Face Mask Madness

I was scrolling my way through comments on the Nextdoor app last week, and in the middle of a discussion surrounding someone's post about the things they've found to appreciate about this lockdown, some guy piped up that he'd 'HAD' to get into a fistfight because some other guy called his wife a dumb broad because she was wearing a mask.

Beyond the fact it was a tasteless and sexist remark, I find this wrong on so many levels. Let me try to count a few of the ways.

• the assumption that some random stranger's opinion of the things done to protect one’s health matters
• the assumption that such words deserve anything more in response than a bark of laughter and look of pity
• the assumption that throwing punches resolved anything (he didn't say if the other guy punched back...)
• projecting here - the assumption that his wife was unable to stand up and speak up for herself.

I'm guessing a few lessons on anger control would ease some pressure in the life of the guy who posted the comment.  Just sayin'.

However, It's the one who made the dumb broad comment who really has me puzzled. (Unless, perhaps, he wasn't commenting on the face mask at all, but, rather, on the lady's taste in companions. I could go down that road fairly easily.)

Dumb to wear a face mask?  Really?

I realize there's been a lot of conflicting advice out there around face masks since the pandemic settled upon our lives, but near as I can tell, that's partly because the experts have also been learning as we go about trying to understand this invader. Now we know there are a lot of asymptomatic carriers out there, doesn't it make sense to try to protect others, just in case you're one of the carriers? Not to mention the part where it makes it less likely you'll breathe the virus in.

It doesn't help that our president, VP and the governor of Missouri, among others, are convinced wearing a mask shows weakness or makes them unmanly or some such nonsense. (I haven't read reports of female leaders refusing to wear the things, though I'm sure the women are out there...)

There is a group out there who publishes Darwin Awards each year - stories of people who died doing spectacularly stupid things. (I just checked - the group still exists, though I hadn't seen the list in some years. darwinawards.com, if you're bored...) I was going to say the anti-maskers are putting themselves in line for the awards, but then I found the website, and it turns out they'd have to up their game to make the cut.

Me?  I'd rather be a dumb broad than a sick or dead one (or the one causing other people to be sick or dead).  I'll wear my mask.