The past year has sucked. People have been put into quarantine and isolated from almost everything in the world, countries have been (and still are) on lockdown, others have lost family members due to the outbreak, people’s mental health has taken a toll, and many have suffered economically due to the loss of jobs and opportunities.
But guess what? It’s not over.
Now I’m not saying I don’t want COVID-19 to go away (although, my life has not been very affected by it because I’d rather be in my room than anywhere else), but let’s be honest with ourselves in admitting there is still a huge issue at hand.
Yes, a lot of people have been able to start getting vaccinated, but that does not mean everyone is able to do so, let alone the variants of COVID-19 that caused France to issue their third lockdown. I would add that the lockdowns here are practically nothing in comparison to other countries.
So, why are people so upset about wearing masks? Other societies have worn masks anytime they are sick. Why? To protect others.
Masks are not political, nor is it weird or uncool for people to wear them: masks are used in order to protect the people around you.
This doesn’t mean you need to wear a mask while you’re walking outside or anything, but there are people who would rather not be around others while they are not wearing a mask.
Dordt said they consulted some experts on the matter of getting rid of masks, but who are these so-called experts? Were the staff of Dordt asked about their opinion on the matter?
Classrooms were a safe space for those concerned with the virus, and now those safe spaces have been taken away. Yes, students have an option to tell their professors they wish to have the class wear masks, but when those same people are already not wearing masks in other classes, it eliminates the point of wearing a mask.
I am not comfortable walking in the hallways, getting food at the commons, or being in my own dorm lobby.
My dad is a cardio-vascular consultant for the Mayo Clinic; he deals with patients on a daily basis. He also has a very poor immune system and is currently on immunosuppressant medications.
He cannot physically create antibodies to fight off diseases most of the time, meaning he cannot have any of the COVID-19 vaccinations as they would most likely do nothing or cause him to become very sick.
Now, let’s say this was someone in your family or a really close friend instead. You would think that wearing a mask would be the least of your concerns, yet about 75% of Dordt students seem not to care about how their decisions affect others.
It’s not about how much of an inconvenience it is for you, but rather how you affect those around you by not wearing a mask. I wear a mask not because I want to protect myself, I wear one so I can protect my father, my grandpa, and everyone who may be more at risk.
So, I don’t know about anyone else, but wearing a mask is a small price to pay compared to losing a family member.