Why do many Americans refuse to wear masks indoors or in crowded areas outdoors, claiming it infringes on their personal liberty and freedom? When it could protect them and those around them from infection with the Corona virus, their refusal seems to make no sense. Undoubtedly, part of it is rebellion against authority and an unwillingness to obey the rules promulgated by government. But part of it is sheer stupidity. These citizens believe they know what is best for themselves though physicians and scientists have emphasized masking to improve safety and lessen contagion with the virus.
There is also an unwillingness by the no-maskers to surrender any of their personal autonomy even though it is good for the community as a whole (and themselves) if they wear masks. This may go back to America’s history of rugged individualism and opening up of the Western frontier where people’s common sense determined their actions. There is also a bit of paranoia and perhaps conspiracy theory in the no-maskers who feel the pandemic may be a hoax and that masks are unnecessary and might even be dangerous. They see other people who may be sick but seem to have no symptoms and don’t die. Of course, they don’t know what the virus is doing to the various organs of those who are infected.
These same people tend to disregard expertise and book knowledge over all, looking down on the Eastern “elite.” They trust their own experience over information generated by scientists that suggest they follow courses contrary to their own instincts. In addition, they seem not to care about other Americans and the community as a whole in terms of the damage they might do to them by spreading the infection.
Though I have no proof, I would guess that a large proportion of the no-maskers also own semi-automatic or automatic weapons and are afraid that at some point the government might confiscate their weapons. Thus, they do not want to take orders from the government on any level. They see their guns as a way to protect themselves from the government and do not care how it might impact their communities or their own children.
Similarly, I would expect that s significant percentage of them do not pay their taxes and believe the government has no right to tax them. They do not want the government or any government authorities to tell them what to do. I bet that many of them also do not wear seat belts when driving and allow their children not to wear seat belts. Speed limits may also be disregarded and they smoke cigarettes in no smoking areas. They insist that they have the right to do whatever they want as free men and women in America and the government is not going to control their actions.
Unfortunately, the no-maskers do not avidly watch the news or they would realize that the United States has the highest number of Corona virus infections and deaths in the world. They would see that European and Asian countries where people followed government mandates have the disease under control while our numbers are skyrocketing. Those who do not wear masks when necessary and do not socially distance are uninformed and ignorant of the world around them, and are unconcerned about their families and other Americans. It’s all about them and their freedom to do what they want. But in a democracy, the public good must take precedence over individual liberty.
www.robertlevinebooks.com
The Uninformed Voter is available on Amazon and Barnes and Noble.
Posted at 09:08 AM in anti-government groups, Business, Conspiracy theorists, Corruption, Covid 19, Current Affairs, Disease Prevention, Donald Trump, gun reform, ideology, job losses, narcissism, pandemic, Politics, Republican Party, Science, tax evasion | Permalink
Tags: authority, community safety, Corona virus, Covid 19, freedom, guns, individualism, masks, seatbelts, taxes
Political junkie, Vietnam vet, neurologist- three books on aging and dementia. Book on health care reform in 2009- Shock Therapy for the American Health Care System. Book on the need for a centrist third party- Resurrecting Democracy- A Citizen’s Call for a Centrist Third Party published in 2011. Aging Wisely, published in August 2014 by Rowman and Littlefield. Latest book- The Uninformed Voter published May 2020