Robert Crohan/Staff Writer
The United States is a unique country in many ways. We encompass an array of cultures, climates, peoples, and ideologies within our vast lands. From Alaska to Florida, and Maine to California, we are united by the ideas of self-determination, hard work and freedom.
However, we have seen how 2020 has damaged our national psyche.
White America has woken up to the egregious abuses nonwhite people have been struggling against for generations. Over 200,000 Americans have died of COVID-19. Racism against Asians has spiked during the pandemic because of its origins in China. Millions are out of work. The streets of our major cities have become urban battlegrounds akin to Kabul or Baghdad. Children are going hungry in 2020 America.
In part, I blame the politicization of… well, just about everything. In recent years, we have seen this country become polarized between left and right, and a prime example can be seen with the concept of mask-wearing. The fact that it is such a point of contention reveals some deep flaws we need to address.
In recent years, we have seen this country become polarized between left and right, and a prime example can be seen with the concept of mask-wearing.
This particular tension is not a recent phenomenon. During the 1918 Spanish Flu pandemic, public health authorities urged people to wear masks, but many refused to. Much like today, they argued that such enforcements violated the Constitution and numerous people were arrested over the debacle. In total, around 675,000 Americans died in that pandemic.
I can understand these arguments. The U.S. population should stand firm against government tyranny. But that is not what we are seeing today. We should be thankful that we don’t live in an authoritarian state where people are sealed inside their homes and tracked by their government.
What the CDC and experts like Dr. Anthony Fauci are doing is making stern recommendations based on research. Stores have mask mandates, but many allow managers to decide for themselves how the rules should be enforced. Fauci seems aware that he has no authority over the government’s pandemic response.
However, the enforcement of facial coverings goes much further. I would argue that mask-wearing has become much more politicized today than in 1918 because of political narratives, social media, and racism. This political question has resulted in the embrace of brazen ideas that paint top liberals and experts as evil.
One conspiracy claims that leftist leaders are part of a “deep state” that President Trump is fighting against. As such, these followers believe masks are the first step towards an Orwellian future of repression and surveillance.
This newfound extremism on the right has treated the whole pandemic, among other things, as a conspiracy. The left has sunken as well by saying conspiracy followers are irredeemable and all-around bad people instead of working to diplomatically debunk these theories.
A number of intolerant leftists have been aggressive about masks, enforcing “cancel culture” on anti-maskers, hence the “Karen” phenomenon.
Social media has allowed these, and other conspiracies, to spread to the whole world and become blindly accepted. This has led to people on both the left and right becoming tribalistic when it comes to politics. Compromise and research have been thrown out in favor of clashing.
Masks, I would argue, are also associated with foreign people, particularly Asians. In many Asian countries, masks are mainstream and worn even during flu season or when people feel sick, out of respect for the public. These rules are very rarely enforced, and even in the U.S., Asian tourists wear them at places like Disney World.
In the U.S., however, it seems that people with racist tendencies oppose masks so as to not appear or “end up like” Asians. Americans have associated eating habits in Asian countries, including wild animal consumption in China, with masks and disease. Past outbreaks have been used to justify racism for other groups. For example, the 2009 Swine Flu was blamed on Mexican Americans, and HIV was falsely attributed to Haitian Americans.
We have seen the consequences of all this: “Karens” yelling at individuals wearing masks, people attacking those enforcing mask usage, mask-wearers being labeled as “sheep”, facial coverings being torn off by anti-maskers and Asian Americans being coughed and spit on.
All of this is insulting, pure and simple. Thousands of Americans have lost their lives fighting COVID-19 and millions more are working day and night, with masks, to keep everyone safe and rescue their fellow human beings. I understand concerns about tyranny, but people have to be more considerate. If they are not convinced of COVID-19’s dangers, they should take in the terrifying statistics.
In addition, refusing to wear a mask seems very selfish. I understand everyone’s situation is different, and I understand enjoying the fruits of a country that our veterans fought and died to preserve, but if they can endure so much for us, why can’t we do the same? This isn’t a battlefield, it’s postponing your plans. If people can endure losing family members, you can hold off on your bar nights for a while.
It seems like the vast majority of anti-maskers refuse to wear them out of sheer discomfort. Very righteous, in a year when thousands have died of disease and black Americans have been lynched by racist police. All it takes is twenty minutes in a store with a mask. Nothing more, nothing less.
If people don’t trust or understand the facts, we shouldn’t cancel them, but convince them.
When I see people get aggressive about masks, I get very angry because masks have saved my sister’s life. She has a weak immune system and would more than likely die if she caught COVID-19. Therefore, when I go out, I wear high-quality masks and am extremely cautious. I can’t even imagine what would happen if someone deliberately pulled my mask off.
Not to mention how terrible this makes America look to the rest of the world. People in other democracies wore masks and kept their distance. Why can’t we?
I will join the crowd arguing that mask-wearing is just plain respectful. It’s a necessary, and temporary sacrifice we must endure to crush COVID-19. We need to trust our experts again and elect experienced leadership with solid policies and compassion. If people don’t trust or understand the facts, we shouldn’t cancel them, but convince them.
In the meantime, let’s have the necessary debate and work together. We can beat back polarization and make progress again, before the next crisis breaks us forever.
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Photo by Jernej Furman on Flickr.
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