The curfew imposed in Quebec’s “red zones” between 8 pm and 5 am to contain spread of COVID-19 may have helped bring down the number of cases but many residents are growing impatient with the restriction.
A Montreal author has gone so far as to say the curfew infringes on the basic human right to freedom and liberty.
Michael Anthony Occhionero, novelist and Creative Director of AOS Publishing, has released a video-letter to the public, saying that the psychological, economic, and spiritual damage being done to Individuals through the draconian 8 pm curfew measure is inhumane and unjust.
Occhionero argues that sacrificing Individual freedoms for “safety” is a “devil’s bargain” that greatly limits the Individual’s ability to pursue happiness. The inability to pursue unmitigated betterment as a result of the curfew and lockdown measures creates a spiritual, psychological, and economic void that Occhionero feels is responsible for the rampant anxiety arising from fear and isolation.
Occhionero begins by saying, “It’s not about you and what you want, it’s about protecting others,” and proceeds to dissect why this line of thinking creates a false dichotomy between Individual desires and the greater good.
Occhionero argues that “basic human rights are preeminent and must be upheld in order to maximize cooperation, equal opportunity and every Individual’s freedom to pursue happiness”, and that with the curfew infringing on the basic human right to freedom and liberty, no one is able to feel their very best. Occhionero asserts: “the biggest indicator that our society is tilting toward injustice is the pernicious idea that every single stranger you encounter on the street is no longer a beautiful extension of yourself with whom you share the same origin and ultimate destination, but is instead a cause for suspicion, and a potential threat to your well-being, as you are a threat to theirs.”
Occhionero is the author of 2017’s ‘Idle Hands’, and 2019’s ALT•4•1, both released through AOS Publishing.
Click on the link below to watch his video letter:
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