In today’s day and age, with the coronavirus at the forefront of everyone’s minds, a lot of things are changing. Many places require people to wear masks and practice social distancing to curb the spread of the virus. Until there is a vaccine to help stop the spread or treat the virus, many people are taking precautions across the world to ensure that everyone is safe and well.
While experts say masks help stop the spread of the virus, some people disagree with mask mandates.
The majority of medical experts agree that masks are a tool to prevent the spread of COVID-19, and as a result, many places have passed laws that require people to wear masks in public.
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However, these rules and laws can vary from location to location. As well, there are large movements of people who are disagree with COVID safety protocols and are protesting against experts’ recommendations.
This can cause tension between individuals, especially those who live in close proximity to each other.
Across the world, people are experiencing issues with friends and neighbors because they simply do not agree on the protocols to have in place during this time.
Some people believe in practicing social distancing and wearing masks, while others believe that these things do not help, despite the evidence from experts.
One person recently wrote into an advice column on Slate, stating that they feel strongly about masks and their neighbors do not agree.
Writing into the “Dear Care and Feeding” Facebook group for Slate, the person said that they feel that all kids should wear masks while outside. However, their neighbors with children do not agree.
The person had recently moved from a state that mandated masks to a state that was more lax on the rules.
“My family and I recently moved from one state, where masks are required for everyone over the age of 2 (yes, even outside), to another state, where masks are only required outside for those over age 12,” they wrote.
The person writing into Slate said that they are trying to make new friends, but their opinions on masks are making it a bit difficult.
“We very much want to make new friends, but we would strongly prefer that our 4-year-old wear a mask at all times and that others around us, even kids, do the same. So far when I have brought this up, people have sounded confused and a little put off by my mask request, which I understand, since the law here is different,” they said.
They asked the advice column how they can make new friends and also stay safe while they are trying to maintain guidelines of safety.
“How can we continue to stay safe (and I truly believe that masks on, even outside, even for kids, is the safest way to be) while finding and creating a new community, when we are surrounded by people who are following different guidelines,” they asked.
Columnist Dan Kois wrote back and said that wearing masks has become a “political stance.”
“As we all know, the question of how people view wearing masks isn’t simply a matter of local law; it’s now viewed by many as a political stance, a declaration of allegiance. You don’t name the state you left or the state you’ve moved to, but it’s easy to imagine that at least some of your neighbors might be mistrustful of a new arrival insisting their children wear masks, especially outside,” the columnist wrote.
The author made sure to point out that this person was not in the wrong.
“That’s not to say you’re wrong; indeed, you’re indisputably right that wearing masks outside is the safest way to be. You have every right to request that possible future friends join you in mask-wearing. For now, the ones who are willing to do so are the ones you can begin building your new community with. After all, you don’t need to make friends with everyone in your neighborhood yet; what you need in this accursed year is a few like-minded friends who are on, roughly, the same page as you about safety,” Kois continued.
Kois also reminded the parents that as the pandemic continues, people’s views on masks and safety could very much change.
“Over time, you might find that your hard line on children wearing masks outdoors might soften, led by the science on the subject and, maybe, your desperation to connect. Unfortunately, this miserable pandemic will continue through the winter and beyond, and I suspect your neighbors’ positions might evolve as well,” Kois penned.
What do you think of Kois take on this neighborly disagreement?
h/t: Slate
