The mask thing

by Jon Sullivan - 2020-06-25 - Opinion

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As someone who has always liked the Japanese culture of wearing masks to try and not make your fellow humans sick, I'm all-in on masks.

It seems odd to me that Americans seem to have an almost visceral need to make wearing a mask part of the political divide. Not wearing a mask is somehow an expression of freedom, while wearing one is somehow a giveaway you're too leftist. I don't see it that way at all. It's not political to me. It's being kind vs being lazy.

All the mask is is a choice about whether you want to avoid making others sick, or whether you just don't care or can't be bothered. Simple as that. It's basic kindness. And I know many will claim the masks prevent you from breathing properly, or aggravate some medical condition. But they don't. They just don't. Millions of people in Japan, almost all wearing masks, prove that. And all recent influenza outbreaks in Japan prove it's effective.

Sure, it's not as convenient or comfortable as not wearing one. Tough shit. We're trying to have a civilization here. And as much as Trump and Stephan Miller yearn for a country walled off from foreign travel, that's never going to happen. Pandemics are our future. Loved ones getting organ failure due to your lame excuses for not wearing a mask is our future.

Fine. If it's really that much of a threat to your freedom, if it's really such a "health issue", if it's really just more than you can be bothered with, then don't wear it. I'm not going to argue about it with you. If the simple math of Masks = "Not making others sick", can't persuade you, nothing else I say will.

I'll be wearing a mask. I see it as just being kind. You can see it however you want.

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