Addressing the Arguments Against Mask Mandates I Most Commonly Hear
- Jul 14, 2020
- 3 min read
The topic of mandating the wearing of face masks during the coronavirus pandemic has become a very political topic as of recently. Some believe that such mandates are an infringement upon our freedom, while others believe they are needed for reducing the spread of the pandemic. Here, I will address the arguments against the mandates that I hear most often and whether or not they are good.
"Wearing a mask violates my religious belief that God has already given me an excellent immune system."
First off, not one religion says it is sinful to wear face masks. Maybe the people saying this are concerned that by wearing masks, they are insulting what God has already given them or something like that. If so, one should ask those people whether or not they are okay with doing things like cutting their hair, getting surgeries, and other things most people do with themselves that make unnatural changes to their physical self.
"Mask mandates violate our individual freedom."
There are some problems with this statement. For starters, a person saying that who is truly consistent in their perspective would arguably have to also concede that public decency laws regarding wearing clothes are also in violation of our individual freedom. If the government has no right to tell us to wear masks, why do they have any right to make any mandates at all regarding what people wear? The fact is, yes, we generally can choose what to do as individuals, though when out in public, there are certain regulations and codes of conduct that we have to follow. Our individual freedom in that situation is not absolute. Individual freedom may be important, though not when that freedom has the potential to impact others in unsafe ways, and not when you are choosing to be on property that is not your own. As shown in the first link below, masks assist in limiting the spread of the virus, which means that not wearing a mask makes you more likely to spread it. Hence, not wearing a mask in public is something that does not just affect the individual. The second link below shows that asymptomatic spread of the virus can happen, which is why wearing a mask is necessary, even if you do not feel ill.
"Wearing a mask is wrong for me because it shows that I fear something other than God."
Fair point, if you are religious. Given that statement though, are you also going to avoid fighting back if someone physically attacks you, for example? Do you cross the street without looking both ways? If the answer to those questions is no, then you really cannot justify the statement that masks are wrong for you simply because it shows you fearing something other than God.
"Masks dangerously restrict our ability to breathe."
Masks may be uncomfortable for many of us, though that does not mean that they significantly affect or breathing. Many sources, such as the one linked below, confirm that one really has nothing to be concerned about in that regard. That is, unless they already have a preexisting respiratory disease that prevents them from safely doing that. If one has such an illness, they can seek to get an exemption from the mask mandates.
So are these arguments against mask mandates sound? While some of them may indeed make sense, they are also rather flawed. Hopefully, this post has helped clarify my stance on this subject and my reasons for it.
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