Guest Commentary by Shauna Millar
Today, June 26, 2020 – Washington State’s Governor announce that masks are required by everyone when in public. The Western Pact – Washington, Nevada, California and Oregon (to some extent) – are all following this new ideal.
Here is the problem: There is no proof that masks prevent anything. This is what I am calling the 50/50 argument. There have not been any conclusive studies done on the wearing of face masks that have proven, one way or the other, if masks are helpful or hurtful. When we talk about the masks that nurses and surgeons wear, the one thing that seems to not be pointed out is, that after they use the masks they are thrown out. They are a one and done item. Which is why there is such a huge demand for them.
While there are many people out there who are making masks at home, from various materials, they aren’t stressing that you will need multiple masks and they need to be washed – daily. Masks help with the prevention of getting respiratory secretions into the air. In other words, if you are sick, it will prevent you from not coughing, sneezing or getting spittle on other people.
According to Wikipedia: (I know we don’t all think its necessarily a “great” source, but it does come in handy and in this case references WHO.)
Masks: No mask can provide a perfect barrier, but products that meet or exceed the NIOSH N95 standard recommended by the World Health Organization are thought to provide good protection. WHO recommends that health-care workers wear N95 masks and that patients wear surgical masks (which may prevent respiratory secretions from becoming airborne).[102] Any mask may be useful to remind the wearer not to touch the face. This can reduce infection due to contact with contaminated surfaces, especially in crowded public places where coughing or sneezing people have no way of washing their hands. The mask itself can become contaminated and must be handled as medical waste when removed.
There are articles available all over the internet with the pro/con of the face masks. Which then leads to the glove argument – we are touching surfaces after all; some of which can keep the bacteria alive for not just hours, but days. However, wearing gloves isn’t beneficial, according to research, as apparently we don’t know how to use them properly. Not to mention some gloves do absorb bacteria.
The problem is we like to touch our faces. We run our finger through our hair. We rub our eyes, our noses, our mouths. We pull on our ears. We cradle our face in our hands while we are in thought. Adding a mask to our face, just gives us another reason to get our fingers close to our mouths as we pull them up and bring them down.
We have had the avian flu (1957-1958), Hong Kong Flu (1968-1969), Swine Flu (2009-2010), Measles (in 2000 – 777.000 people died with over 40 million cases), SARS (2002-2004), H5N1 (2004-2005/07 [another Avian Flu]) and now COVID-19 (2019-2020). The global economy has been affected by all of these things. The one underlining precaution; make sure to wash your hands, have been repeated with every new outbreak. (You would think we would have learned from that by now, right?)
So, what makes this pandemic more than any of the others? In the U.S., we have seen where state Governors have been able to declare a “state of emergency” and start handing out emergency directives, executive orders, etc., with no accountability all the while not using their power to call ’emergency legislative sessions’ to have other elected officials in on the decision making process for their state.
Washington State’s Governor Inslee has made the decision of who can do what and when, based on his state of emergency position, with mandated mask-wearing as the latest. While the HIPAA Laws don’t protect me in this case, if my medical condition doesn’t allow me to wear a mask – now not only do I face the potential of a fine and time in jail – but I may end up being “mask shamed”. Isn’t this just another form of bullying?
I should be able to make my decisions based on what is best for me. Yes, I understand the argument about going out in public – if I am sick – and not wearing a mask and spreading it around. Yes, I also understand that common sense should prevail. Should I point out here, that sick people often go out in public; this is how we end up getting colds, flu, etc.? My question, therefore, is unlike the global pandemic’s before this one, where the media didn’t take off and cause mass panic and social distancing, how is what is happening today that much different? Is it because it’s an election year?
What I see are small businesses closing, people losing their jobs and being forced to become dependent on a failing government system. One that wasn’t setup to support itself, but was setup for the people to support it. I am seeing where states are crying out for federal help as they are failing economically due to so many businesses not being able to operate and/or going under, not being able to pay taxes (which support the state) and more people becoming reliant on the system. Which doesn’t have the means to support itself, but relies on money from taxes paid by you and me, and small businesses, as well as large ones.
It will be a blessed day when politicians actually take in the concern for the people who voted them into office. Our economy is struggling. It is not a federal problem. It is a local problem. There are many areas that haven’t been affected that have been shut down by state mandate. Small communities who have had few cases and/or zero deaths – yet people were unable to work as businesses were forced to close down and already economically depressed communities became even more depressed.
Our nation, America, was built on the ideal of local, state and then federal government, not the other way around. The nation was designed to be able to allow our local government to make a decision at a local level, because they are close to their communities and can see what is best for the area they reside in. The state government was created to support the local communities, for the benefit of the state. Finally, the state would go to big brother, federal government, when it was confused; or needed more support and direction.
Now, we are seeing the heads of states taking a dystopic stance of what is “best” for the little people. (We, being the little people, in case you were confused.) Where they are doing all they can to not only crash the economy but remain on top – in charge – while telling us it’s all being done in our best interest. It is time to take back our freedom. The Constitution was written for a reason. Not for us to be controlled and dominated by government directives. It is unfortunate that the media has failed to hold the line by writing balanced and well researched articles instead of yellow journalism. Is it any wonder that our faith in the media is flagging.
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