Wearing a Mask isn’t a Political Issue

Since COVID-19 came into our lives, it has been a troubling few months for our world as we all try and get through the global pandemic and stay sane and sane. There have been many trials that we all have been facing from financial challenges to health challenges and on down the line as we all try and adjust to our new normal and this new way of life.

One of the changes that we have had to grapple with is wearing masks when we venture out and especially when we enter businesses. This change has been one that makes sense from a medical perspective and is purely common sense, but there are those who resist it and refuse to do it, even though the evidence suggests that it is the best way to prevent the spread of the virus.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), The World Health Organization (WHO), and medical experts across the globe have all said that wearing masks are the surest way to keep people from getting the virus and even keep ourselves protected, yet people refuse to do it and do not listen to these recommendations.

It is baffling that people continue to refuse to wear a face covering in the midst of this pandemic and it is even more baffling that there are a lot of people who view the issue of wearing a mask as being a political issue and there has been this whole culture war that has sprung up about the issue throughout our nation over the last few weeks. This has now become a political divisive issue and one that has even become a topic when we are discussing the upcoming 2020 presidential election.

Yes, you heard that right. The race for President of the United States has the wearing or not wearing of a facial covering as a political issue in the campaign that is going on as we speak. I know that it is difficult to believe that of all the things that we should be discussing in this country that people believe that wearing a mask is a political issue.

It started with Trump when he attacked his opponent, former Vice President Joe Biden for wearing a mask on Memorial Day and then again went after a journalist for doing the same, calling it, “Politically correct”. I assure you, there is nothing politically correct or political at all about wearing a mask in the middle of this pandemic, nothing at all.

Wearing a mask is not a Democrat vs Republican issue, it is not right vs left, it is not a political statement.

Wearing a mask is common sense and should not be a political issue and should not be something that is viewed as right vs left, but Trump is for sure making it into be just that. He has pushed the false narrative that Democrats want people to wear masks as a way to use fear-mongering and to take away the freedom of Americans and that is not even close to true, wearing a mask is a way to contain the spread of the virus.

Trump does not wear a mask, so his supporters who follow everything that he does, also do not wear masks and even go after people who wear one, in the same way that Trump attacked Joe Biden for wearing a mask and how he puts reporters down for wearing face coverings. It has become such a political issue at a time when it should not have any ties to politics on either side of the aisle as it is a public health matter.

Trump supporters are all over YouTube and social media refusing to wear masks in stores and around our cities and communities. They are claiming that it violates their rights to be “forced” to wear a mask and this is because their president will not wear one himself.

Trump sets a bad example. Biden sets a positive example by wearing one of these masks and many others are setting a good example by doing the same thing. Wearing a mask does not infringe on anyone’s rights or take away any freedoms. It is a responsible thing to do so that if you have the virus, others do not become infected and if you do not have it, you can protect your very own health and thus the health of those who you love and care about.

This is the new culture war. This is the new politically divisive issue.

It should not be.

Public health knows no political ideology. The same is true about social distancing guidelines, hand washing, and shelter-in-place orders that are there to keep people safe. These measures are not a Democrat vs Republican issue nor are they against any type of freedoms, but people like Trump and some Republican governors turn them into political issues.

Public health is never political and we need to stop allowing people to make it so.

Just yesterday in an interview on the local news I witnessed a Trump supporter being asked why he does not wear a mask and he said that he does not wear one because “The president does not wear one and he is fine”, this says it all.

Trump supporters do not wear masks because Trump does not wear one. He has turned into it a culture war. It has become Trump vs Biden and his fans against everyone else, including medical experts. They even come up with a variety of conspiracy theories about masks, like how they say that masks are bad for your health and you “Breathe in your own oxygen” when you wear one of these masks and other ridiculous theories.

People view wearing a mask as a sign of weakness and as a sign of not being a “free person” but that is the furthest thing from the truth. Wearing a mask is a smart thing to do and something that a caring person does to protect others from this virus. Doctors wear masks as do nurses and they do so in order for others to be protected from infection and they do it because they care about the health of everyone else.

This is the same reason me and you should wear one too.

This is not something political or a liberal issue. This is a public health issue!

Trump wants to start a culture war around the subject of masks and social distancing and so on. We will not let him. We will not let him lie and make fun of people about the issue of masks and other guidelines that the experts tell us to do to prevent the spread of the virus. Just think, if people had wore masks and practiced social distancing from day one then the virus would not be so out of hand.

I just do not understand why people refuse to do a simple thing such as wearing a mask. I do not get the lies that are being put out there about this simple action that we can take to protect the vulnerable from getting sick and worse. It is not about me or you but rather, it is about everyone and about our country.

Most businesses are doing the right thing and requiring masks for people who shop there. Walmart did it as did Target and so many others and many states are requiring businesses to do this as part of the reopening process as we move forward and on to the next phases. However, there are some who are being defiant and telling customers that if they wear a mask that they will not be allowed to come in.

Yes, there are those who are making rules AGAINST masks.

100,000 dead and nearly 2-million Americans infected because of us not taking this virus seriously at the start and people not following the rules put in place to keep us safe. This is unacceptable and this is because we did not take these simple actions in the beginning and do not follow the rules and that is because of our weak leadership. Our leadership at the top sent the wrong message about things like masks and other things and they continue to send that wrong message.

Wear a mask. Think of others. Save lives.

This is NOT about politics and wearing a mask does not make me a liberal and not wearing one does not make you strong or free. This is a common sense issue and a public health matter and it is time that we start to think of it in such terms as our very lives and the future of our nation for us and for our children depends on it.

This is not about politics and we need to stop the culture war against masks!