By TREVIN BRANDT
Staff Writer
After almost a year of living through a global pandemic that has shaken the world in numerous detrimental ways, the average person would expect that just about everyone understands the weight of this pandemic and is willing to do whatever it takes to slow the spread. Unfortunately, this is not the case. With the internet right at our fingertips, misinformation and harmful conspiracy theories are able to spread like wildfire. All of this information has spawned a group of people that I believe are unbelievably misguided: Anti-maskers. Let’s go through their arguments, shall we?
When encountering an anti-masker, there are two arguments they will cling to. The first of the two is formed by taking a stance on the science behind it. They will either claim that masks are ineffective or that it is worse to wear a mask because of the carbon dioxide you are breathing out. Tackling their first statement, the CDC has highly recommended the use of a two-layered cloth mask. These are proven to be highly effective in slowing the spread of the virus. So, their argument that masks are ineffective is straight up wrong. Their lack of knowledge on science continues to prosper when they go about saying that wearing a mask will make you breathe your own carbon dioxide. (Yes, this is an actual argument they have.) When you breathe in a mask, if you pay attention, you can feel your exhale filter out of the mask from the top or bottom of it. Unless you close all gaps in your mask, carbon dioxide will not build up in your mask. You will be breathing oxygen, and oxygen only.
The second argument anti-maskers throw around is a legal argument. They claim that the government does not have a right to tell them to wear a mask, and that their freedoms are being infringed upon. Most states have required the use of masks in public spaces through mandates. Mandates are to be enforced the same way laws are enforced. The only difference is that a mandate is created by a governor or president, while a law goes through Congress. California’s mask mandate, for example, was created by Governor Gavin Newsom. He has this power because the United States has been in a state of emergency since last March when Former President Donald Trump addressed the people about the public health crisis. So in short, much like how the law tells you that you cannot run a red light, be nude in public, or kill somebody, the Governor’s mandate tells you that you must wear a mask in public. So no, your freedoms are not being infringed upon. Even in states that do not have a mask mandate, a store has the right to kick somebody out if they are not wearing a mask. This is because it is a private company that has the authority to enforce their own dress code. Most companies go by no shoes, no shirt, no service. We are now seeing them go by no shoes, no shirt, no mask, no service.
Trust me, we all want out of this pandemic! I understand that wearing a mask is depressing and not as it used to be, but if we pretend that everything is fine when it isn’t, we will only be making the problem worse. That is why it is important that we wear a mask so that the spread is slowed down. The people giving us the advice to wear a mask are public health officials who know exceedingly more about pandemics than the average person. If they are telling us that we should wear a mask, we probably should! Wearing a mask is a compromise that we made. Keeping businesses closed was killing the economy, so we equipped them with the tools necessary to safely reopen and required that everyone working and attending the business must wear a mask. However, anti-maskers want to completely skip the compromise period as we fight this pandemic and pretend as if everything is 100% a-ok. But it isn’t. I think an anti-masker would be more against a business being closed than a business telling them to wear a mask. Of course things are going to be different since a pandemic is underway. Just be happy that the situation is not to a point where you are unable to go to a fast food restaurant.
I truly don’t think that wearing a mask is too much to ask for. All you have to do is put a piece of cloth over your face when you are in a public space. Sure, it is slightly harder to breathe with a mask on than without it, but honestly, if that is the hardest thing you go through during this pandemic, consider yourself immensely lucky.