This idea of protecting each other used to be something we thought about only in our immediate relationships – family and friends. The importance of protecting strangers is an alien idea.
Friends do everything they can to protect each other.
Madeleine L’Engle
In the past, it was rare for there to be any expectation for us to protect people we don’t even know except possibly for when we drive. If you are a person with a driver’s license, then you have a responsibility to make sure you do your best to pay attention and be the best driver to protect yourself and your passengers. But when you drive, you also need to protect the other people around you, both pedestrians and in other cars.
Now, we are all being asked to protect each other when we go out in public by wearing a mask. If you feel confused about whether you should wear a mask, you’re not alone. Covid -19 is a unfamiliar disease and we’re learning new things about it every day. The truth is we can be infected with Covid -19 and be asymptomatic, that is have no symptoms whatsoever. This makes it very difficult to control since people spread the virus without even knowing that they have it in the first place. Much of the confusion around masks, however, stems from the different messages being sent from our elected officials and the politicizing of mask-wearing.
Protecting yourself is self defense. Protecting others is warriorship.
Bohdi Sanders
Research shows that wearing a mask not only protects the wearer from getting infected, but also protects others from being infected by the mask-wearer. Having the mask covering our nose and mouth will help prevent the spread of droplets that become airborne when we speak, cough, or sneeze. The mask will trap the droplets, some of which may be infected with Covid-19, thereby preventing them from traveling to others.
If something as simple as putting on a mask helps prevent the transmission of this virus, then it is our responsibility as members of our society to do it. Mask-wearing has been something done in other countries, like Japan, for some time. In America, it is a foreign idea, but one we can get used to. All you need to do is look at elementary school children and the fact that they have no problem keeping a mask on during the school day. If we reduce the chances of infecting each other, then it is worth a little bit of discomfort.
The only way that we can protect each other is if we are together. If we face things together. If we trust each other.
Cassandra Clare
Simply said, wearing a mask is a way to protect the people in our community. We should lead by example and wear one when out in public. People who wear masks should be praised for sacrificing a bit of their own comfort for the good of others. The mask is an obvious outward sign that you are a person who cares and wants to protect those around you. We should all lead by example and wear a mask.
Organizing, Growing, and Finding Peace Together 