Yes, I know – the Gov has asked us not to call each other out in public, not to make masks a part of the culture wars or a sign of partisanship.
Sorry, Gov, but on this one I’m going against your advice, and saying it loud and clear:
You refuse to wear a mask? You are a bad and selfish neighbor, and a threat to the community.
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I see you when I go to the store. Most everybody in there is wearing a mask, no matter their age, race, or gender. But here you come, down the aisle, no mask in sight, shopping as if it’s January, acting as if you are somehow more special and immune than the rest of us.
Our eyes meet. You see my mask, and a little smirk plays over your lips. I move as far as I can to the side to let you pass, and your face lights up with a little smile at my concern. Then you pass, continuing to shop with no regard for me or for anyone else.
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You may think that all this pandemic stuff is made-up hooey, overblown and not that serious.
Guess what – the virus doesn’t care what you think.
You may not worry about getting sick yourself.
Guess what – it’s not about protecting yourself, it’s about protecting me. As the CDC has said, “My mask protects you, and your mask protects me.”
You may imagine yourself as some sort of heroic figure, showing your courage in the face of danger by not wearing a mask.
That’s great – how about not forcing the rest of us into your fantasy world?
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The facts are plain and easy to understand:
- COVID-19 is contagious, perhaps much more so than other viruses.
- You can have it and not know it.
- You can give it to others even though you have no symptoms.
- Those other people can then get violently sick and even die.
- There is no vaccine, and there is no cure.
- Wearing a mask is an effective way to limit the infection of others.
- Not wearing a mask increases the infection of others.
So, when you choose not to wear a mask in public, it means that you do not care about the people around you. Plain and simple.
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What do we call someone who blows their leaves onto someone else’s lawn? A bad neighbor.
What do we call someone who throws their trash into the street for someone else to deal with? A really bad neighbor.
What do we call someone who threatens the health of everyone around them and doesn’t care that they are doing so? A really, really bad neighbor.
Stop being a bad neighbor. #WearTheDamnMask
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