Government takes from Sue Lani Madsen, again

The foundation of a typical Madsen column is a gripe about something government has “taken” from us. The latest example of this is our freedom to, well, not wear a mask (June 25th).

On my bike ride this morning, I couldn’t help but notice a few things we get in return. I filled up my bottle without worrying if I’d get sick drinking tap water. Leaving town, I passed three public schools, four parks and numerous WSU, Eastern and UW flags. I rode through several small towns all connected by paved public roads. I stopped at two red lights; no one was hit at either intersection. A 737 built by Boeing, which is heavily subsidized, flew over on an approach to Geiger Field (a public airport). I recorded my ride on a smart phone (transistor development was intertwined with government funding) using data from its GPS, another government project. Two bald eagles soared over part of the Latah Creek restoration.

Like any American, I have plenty of complaints with certain government actions. However, I’m generally satisfied with the implicit agreement we’ve made to be a part of society, and government upholds that agreement. The taxes we pay and certain individual freedoms we cede make possible the lives that I, and the vast majority of Americans, wish to lead. In this instance, please do your civic duty and wear a mask in public: limiting the spread of a pandemic is an obvious improvement in all our lives.

Robert Jopson

Spokane