Make Common Sense Great Again
Separating freedom from absurdity this 4th of July
Earlier this week, I came across just-published research which found that communities with plastic bag bans have fewer plastic bags littering their shorelines.
In short, plastic bag restrictions work.
It was heartening to (finally) report on a piece of environmental good news. Yet the more I researched, the more I realized this story wasn’t all positive. That’s because, while 12 states and countless towns and cities across the country have enacted common sense bag bans, six states including Florida, Arizona, and Missouri have gone in the complete opposite direction. Some states have preemptively passed laws preventing municipalities from ever passing plastic bag bans in the future.
… I’m sorry. What?
This week’s newsletter isn’t about plastic bags; it’s not about politics, either. It’s about the line that separates freedom from utter absurdity.
Three cheers for restrictions
Call me crazy, but I’m a big fan of common sense restrictions. That’s because restrictions ensure safety. Uphold ethics. Maintain order.
👍 Traffic laws restrict speeding and thus prevent accidents.
👍 Schools have rules (a.k.a. behavioral restrictions) to tamp down on chaos.
👍 Workplaces implement corporate policies to limit all sorts of unethical (and unlawful) behaviors like sexual harassment and stealing.
👍 Mandatory carbon monoxide detectors and fire alarms avert unnecessary deaths.
👍 And yes, restricting plastic bags reduces environmental pollution, as evidenced the above referenced study.
I’ll keep going, because why not? These days I’m all about personal restrictions. Restricting my cell phone use has helped me reclaim my free time. Setting my alarm for 5:30 am feels horrible in the moment but ensures I get a workout in. Putting restrictions on my own behavior acknowledges that, if I’m left to my own devices, I’ll waste away playing on my phone and sleeping in.
Ultimately, these self-imposed restrictions are for my own long-term benefit.
But personal liberty!
Surprise to no one: We Americans have a deep-rooted, cultural resistance to restrictions.
If I had to guess, I’d say this resistance stems largely from our founding ideals, namely individual liberty, personal freedom, and suspicion of government overreach.
We want to be free to make our own choices. To that I say, Hear, Hear!
… and yet, where’s the line?
Listen, I’m all for personal liberty. My office is quite literally next to the site of the 1770 Boston Massacre. Freedom is worth fighting for. Worth dying for.
And yet, again I ask. Where’s the line?
🤔 During the pandemic, mask mandates morphed from a perfectly reasonable public health restriction to an unacceptable infringement on personal liberty.
🤔 Although restrictions on plastic straws reduce unnecessary plastic, straw lovers continue to fight for their right to plastic and ridicule all-things pro-environmentalism in the process.
🤔 Despite the unacceptable fact that far too many CHILDREN have been gunned down in this country, a subset of Americans remain staunchly opposed to any whiff of sensible gun legislation.
Can we just be honest with ourselves for a hot minute? Restrictions WORK. We may not like them, but we NEED them.
Our country—and all other countries, for that matter—simply must restrict carbon emissions. The fossil fuels industry, the fashion industry, the airline industry, commercial agriculture industries, and all other majorly-polluting entities must get some serious restrictions placed on them, and STAT. While we’re at it, each of us need to restrict our consumption. And, of course, bring on common sense restrictions on plastic bags, plastic straws, styrofoam cups, and every other fossil-fuels-based, polluting item.
Oh, and! All these restrictions and many more should’ve been enacted YESTERDAY.
We are rapidly moving towards climate apocalypse. Prioritizing personal liberty at the expense of existence is nothing less than absurd.
As we gear up to celebrate this Fourth of July, which just so happens to celebrate our 249th year of independence, I hope we as a nation can move forward with common sense leading the way.
Here’s hoping.
Before I go, I’ll mention that I released an episode this week about untangling your net worth from your self-worth. You can listen to it via your preferred podcast player:
I’ll also mention that a reel of mine calling out Bezos/Amazon is currently making waves over on Instagram. If you’re in the mood for a bit of social media drama this long weekend, come on over and peruse the post’s comments 😂
Happy Independence Day.
Thanks for reading, and thanks for being here. If you enjoy this newsletter, it helps a surprising amount if you hit ❤️ or leave a comment below — or forward it to a friend.
Another great post. I mean... duh!😉
Thank you for this holiday content Stephanie!