In America we are in the midst of a deep conflict. On one side you have anti-maskers who believe that masks are infringing on their freedom, on the other side you have people that care about the wellbeing of their neighbors. The self righteous resolve of anti maskers has been encouraged by Republican media and Donald Trump. Therefore this divide is only growing stronger as coronavirus continues to infect and kill American and non Americans alike.

How did this Happen?

America has always been a country of conflicting ideas. Founding fathers claimed “All men are created equal” while owning slaves. We scream about freedom and patriotism on the fourth of July but we still have the most incarcerated people out of any country in the world. We claim we are “the richest nation in the world” but everywhere I travel in this country, I see huge swaths of people affected by homelessness. America has always professed lofty values and ideals yet often fails to meet those self imposed standards. That vein of ugly Americanism has burst forth with the election of Donald Trump.

Red Reactionism

With the rise of Newt Gingrich in the 1990’s and his scorched earth approach to politics, the Republican party has centered themselves not as the party of conservatism, but the party of opposition and reactionaries. Newt is often touted as the most visible face of neo-conservatism that painted liberals as the true enemy switching the focus from Russia and Communism. Anti-intellectualism and reactionary bullshit became the name of the game. As of today Dr. Anthony Fauci has done several press releases describing the growing death threats him and his family have received. Even if you believe that coronavirus isn’t as serious as the media reports, to threaten the life of a nationally respected health official merely for trying to keep us safe is insanity. There is a word for any group that opposes any sort of progress, regressive.

This inability for regressives to support any sort of progressive legislation or fact based policy has caused a huge vein of anti-intellectualism, hyper greed, and pure selfishness in large pockets of American society. These same people have decided that their freedom is more important the health of the country and that deep down, masks are really about the government trying to restrict and control the people.

Now listen, I’m all for battling oppressive systems. There are plenty in this country (three strikes law, abortion restriction laws, sodomy laws, credit reporting, payday loan agencies) However, these mask mandates that some mayors and governors are enforcing are not that.

America Has A Problem.

We were never instilled with the notion of having responsibilities to our community. We are taught the concept of “rugged individualism” and “pull yourself up by your bootstraps”, which seems to suppress the notion that we are part of a collective and have collective obligations to our community. If we fill our role in our community then the government should fill theirs, that is the social contract.

Unfortunately, our government has failed us. They have encouraged us to be selfish at a time when we should be selfless. They have told us that this virus will just “go away” while simultaneously trying to get rid of healthcare for millions of Americans. The only way we can fight this growing vein of cruelty is to radically employ love and responsibility towards yourself and the community. Loving your community means wearing a mask, there is no longer an argument. If you choose not to do so, you are making a statement, that the health of the people around you don’t matter nearly as much as your naïve attachment to the notion that we live in a free country. If you are reading this and are still choosing not to wear a mask at least please do us a favor and spare the moralizing, you’re not a hero just a dick.