Just wear the stupid mask

It shouldn’t be surprising, we guess, that during a public health crisis that’s become politicized, with the debate over staying at home becoming partisan, that the latest thing to become a red or blue badge is the simple act of covering your nose and mouth in public.

Really? We’re fighting over face coverings?

Just wear the stupid mask.

It’s not caving to tyranny.

It’s not a betrayal of the president.

It’s not a sign that you’re sick.

It’s a health measure in places where it’s difficult to socially distance. If you wear it, you protect others from your possibly asymptomatic COVID-19 self. If you wear it, you also protect yourself from others. It’s safer. That’s it.

And yet, instead of being a simple collective action to slow a virus that’s killed tens of thousands of Americans, it’s become a flashpoint. Elected officials, notably including the president, say they won’t wear one or mock those who do. People are threatening and shoving and even wiping their nose on retail employees who tell them they need to wear one.

What’s wrong with us?

Just wear the stupid mask.

Or, you can exercise your right not to go where they are required. But don’t whine about freedom when a retail store decides to take measures to protect employees and customers, as businesses have done for many decades. Don’t channel your inner Patrick Henry when your state or local government tells you masks are necessary at a beach or other public spaces.

Guess what? Government forces you to do a lot of things. If you don’t believe us, try this little experiment: Head over to your local grocery store wearing nothing but your freedom. Or try out that personal liberty line the next time you get pulled over for speeding or not wearing a seat belt. You’ll quickly get reminded that governments have always set the boundaries in which we live our lives.

We, in turn, have a voice about those rules and societal standards. We can vote for people who share our philosophy on them and government. We also can disagree with those who get elected, and we have the freedom to say the boundaries are wrong and work to change them. It’s all part of the messy pact we have with each other.

There’s another pact we have - or at least one we like to talk about. That’s a pact to care for and about each other, especially in times of hardship. But while there are many good people doing many good things in this coronavirus crisis, we wonder if this notion of rallying together is a bit of an American myth. It’s something we see in commercials and like on social media, yet so many of us are unwilling to do something as simple as cover our faces for a few months in public. Even worse, some of us are yelling at those who do.

Just wear the mask.

Yes, we get the resistance to coronavirus restrictions and stay at home orders (although we think those measures are necessary.) Jobs are being lost. Economies are getting hollowed out. There’s legitimate worry that our attentiveness to public health now will result in years of financial hardship. It’s a tension that’s worthy of exploration and debate.

But as someone you know likes to say, what have you got to lose with masks? Even if you believe the danger of COVID-19 is overplayed, there’s no question that it’s real. And if it is real, there’s no reason not to do your part to slow its spread, to protect yourself and your family and, yes, your fellow man and woman.

It really is that simple. It really costs you nothing. It really shouldn’t be partisan.

It’s a mask, not a statement. Wear it.

This story was originally published May 7, 2020 at 2:29 PM with the headline "Just wear the stupid mask."