I haven't had a chance to catch up on the thread since before shabbos. Although I did read some of the posts a few hours before shabbos started.
To explain my post, I'll make two prefaces.
1. CV attack on people who don't wear masks.
2. My fusteration how people have lost their ability to make there own decisions.
I originally posted this as a reaction to CV calling people who don't wear masks ignorant and uneducated. I was pointing out that he can't just call out 399 people in a room because they don't wear masks. For 4 weeks we haven't seen anything bad happen bh. I also questioned the mask wearer. I was not trying to knock him personally. I was just wondering why he would wear one. Some people took it literally that I was attacking him but that was unintended. Only after someone claimed that it can be him (he wears it because it doesn't bother him), followed by CV making this more of a trump issue, did I comment further, but that was directed at CV and others. Those following comments were absolutely not aimed at that mask wearer (he was just the "model" for the argument.)
My stance against masks is more about the general response that the government and the people has taken against the virus. Yes the virus is real and mask can work and should be used in certain circumstances, but yet the damage that has been done over the extreme lock down has really angered me. And now the government thinks they are capable enough to enough to beat the virus. Who says it's all of their rules that are lowering the cases? Maybe it just common sense protocols that people are taking that are helping? Everyone is blaming this second wave over easing of restrictions. What about the states that eased up and haven't seen an uptick of cases. (About NY/NJ area- you cannot prove from March that masks work. Noone knew anything about the virus and Noone too it seriously. Sandwich that with healthcare being overwelmed and you have a disaster.) Unfortunately this virus is not in our control. I don't think masks work well enough to actually curb and/or eliminate the virus. I don't need government forcing me to wear masks, I just use common sense to help prevent the spread. Davidrotts already said a lot of what I wanted to say about masks, so I won't go through the points again.
All these measures the government keep taking are only making people more fearful. It seems like people have lost their ability to think for themselves. Yes people should play it safe but in general the past few months have been way too extreme. I'll give just a few examples of what I saw just within the past two weeks. A mask wearer at a outdoor minyan when he maintained 50 feet of distancing. Walking down the street a few ladies were having a SD conversation and as I got close the quickly moved out of the way so I don't get within 6 feet of them. Wearing masks in car. Etc. You can give a response to each story individually but in general it seems people are taking non sensical measures.
I can understand the government and people's initial response when the virus was raging in march. But they have had plenty of time to rethink everything over. Just one example. To keep small businesses closed for so long without allowing them to open safely is immoral and unfair. (I never said wearing a mask is immoral. Please reread that post.)
About people telling me to take some xantax. Bh I'm not triggered in fear from masks. Maybe reread the posts again. I was referring to people with other emotional issues who I know personally who get triggered from seeing masks. It's not necessarily directly from the masks, it's from the general feeling from everything going on (no school, no visiting friends etc etc.) that makes them feel the world is unsafe.
There are other points I've been thinking about over shabbos but can't remember everything.
I'm done for now. I've spent too much time with this. Back to regular schedule...
