Housing advocates are promoting two bills before the Texas legislature (HB1470 and SB265) in the name of freedom of choice. But these bills are not about freedom of choice.
The two bills would make it illegal for landlords to refuse to accept housing choice vouchers or other forms of financial aid for housing. This, we are told, will allow voucher users the freedom to choose where to live. At the same time, these bills will remove freedom of choice from landlords—they will no longer be free to choose to accept vouchers or not.
It is a gross contradiction to demand freedom of choice for some individuals while denying that freedom to others.
When our choices require action by others, we must respect their freedom to choose and act on their own judgment. We must respect their freedom to choose a course of action with which we disagree. If we truly respect freedom of choice, then we must seek the voluntary cooperation of others rather than compel them to act as we desire. If we truly respect freedom of choice, then we must use persuasion rather than the threat of financial penalties for those who don’t act as we desire.
We will not always like the choices that others make. But if we want the freedom to choose, then we must accept and respect the freedom of others to choose. To do otherwise is to support freedom of choice for those with whom we agree, but deny freedom of choice to those with whom we disagree. That isn’t freedom of choice. That is a demand for conformity. And when conformity is enacted into law, nobody has the freedom to choose.
There is no justice in forcing others to act contrary to their judgment merely because we disagree with their judgment. There is no justice in imposing our views upon others because they hold a contrary view. There is no justice, or freedom of choice, when we make illegal the choices that we don’t like.