"The numbers don't matter. Every death is horrible. If it saves just one life, we should do it".
Yes actually, the numbers DO matter, and no, we shouldn't do "it" just to save one life.
Whether its COVID-19, or "safety" regulations, or "protection" regulations, or gun control... It doesn't matter. You can ban or strictly control everything, and it will make little difference to disease, or to violence and deaths... or any other bad things happening... but will substantially infringe on the rights of hundreds of millions.
... And yes, the rights of hundreds of millions, are more important than one life, or for that matter thousands, or tens of thousands, or hundreds or thousands, or millions... Because without rights, your life is not your own. Without rights, you are owned and controlled by others, and your life is worthless.
Rights, ARE more important, than any risk to any life.
... And for those rights that you value, you probably agree... Unless you are without principle or courage.
You probably admire those who lay down their lives for free speech, or to resist oppression, or to fight for civil rights?
Guess what... RIGHTS ARE RIGHTS, none greater or lesser than the other.
So, when there are rights in question, ANY infringement or burden upon them, must meet very stringent criteria. It must be overwhelmingly justified, and to be so it must present a compelling interest, it must be effective in meeting that compelling interest, it must be narrowly tailored to only impact those things contingent upon that compelling interest, and it must present as little burden as possible, to as few as possible. Even with compelling interest, if it presents undue burden, then it cannot be justified at all.
Even if whatever miracle solution you think is a good idea stopped every murder, every accident, every injury, every whatever it is you want to stop... which is laughable... It would still not be justified, because of the negative impact, and undue burden, on hundreds of millions.
Just because you don't value those things you want to ban or control, doesn't mean that others do not, and you have no right to violate their rights just because you don't care about them.
... If you did, then others would have the same right to violate YOUR rights, on the things YOU care about, that THEY don't value, or THEY hate.
... And if you think the answer is "That's different, because I'm right and good, and what I want is right, and they are wrong and bad, and what they want is bad"... How exactly do you think they feel about YOU, and what YOU care about?
THAT, is why these things are RIGHTS...
