power in check. Adhering to this principle is especially critical during times of crises when government tends to gain momentum from the circumstances of the day to increase its control and citizens\u2019 dependency. Protecting individual liberties allows those citizens to act in ways that benefit themselves and their families even during hard times by finding better solutions to problems, thus contributing greatly to the common good which forms the basis for a stronger and freer society. For example, allowing individuals to fully exercise their Second Amendment rights may be even more important during a pandemic when temptation increases for criminals to seize upon the opportunity presented by thinner resources for law enforcement and a generally stressed-out public to engage in malicious enterprises. Individuals motivated by the crisis and concerned about reduced police patrols and prisoner releases, decide to protect lives and properties by purchasing a weapon not only \u2013 and obviously \u2013 act in their own self-interest, they also contribute to the common good by deterring potential attacks and freeing scarce law-enforcement resources for use elsewhere. While states certainly are entrusted with more power than the federal government \u2013 including during crises \u2013 trusting individuals to act in their own self-interest still should be government\u2019s default position and will yield the most favorable results. That\u2019s why small-business owners and pastors across the commonwealth can be trusted as much if not more than politicians in Frankfort to advance and protect the common good during the current pandemic. No business owner in his right mind wants the reputation of placing his customers in harm\u2019s way simply because he stubbornly refuses to take simple steps to protect them. No pastor wants the type of blowback caught by leaders of two Hopkins County churches when several parishioners who attended their joint revival service in mid-March ended up with the virus with some losing their lives. Ensuring Kentuckians know what\u2019s happening and allowing them to use that information while accepting the risk and responsibility for how they respond would likely result in less harm to our economy caused by the sharp, steep and sudden downturn we\u2019ve experienced in recent weeks. Many parts of the country and even our commonwealth have counted lives lost to COVID-19 in the dozens while unemployment surges into the millions. Too many Americans buy into the notion that someone who says \u201cI\u2019m from the government\u201d is in some way or another more qualified to tell Mom and Pop how to run their corner store and keep themselves and their customers safe, or worse, shut the business down and force it into bankruptcy. A study recently released by the UK Institute for the Study of Free Enterprise claims that Frankfort\u2019s policies of social distancing and forcing businesses to close has saved 2,000 lives. Yet while the data may be credible to support the assertion that lives were saved, should we dismiss the possibility that the results would be just as good, if not better, without government\u2019s heavy-handedness? To say otherwise is to admit: we don\u2019t trust individual Kentuckians to do the right thing \u2013 including love their neighbor \u2013 without some politician sticking his crooked finger in their face. Thin-skinned politicians who think they know or care more than individuals citizens \u2013 and therefore are somehow more qualified \u2013 to control and completely alter the lives of the citizens they\u2019re called to serve to display a form of arrogance from which we might consider ridding ourselves before the next crisis strikes. Read previous columns at www.bipps.org. He can be reached at jwaters@freedomkentucky.com and @bipps on Twitter."}