On or off: mask shaming
Graphic Illustration by Blake Loria
Following Gov. Greg Abbott’s announcement that all state-wide mandates in regard to COVID-19 will be lifted, the CISD school board voted Monday, March 8 that masks will be optional for students and staff effective April 5. Editor-in-Chief Hannah Backus comments on the decision and how to treat others equally, regardless of whether someone chooses to wear a mask or not.
When it comes to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are all in the same storm, but not in the same boat.
Last Tuesday, March 2, Gov. Greg Abbott announced state-wide mandates in regard to the COVID-19 pandemic will be lifted beginning Wednesday, March 10. During a school board meeting Monday, March 8, the board voted making face coverings optional for staff and students beginning April 5.
With masks becoming optional in schools, they will become one more way students can judge each other. Regardless of whether someone chooses to wear a mask or not, it is not okay to judge them.
While many may view the issue of masks as a political one, it is essential to understand people often make their decisions based on facts that are not political. The decision for an individual to wear a mask or not may come from underlying conditions, people they love being at risk or purely out of concern from others. While we are all in the same pandemic, we come from different situations that influence our decisions.
Regardless of whether someone chooses to wear a mask or not, it is not okay to judge them.
— Hannah Backus, Editor-in-Chief
It is ignorant to claim masks do not affect some individuals. While masks do provide protection against the virus, they can affect some people in negative ways. Someone may have asthma or difficulty breathing, and wearing a mask can cause shortness of breath and give them headaches or other symptoms, which make it hard to focus during the school day. Others may have claustrophobia, and wearing a mask just bothers them. Some may have a disability, which may make it extremely difficult to wear a mask. Others may feel it violates their freedom to choose what they want to do with their body, or that it hurts their immune system or limits oxygen intake. Wearing a mask can simply be uncomfortable at times, especially when it is worn for extended periods of time. Whatever the reason, someone not wearing a mask is not a reason to judge them.
Choosing not to wear a mask is okay, and by doing so, someone should not be fearful of being judged.
Texas has seen reduced hospitalizations and decreasing cases over the past several weeks. With the rise of vaccine availability and newfound antibody therapeutic drugs, Texas now must work to restore normalcy. The best way to do so is opening Texas 100% and removing state-wide mandates. The virus is still present, however, and if hospitalization rates reach over 15%, action may be taken in the affected county. Until then, we must establish that freedom of allowing others to choose whether to wear a mask or not.
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Those who wear a mask may have family members at home who are at risk to the virus. They may have relatives who are sick, and the only way to visit them is if they have worn their mask and social distanced to ensure they will not spread the virus. It may be something as simple as wanting to ensure they can make it to prom, an important ball-game or a family gathering without the risk of being in quarantine. They may know someone who has died from COVID-19, so they know they must do their part to protect as many people as they can.
The explanations are endless, but none of them are reasons to be hurtful. Most people do not wear their masks to make a point, but out of concern for others. It is proven that masks are effective in preventing the spread of COVID-19, so if someone wants to wear a mask, let them.
All in all, do not let the optional masks be a reason to make fun of someone or an open door to countless arguments. There is not a right or wrong answer. Each reason listed above could be argued for hours. The fact is masks are now optional, so let everybody choose what makes them feel comfortable. In time, the pandemic will pass and Texas is now taking steps to return to normalcy. Let this be a moment we celebrate, not a moment that brings us further apart.
Hello! My name is Hannah Backus, and I am a senior. This will be my third year on The Eagle's Tale staff and second as Editor-in-Chief, and I am so excited to be serving the students of Canyon High once again. Alongside newspaper, I am co-president of...
Tex (revised) • Mar 10, 2021 at 10:14 am
If people who are wearing masks wear them to protect others, which they are, then reasonably people who are NOT wearing masks are fully aware that they are putting others at risk. This is unfair and terrifying to the ones who are trying to prevent themselves or loved ones from being hurt. Ask yourself: Do you prioritize your own comfort and entertainment over other people’s lives? Hopefully you do not. Please, for the sake of the community, continue to wear masks.
Another note, regarding the push back to April 5th about optional mask wearing; Even if people got their vaccine the day the announcement was shared, they wouldn’t have had their second dose by the 5th. Moderna, the vaccine available at the Civic Center, requires at least 28 days between doses. After the second dose, it requires around 14 days for the patient to achieve maximum immunity. The date, even though pushed back, still does not make sense when one thinks of the numbers. Nobody, regardless of whether or not they got the vaccine, will be safe by the 5th.
L-Train • Mar 9, 2021 at 9:18 pm
I disagree vehemently that the state should open to 100% capacity. A sudden opening of an economy during a crisis like this can have negative effects that can place an economy to where it was before.