Masks have nothing to do with freedom
By Ed Kociela
This whole business about freedom is tangled up right now in a cultural war of ideologies that has caught Gov. Gary Herbert in its web.
The governor, wisely, decided that freedom is something that does not come free of restriction when he decided last Thursday to issue another emergency declaration in the wake of the continuing COVID-19 pandemic.
And, contrary to the contrarians, it is not an attempt to steal your freedoms.
Remember, you can assemble, worship, seek redress against the government, and speak your mind, but it does not mean you can yell “Fire!” in a crowded theater.
You can own weapons, if you wish, but you cannot use them to harm, injure, or intimidate another human being.
You can vote out the old bums and elect new ones if you wish, but only if you fulfill the requirements of citizenship and the law.
You can hop behind the wheel of a car and drive wherever you wish, so long as you petition the local authorities for a driver’s license and obey the rules of the road.
Our freedoms are wide and ranging, but they do not come without limitations.
Unfortunately, there are a number of folks for whom the appetite for ignorance is insatiable. Those are the ones who are protesting state mandates requiring masks in public gatherings, whether in the local grocery store, school, or wherever else people gather these days.
Several hundred of those people gathered Friday in front of the Washington County School District Offices to protest an issue that the district had no hand in establishing: the mandatory mask mandate for schools ordered by Herbert.
They identified themselves as the Liberty Action Coalition and their “End the Mask Mandate Rally” was organized a couple of weeks ago in response to the governor’s order as cases of COVID-19 continued to grow.
The group claims to have about 1,000 members, which surprises me. I would think surely there would be more, given the region’s Libertarian leaning.
The gist of these malcontents is that the governor, the school district, and the health department do not have the authority to enact laws.
There were speeches, a march around the district office, a prayer and, of course, signs proclaiming “My Body, My Choice,” “Resist Forced COVID-19 Vaccinations,” and the ever-popular “The Media I$ The Virus,” as well as others vowing they would not be muzzled by a mask. There were signs calling for the boycott of several local, national, and international companies as if the Washington County metropolitan area could put a dent in their business by taking their shopping elsewhere.
Look, from the deepest part of my heart and soul, I hope none of their children come down with COVID-19, that they themselves stay safe and healthy, that nobody, whether in Washington County, Utah, Washington, D.C. or anywhere else foreign or domestic, comes down with this thing, that they all remain disease-free. Just because people can be stupid doesn’t mean they should be infected with a potentially lethal disease. We don’t want that kind of payback or any kind of karma that would come from wishing it.
I know teachers located in a number of different cities across the United States. I have deep love and admiration for them and their call to duty, which is not insignificant in the bigger picture here. One of them, locally, sees about 150 students each day. She is there, in the classroom, because she is, indeed, an educator with the best interests of her students in her heart. It’s a risk, and she knows it, but she also has dedicated her life to the education of our young people.
I worry for her, her husband, their children.
I worry for my friend on the East Coast, who is doing split duty – seeing a small number of students on a rotating, daily basis in the classroom and delivering online instruction to the others.
I worry for my friend in the Pacific Northwest. A single father, he has that responsibility, of course, but also the responsibility to keep himself healthy and not bring COVID-19 home to his son.
I know retired educators in my native St. Louis, and former home of southern California, who are sleepless as a result of their concern for their fellow teachers and children who followed in their footsteps to further education.
This is real, very real.
And, for somebody to challenge something like wearing a mask to protect not only themselves but others is an assault on human decency.
We saw what happened when they opened up businesses too early.
We saw what happened when they lifted the restrictions on bars and restaurants.
We saw what happened when 250,000 angry bikers descended on Sturgis, South Dakota.
Do we really want to start another body count in Washington County, Utah?
I’m not a fan of Herbert, his politics, or his policies.
But, even a broken watch is right twice a day and he happens to be correct in declaring a new emergency declaration last Thursday.
It was an act to ensure that Utah does not miss out on federal emergency relief, vital to helping the state fight this plague. It comes from a position of leadership, something the nation seeks desperately. It took a fair amount of courage for him to defy the Legislature, which refused to extend the current state of emergency. They did so because of pressure from the business community and anti-maskers. The Legislature’s decision was based on dollars, not sense.
To his credit, Herbert wasn’t having any of it.
“We’re not out of the woods yet on this pandemic,” he said during his monthly news conference where he announced the new emergency declaration. “People are still dying. The infection rates are still too high and growing.”
He also addressed the anti-maskers saying that he understands they have strong emotions about the mandate that he deems as being “a little bit irrational,” but that he is looking out for the welfare of the state.
“All we are trying to do is help create a safe environment,” he said. “I guess these same people get on an airplane and say ‘I’m not going to fasten my seatbelt.’”
Herbert can afford to be bold since he has opted to not run for another term.
Still, there was courage and a sense of leadership in his decision.
His job, after all, is to govern equitably, not win popularity contests.
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Since January I have been following this pandemic. I started reading the latest peer reviewed papers and was part of a core Twitter group of top virologists, epidemiologists, etc across the globe. I have probably reviewed so many studies I have lost count. Pseudoscience, conspiracy theories that profits youtuber content providers, and disinformation from our own government as well as the WHO had fueled the ignorance and politicization of wearing masks.
As far as the anti-maskers are concerned they are a political cult. Same structure as the cult of Qanon. Simply the protest was a cathartic ritual as well as group think personified. For them the mask is symbolic of loss of freedom and helplessness that experiencing this pandemic has created in all of us. It is a cry against being a victim, it is a way of fighting back against mental strife and even depression. But in the end it is not justified by science nor is it the correct behavior to address the pandemic as well as our fellow human beings. They are clearly wrong and you cannot convince them otherwise. But I forgive them and also realize it is hopeless to change their views.
Now THE GOOD NEWS. As of 2 weeks ago enough data has emerged – (still not proven, but may just be the case) 20-30% are immune. The remaining group, roughly 80% are asymptomatic, leaving 20% who get sick. If this is the case herd immunity can be achieved over time. Masks still are critical. not just to protect others and infectious spread, but ourselves in terms if reducing viral dosage intake as aerosolization is part of the equation. . Even some asymptomatic cases show damage to some organs. So you don’t want to get this blood clotting disease – very risky especially if obese, old, or other issues.
So in the end I believe the pandemic will run its course but we are doing it the hard way. There is a possibility that immunity may not hold up, and then my analysis will be wrong. There are cases if REINFECTION at this time. Waiting for paper out of HK not peer reviewed yet. My guess it is it is likely not a significant problem but only time will tell. Ed. – homerun. It takes 5 weeks for thes spikes to show up. Let’s hope parent ,respect the health and safety of teachers and school personnel. Let’s hope a little humanity opens the hearts of those so angry ti wear a little mask. I wear an N95 and tk be honest regular masks are bliss in comparison. God Bless.