I generally steer away from “toxic” topics or political discussions on this blog (there are plenty of other places you can certainly click on to get your fill of that, no matter which way you politically lean), but I have to say that I’m baffled by the continued resistance of wearing masks in public places, stores, and other indoor settings as we navigate this pandemic.

We’ve been very fortunate in Maryland (so far), and especially in the western portion of the state (where I reside).  At last count, my county has only had 664 confirmed cases of COVID-19 (out of a total population of @151,000) and has experienced just 26 fatalities from the illness.  Sobering numbers, to be sure, but not near the totals that the greater metropolitan Baltimore and Washington, D.C. areas are experiencing (a mere 75 miles away).  Maryland has also still been trending downward statewide, a statistical rarity among most states, which are now experiencing explosive growth of the disease (think California, Texas, and Florida).  Sure, our totals could reverse course at any moment, but for now, things are moving in the right direction.  Part of that success has been the wearing of face coverings in public buildings and enclosed areas.

Even so, my Facebook feed is littered with friends and acquaintances who rail against any business or entity that requires a facemask to enter.  Folks here pound on tables and thump their chests, shouting “freedom!” and “liberty!” from their jacked up trucks while wearing American flag T-shirts and waving their Confederate flags.  They scream at the seventeen year-old assigned to watch doors at the grocery store of their summer job, their neck veins bulging and spit flying from their mouths as they browbeat anyone who dares to challenge their “God given right” to go mask-free in public.

Meanwhile, they have no apparent issues with the “no shoes, no shirt, no service” sign that is painted on the door right next to the posted store hours.

Look, you can debate the effectiveness of a homemade cloth mask or paper mask vs. the N95 ones issued to health professionals, but any scientific study I’ve read (that’s right – they’re out there, and quite easy to find) clearly states that wearing a mask can significantly inhibit the spread of not only your own bodily fluids, germs, and whatever creeping crud you carry around, but it can also help prevent you from breathing in the same hedonistic mix from others you encounter on a day-to-day basis.  I really don’t care what that crazy-ass talking head on YouTube or your Instagram feed is spouting – it’s a verifiable, testable, and provable fact.  Masks work. 

Let’s face it, no one is walking around with a ruler in their pocket to measure out the six-foot social distancing rule (and most stickers I’ve seen placed on floors as a guide are hilariously inaccurate), so the next best thing is to wear a mask.

“But I can’t breath!” – comes the reply.  This argument will come from someone like a 250-lb, bearded and burly construction worker who will normally stand on a flat roof throwing hot tar for eight hours a day in 100+ degree sweltering heat with no complaints.  Now he’s suddenly struggling for air when it means donning a mask of thin cotton in order to get a bottle of ‘Yoo-Hoo’ and a ‘Butterfinger’ at the local, air-conditioned ‘Sheetz’ on his lunch break.  I’m sorry, but I’m not buying what you’re selling.

“This thing is just like the flu – I’ve had that before – it’s no big deal.”  Sorry, Charlie.  COVID-19 is NOT like the flu.  Not even close.  Its mortality rate is significantly higher, there is currently no vaccine in place, and we’re not even sure yet if you develop antibodies (once exposed) that will effectively keep you from getting it a second or even third time.  Yes, most reported cases have been mild, but when it’s not mild?  It kills – without remorse – over 125,000 times thus far in the United States alone.  A virus is a funny thing.  You can’t see it, taste it, smell it, or touch it, but it’s out there – and continues to spread.  You may not even know that you have it (some cases are asymptomatic).  Remember when we all permanently changed the way we lived our lives when just 3,000 people died on 9-11?  We’re currently past the mortality count of US lives lost in World War 1 – and climbing.

“I don’t want the government telling me what to do!”  Really?  That’s funny, because they do it every day on a myriad of other things.  Do you pay income tax?  Do you stop at red lights?  Have you ever filed for a building permit?  I think you’ll find that government (at all levels) tells us what to do repeatedly and often.  Sure, you can ignore all of these things, but there are consequences.  Why make one of them your own health (or the health of someone you care about)? 

Pride is a hell of a thing.  It blinds us, hardens us, and makes us tune out even the most basic common sense and reason.  Do you really want to have to look back one day and say “I wouldn’t wear a mask, and my Nana ended up dying?”  That’s a heavy burden for anyone.

Wearing a mask is such an easy thing – and it’s not like you have to wear one in your own home, out driving in your car, or sitting on your front porch.  It’s not a 24×7 proposition.  Keep one in your pocket or car and flop it on before you enter a building or enclosed space.  COVID-19 isn’t going away anytime soon.  Wearing a mask can help not only you, but also those around you to stay just a little bit safer.

And what’s wrong with that?