Not freedom day, but "you've got the vaccine and now go back to being cogs in the economic wheel day"

Very true but sadly we all know Johnsons core values do not include responsibility to others.

Just after posting, Pippa, I saw on Facebook an image of a teatowel with a quote from Nelson Mandela in 1995 "Now is the time to accept in our hearts and minds that with freedom comes responsibility."

A bit of a crossed post Elegran. Sorry!

There is a problem with "freedoms". They can either add to or limit other people's freedom.

Freedom to make careless decisions about masks may limit other peoples freedom from want if it means they cannot work.

You also have to ask what freedom there is for those who will now be "free" from the level of government support they have been getting or "free" from work because their job no longer exists.

"The price of freedom is eternal vigilance"^ There are two routes we can take from this point.

1) We can celebrate our freedom from being forced to consider the common good by - er - considering the common good. We can take responsibility for how we act, for the sake of our own health and that of others.

or 2) We can celebrated "Freedom day" by throwing away all masks and sanitiser and not bothering to wash our hands, by meeting up with everyone we have kept away from for more than a year, by hugging them all and kissing all the babies, going to all the football, concerts, raves, parties, demonstrations, kneees-up of all sorts, in crowded arenas and smoky bars, and travelling to every destination we can afford and repeating all that celebration with a fresh lot of contacts. In a few weeks time we will find out the consequence of freedom without responsibility. This will be followed by a new and harsher lockdown, since we are clearly not grown-up enough to think before we act.

"It can be a step in the right direction. If we all take responsibility for our actions and take care of ourselves and be aware of taking care for the sake of others we may move forward. If we continue with Johnson's great idea of setting the carefree and careless against the responsible we may find ourselves back where we started."^

Yes, this is the way to go forward. Although out shopping the other day, many youngsters and adult males not bothering to wear masks in shop, surely not all exempt. Not going to get any better unfortunately, I think more will throw caution to the wind and throw their masks away.

Hear, hear Pippa ??