Mailbag: Banning plastic bags serves the greater good

It always interests me when arguments such as that made by Branton Nestor (Mailbag, May 21) purport to be about individual liberty but actually turn on increased enforcement of laws. Those who say they least want a “nanny state” actually advocate it — for other people.

What Mr. Nestor and others like him seem to miss is that the purpose of civil government is greater than policing and plebiscites. The purpose of government is justice. The kind of justice necessary when it comes to deciding whether we have the luxury of being provided polluting plastic bags when we shop is one that strives for the greater good. This appreciation of the “commonwealth” is often lost on people who divide the world into individuals who are “responsible” and those who are not.

Our founding fathers recognized that our obligation to each other transcends our individual liberties. “In order to form a more perfect union” is at the heart of our communal and national life together.

Banning plastic bags may result in an inconvenience for some, but it also results in cleaner beaches and oceans for everyone. Freedom from plastic bags is freedom for a cleaner environment. This is precisely an aim that suits good governance, one whose focus is “liberty and justice for all.”

Brad DeFord

Huntington Beach