自由への闘いを人任せにするな

英語力UPコーチの坂倉ゆきえです。

久しぶりに、私が個人的に共感している在野の政治家、大西つねき氏の動画を英訳してみました。

コロナ対策の名の下に、最近どうも自由が冒されていると感じることはありませんか？そう感じるなら黙ってないで、そろそろ自分でアクションを起こそうよ、という内容。

今回は動画の内容（私なりの解釈です^^）を英語のエッセイ形式でまとめています。

ワクチンパスポートに関する埼玉弁護士会の会長声明や、ワクチン接種義務に対してアメリカの半数以上の州が起こした裁判を例として取り上げています。

「自由とは"自らに由る"」。

自分のことは自分で決めていい、は憲法でも保障されている権利。その前に人間として当たり前のこと。

立ち止まって考えるきっかけになれば幸いです。

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Fight for Freedom – Don’t Leave It to Others

Everyone is supposed to have freedom in deciding how they live. This is a fundamental human right. In Japan, for example, this right is guaranteed by the Constitution. However, the freedom of the people is being badly threatened not only in Japan but also in other countries in the name of the fight against COVID-19. We should stand up for our right to say “No” to rules that will violate our liberty.

You can express your opinion just by supporting someone who has already made a voice of protest. One example is Taro Takagi, the chairman of the Saitama Bar Association in Japan. He released an official statement strongly opposing the “vaccine passport” that the Japanese government is planning to require its nation to have. It serves as a record to prove that they have been vaccinated for COVID-19. Takagi says that the launch of the passport will force people to get vaccinated as well causing discrimination against the unvaccinated. The mandate is unconstitutional, unlawful, and unscientific.

Raising your voice to your country through your local government could be another option to oppose draconian measures. In fact, 26 states in the U.S. filed lawsuits against the Biden administration's vaccine mandate for businesses with 100 employees or more. (As a result, the US Supreme Court has blocked the president’s rule, saying that the mandate exceeded the federal government's authority.)

Some people say that the refusal to vaccinate interferes with public welfare. However, I firmly believe that the right to determine how to protect yourself and what to take into your body overrides all other factors. As the word “自由” (the Japanese translation of liberty) is structured, your liberty is dependent on you.

All in all, freedom is something that people have to maintain themselves. This is the case even in a country where freedom is guaranteed by its laws. Let’s take an action no matter how small it is before it becomes too late.

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