Masks have proven effective, but Americans still won't wear them
"There is a big difference between your government taking away your right to medical care, because of religious beliefs that should be separated from government anyways, and your state trying to save lives by wearing a mask."
Posted January 2021
By Olivia Eyestone
Cub Reporter
Masks have been proven to help protect people from COVID-19, but some Americans see no problem in refusing to mask up when going out in public, and risk further spread of a sickness the United States does not have a handle on yet.
COVID-19 has been spreading rampantly across the United States. The percentage of respiratory specimens testing positive for COVID-19 recently jumped from 12.1% to 13.3%. However, some Americans are still displaying major insensitivity and ignorance as they still refuse to wear a mask in public. Citizens even go as far as to use the slogan, “My Body My Choice”, which is used by activists supporting a woman’s right to choose an abortion. There is a big difference between your government taking away your right to medical care (because of religious beliefs that should be separated from government anyways) and your state trying to save lives by wearing a mask.
The President of the United States, Donald Trump, also refusing to wear masks at public outings and not taking big measures to stop the spread of COVID-19, is not helping the political right understand how important and useful masks really are. After seeing Trump and nearly 40 cabinet members (that he is in close vicinity with constantly) contract COVID-19 since September, would it not be obvious that safety measures that our president ignores may actually be useful?
Governor Kate Brown has received backlash by residents for putting strict rules in place during the COVID-19 pandemic. The recent “freeze,” which was a temporary pause in social interactions, has caused some friction. However, these measures were put in place because the number of cases in Oregon dramatically rose, and Kate Brown needed to take action and try and stop the spread.
Strict mandates may feel incredibly annoying, but the only way life can go back to normal in this upcoming year is if cases can slow down. Not wearing a mask is not going to help these numbers fall.