My Message To Both Sides About Masks.
Hey guys. I want to talk masks. Not about wearing them, I think we all know where I stand on that and why.
I want to talk about the craziness surrounding masks. On both sides.
First, to the anti-mask people: relax. No one is forcing you to wear a mask if you don’t want to. If you have a medical condition, you don’t have to. If you’re worried about your freedom you don’t have to. If you think COVID is a hoax you don’t have to. There are so many loopholes in the mandate that if you choose to not wear a mask that’s your right and you won’t be forced.
But remember, that freedom you have to choose not to is the same freedom a business has to tell you “no mask no entry”. Freedom works both ways for both sides. So don’t hate a place because they don’t believe what you believe. Just shop somewhere you can with no mask. Easy, right?
To the pro-maskers: relax. Some people don’t want to wear a mask. As much as we may plead and beg and point out why, some will choose to not wear one. As much as that may suck for families such as mine it’s their American right. All we can do is ask. Not shame, not force. Ask. And if they say no. That sucks. But that doesn’t mean they’re your enemy.
Here’s my biggest point. This is an individual choice we all have to make. So make it and move on. I’ve posted twice now why I wish people would wear masks. Not memes. Not YouTube videos. Not some crazy doctor. Not even articles backing up my reasoning. Just my words to help you understand why I ask what I ask and what the reasons are for it.
So pro-maskers, if you are going to ask, be kind and use your personal words. Don’t attack. Don’t demand. Don’t shame. Talk. Listen. Reason. Try to make them understand while doing it respectfully. Then move on. Remember, at the end of the day this is a choice whether you like it or not.
Anti-maskers I ask this of you. Please stop sharing misinformation, things you see on YouTube, or random memes of why you shouldn’t wear a mask. You don’t have to back up your choice, you just have to make it. This isn’t a “who has the bigger team” kind of thing. If you have a reason to not wear a mask, whatever that may be, explain it so people can understand if you want to. Not with a meme but with your personal words as well. Explain to us why. Help us understand. If it’s freedom or political or medical. Talk. Don’t shout. Don’t call us sheep. Don’t say we live in fear. You have your beliefs and we have ours. That is America.
You can be right without us being wrong and vise versa.
I miss seeing your lives. Pictures of your families, fish, your yard, your fire pit or your view of Alaska. Look at your Facebook. What are you posting? So many people are drawing battle lines and so busy trying to prove their point that they are missing the point of why we are all on the planet. To be happy. To smile. And to try to have the best life possible. It’s so much easier when we do it together. Be kind. Show compassion. Leave judging to someone else. Understanding costs nothing. And a smile changes everything. Even if it’s under a mask.