Dear editor,
I am writing to respond to the letter from Carlos Bernardino objecting to limiting BC Ferry travel to essential travel only, something that was not actually done (Reader disagrees with editorial calling for essential travel only on BC Ferries).
Mr. Bernardino asks, “…who gets to decide what is essential travel: the Ferry Corporation, the police, the local vigilanted committee?” Putting aside the absurdity of talking about non-existent “vigilante committees” the straightforward answer is that, in a declared state of emergency, the relevant authorities get to decide. That is the law. Period.
In the case of the recent Easter long weekend, no one was, in fact, prevented from traveling. People were asked not to travel unless they absolutely had to.
It is clear that some number of people ignored that plea.
But, should the government emergency management authorities decide to actually make it a legal order, that will be that.
Freedom of travel, contrary to what Mr. Bernardino asserted, is not a basic civil liberty in times of emergency. You may not decide to defy authorities and drive through the scene of an accident or through an area that has been evacuated because of fire or some other disaster. And you may not travel by ferry without an acceptable reason if that is the decision that is made.
Mr. Bernardino needs to be reminded that we are in the midst of a disaster. Normal freedoms often have to be constrained or curtailed in such circumstances. It isn’t up to individual citizens to decide whether or not to cooperate. It isn’t about individual freedoms.
Your freedoms end at the point where exercising them does harm to others. And that is not negotiable.
Scott Goodman,
Courtenay
Do you have an opinion you’d like to share? Email letters@comoxvalleyrecord.com