Here’s a revelation that it’s probably redundant to refer to as a revelation: nearly every Republican and libertarian-leaning person I know doesn’t wear a mask. No doubt they wear them where they’re required, most notably inside businesses, but generally the masks come off in places they’re not required; outside in particular.
What about at home? Forget about it. As for indoors with friends, most often not. Sometimes jokes are made about them.
About this, it should be made clear that death and sickness are not jokes to any of the people I know. Particularly during the early days of March, most of the people I know were quite a bit more cautious. This was a known that the New York Times reported: in those red, allegedly science denying states that were the last to impose hideous and needless lockdowns, citizens were taking greater care on their own. Among the Republicans and libertarians whom I know, the notion of laws or forced lockdowns bring and brought new meaning to superfluous. If illness or death threatens, who would need to be told to be careful?
To repeat, no one I know laughs at illness or death. On the other hand, the Republicans and libertarians I know tend to think masks not terribly effective at deterring illness. As for death, the New York Times in particular has been a rather excellent source of information about the virus. Though the Times routinely runs headlines that would give the impression that there’s Covid blood on every American street, a read of the stories with alarmist headlines has routinely revealed a sad, but less tragic truth within: nearly half of all U.S. deaths related to the virus have been associated with nursing homes. From this, many Republicans and libertarian leans in my world have had a tendency to conclude that a high percentage of Covid deaths in the U.S. were associated with already ill people who were also very old. Which is why the same Republicans have a greater tendency to wear masks around the old and ill. Again, people don’t need a law to be more respectful about and around those who are both elderly and sick.
As for those who are just old, my parents fall into the late seventies category. So do their friends in Pasadena, CA. Though they abide business rules, they don’t wear masks while socializing with one another. Nor do they require their offspring to wear masks around them. While their age has them increasingly aware of their mortality, they don’t view the virus as a major threat. They continue to live as they used to, before politicians decided we couldn’t be trusted to look after ourselves free of force.
Realistically, all that’s been written so far is redundant. The mask-reverent already know all-too-many Republicans don’t share their alarmism. Just turn on MSNBC for confirmation of this truth, or sign up for a neighbhorhood list serve. Those who don't wear masks are pilloried by the expert reverent. It’s purely anecdotal, but I’ve been accosted in an outdoor parking lot by a “Karen” for not wearing a mask. Once, while in an elevator, the door opened to a “Ken.” In the company of others I don’t know, I always wear masks, But I was alone in this case. That I was didn’t keep “Ken” from telling me to “Wear a mask, Dude.” Oh well, add up enough anecdotes and you have statistic. My experiences with the self-righteous are hardly unique. They’re on a mission to get everyone to mask up.
Except that it’s not happening. Call if defiance, call it reverence for research that doesn’t view masks as protectors (really, it’s not “science” without doubt), or call it political, but the Republicans and libertarians in my world increasingly dismiss masks in haughty fashion. And in truth, they’ve dismissed them for months.
The above is important simply because reality has a way of intruding on stridency. Or hubris. About anything. And it changes behavior. If our behavior causes us harm, we tend to change the behavior. I don’t know anyone who is Republican or libertarian who doesn’t aggressively avoid what could make him or her sick. Colds, fevers and flus are awful. We try to avoid all three, but at the same time we once again dismiss masks.
Which raises an obvious question: have Republicans been abnormally sick the last four to five months, or seven? They should be, or should have been assuming masks were a powerful barrier to the virus. Statistics reveal the opposite. Figure that the states with the most cases and deaths have largely been Democratic leaning. But correlation isn’t always causation, not to mention that it could be science and mask-denying Republicans in those blue states taking up the most hospital beds.
The main thing is that if Republicans who despise masks were getting sick in dominant fashion, it’s not unreasonable to suggest that they would be morphing into GOP Karens and Kens due to illness that was a consequence of mask denial. If not Karen or Ken, it’s easy to at least say that a surge in virus infections among Republicans would increase mask usage among them. Except that there’s no evidence supporting a GOP or libertarian coronavirus lean, nor is there evidence that they’re wearing masks with greater frequency.
So what of the Democrats who are more reverent of masks and the experts telling them to don them? Are they notably healthy relative to Republicans, or do the masks not make much of a difference? Do they just enjoy being told what to do?
Or maybe it’s just political. Maybe Democrats are equally cynical about masks; aggressive about wearing them in public, but Nancy Pelosi, Chris Cuomo, and Barbara Feinstein-like in private. If so, shame on them. Hundreds of millions around the world are racing toward starvation based on parts of the U.S. locking down due to the coronavirus. No compassionate person would continue this public, and very hysterical charade if privately doubtful.
