It is a common belief that the idea of intruding upon individual liberties is abhorrent. However, I firmly believe that one’s freedom should be violated by the government when the ultimate purpose is to prevent potential dangers and to ensure that safety regulations are being observed.
To begin with, the infringement of people’s liberties can be justified when protecting people from danger is the main priority. Given the recent increase in violence throughout the world, measures must be taken to prevent potential attacks, such as those committed by terrorists. For example, in order to prevent bombings or the transport of dangerous materials, airports around the world conduct security checks on people and their belongings. Even though this is intrusive and a violation of personal space, it is necessary to protect everyone from harm. Therefore, when this is the intention, government agencies and public institutions should have the right to carry out searches and trespass on one’s privacy.
On top of that, the government can violate an individual’s right to freedom in order to make sure that safety regulations are followed. Certain jobs can endanger innocent people’s lives when employees do not act safely and responsibly. In this regard, it is important to ensure that these employees follow safety rules even if their rights are infringed upon during the process. Take the example of school bus drivers and pilots, if they are not functioning at full capacity, they will not be able to perform their tasks safely. Thus, it is acceptable to make them undergo random medical tests to ensure they are healthy and capable. This is necessary to guarantee that these people are not putting the lives of others in jeopardy.
To sum up, intruding on people’s freedom is inevitable if governments are to protect society from threats and make sure that individuals are following the necessary rules. For these reasons, imposing on individual freedom is sometimes necessary.