States run by Republicans have begun lifting their mask mandates.
In Texas, Gov. Greg Abbott said, “Texans no longer need government running their lives” (read story here). His party used to prosecute draft dodgers, but that was a long time ago. His party also passed legislation to prosecute people who give food to voters waiting in line. That was yesterday. As with so many things, Republicans’ antipathy to government interference in people’s lives is selective.
Meanwhile, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) thinks dropping mask mandates is madness. That’s not the language they used. What they actually said was this:
(Read story here.)
Finally, just because the state doesn’t require you to wear a mask, doesn’t mean you don’t have to one in a grocery store or other business. When you’re on private property, the owner makes the rules, and can ask you to leave if you don’t comply. If you don’t, you can be arrested for trespassing. And most major retailers still require employees and customers to wear masks. (Read that story here.)
We’re still in a pandemic. Only a fraction of the U.S. population has been vaccinated so far. Medical experts are nearly unanimous in saying mask wearing is the most effective tool we have for slowing the spread of Covid-19. Regardless of what legal mandates may be in place, or not, refusing to wear a mask when mingling with strangers is dangerous, stupid, and selfish.