Why Is Individual Freedom More Important Than Public Health

Health and freedom are some of the most important factors that contribute to an individual’s life. There has been a constant debate throughout the years on which of the factors should be the main priority at the moment. It is ideal to have a balance between both, but because of the constant clashes between individual freedom and public health, it is not likely to happen. Individual freedom is the absence of restraint on our ability to think and act for ourselves. Public health is the process of preventing harm to our world and promoting human health through organized efforts and choices of multiple communities. Though many people argue that individual freedom is more important than public health, public health should be our main priority since …show more content…
The delivery of hate speech is considered as a freedom or right by the first amendment (P2); the first amendment states that every person has a freedom of speech. Though it may be protected as a type of freedom an individual has, hate speech is able to negatively impact the people. In the Sunday review section of the New York Times, Professor Lisa Feldman Barrett, a psychology professor at Northeastern University, explains how the use of hateful words can “pose a danger to your health both mentally and eventually, physically.” There was another incident in 2017 where a number of students were suspended from Millersburg Area High School in Pennsylvania for "harassing a Latina student chanting ‘Trump’ and cheering when she ran out crying." Because of the constant hate speeches portrayed throughout out the news, it is causing a divide between communities and should not be allowed. Though hate speech cannot be banned, it can be limited to online websites. The majority of teens are on technology, and by restricting hate speech on social media platforms, public health is able to improve. To restrict hate speech to the point where it is no more is a goal that enables the protection of public