Schwarzenegger to anti-maskers: 'Screw your freedom'

By Edward Era Barbacena

Arnold Schwarzenegger has a message for Americans who argue that face masks encroach on their rights: "Screw your freedom."

"Because with freedom comes obligations and responsibilities," the Republican former California governor said in a YouTube video released Wednesday. The action movie-star-turned-politician's remarks were part of a discussion with CNN's Bianna Golodryga and Alexander Vindman to promote Vindman's new book, "Here, Right Matters."

American patriots, conservatives and trump supporters,  driven by conspiracy
theory, are very much outrage by mask mandates. For them, wearing mask takes
away the so-called  'American freedom' and mask mandate is a communist
ideology.

“…because with freedom comes obligations and responsibilities.” Like I said, pure freedom would also mean ignoring red lights, but we don’t do that because it would kill our fellow citizens."

"We cannot just say, 'I have the right to do X, Y and Z.' When you affect other people, that is when it gets serious," Schwarzenegger, 74, said.

The ex-bodybuilder likened opposition to face masks to bucking traffic laws.

"This is the same thing with the virus," the "Terminator" star explained. "You cannot go not put the mask on because when you breathe, you can infect someone else. And you can infect someone that then gets sick and may die."

Schwarzenegger has been a vocal proponent of social distancing measures and of attempting to wipe out COVID-19 vaccine misinformation. In January, he shared a video of himself receiving the coronavirus vaccine.

In this week's video, he urged the country to "work together," saying it's "the only way we can lick this virus."

"Yeah, you have the freedom to wear no mask. But you know something, you're a schmuck for not wearing a mask because you're supposed to protect the fellow members around you," Schwarzenegger said.

"I don't want to villainize anyone here," he continued, "but I just wanted to tell everyone, let's work together and let's stop fighting because there is a virus, and it's better to get vaccinated [and] to wear a mask."