No More COVID-spiracy Theories, please.

The government is not trying to control you with a piece of cloth.

The number of “government control” conspiracy theories linked to COVID-19 & wearing masks are getting out of hand.

As cases continue to spike nationwide and America has seen over 135,000 lives lost due to the coronavirus, resistance of one of the most simple “for the greater good” requests during a pandemic has become the new norm.

With this resistance, a disturbingly large number of public outbursts in rejection of wearing masks, even in private businesses, has emerged, many of which have gone viral on social media. This resistance has even been further emphasized by some in government, as Georgia governor Brian Kemp exacted an executive order banning local governments from placing any mandate on the use of masks in public areas, and as our President has made a statement by choosing not to ever wear a mask publicly but once during a trip to Walter Reed.

This is just absurd. If the government wanted to control you and your life, they don’t need to slap a mask on you and tell you not to cough on your neighbor.

It seems as if we’ve completely forgotten about the basic elements of actual government control.

• Every American to ever be born American or become an American in America has been assigned their own number. You know of it as your SSN, or your “social.” This number is required in order to partake in ANY type of financial agreement, including a job, and even to obtain a driver’s license. Your earnings history is tracked using this number, and if you were born here, the number is only days younger than you are.
• Every decade, you fill out a census that guarantees that you are counted in the U.S. population, as well as in the county or municipality where you reside.
• You can not access any information pertinent to the federal government in a classified manner, or enter restricted areas of the country without first obtaining a security clearance.
• Upon leaving the country, you need to present a valid U.S. Passport in order to re-enter.

The government literally knows just about every important thing they need to know about you. They don’t need to slap a mask on you in order to exhibit some level of “control.”

CDC Director Dr. Robert Redfield has stated, “We are not defenseless against COVID-19… Cloth face coverings are one of the most powerful weapons we have to slow and stop the spread of the virus — particularly when used universally within a community setting. All Americans have a responsibility to protect themselves, their families, and their communities.”

He also suggested that just a few weeks of compliance with social distancing guidelines and mask wearing would allow the U.S. to regain control of the spread of COVID-19.

Pediatrician and U.S. Health and Human Services Assistant Secretary, Admiral Brett Giroir also added “It protects everyone around you… and for this to work, we have to have like 90 percent of people wearing a mask in public in the hot spot areas. If we don’t have that, we will not get control of the virus.” Admiral Giroir has been the point of contact for the White House’s coronavirus testing.

Ninety percent. Sadly, I’m not even sure if 90% of the country can fully agree that the Earth is round.

This resistance to mask wearing only serves as a pandering to self-entitlement. People who have never been told “no” in any meaningful capacity ever, who may have never been forced to go through life walking a tightrope, and/or may have always been allowed to use excuses to get themselves out of tough situations, are now resisting to partake in any mandate, even if it is for the greater good, because somehow it “infringes upon their rights.”

When certain towns and businesses begin to shut down yet again, and some possibly for good, it will be these same people blaming everyone else or finding any reason under the sun to complain about why shutting down again was a mistake.

Anyone who has ever been a part of a team, whether it be in sports as a teammate, in school as a classmate, or in the professional world as a colleague, understands the concept of being a team player. In order to be a positively contributing member of any team, you must first commit to something that is bigger than yourself. In order words, stop being selfish. Be a team player. Your family, your community, and the people with whom you interact and cross paths daily are your team.

We need to stop confusing temporary inconveniences with the denial of rights. If ignorance wasn’t so prevalent, we may have already seen and been through the worst.

Be a help, not a hindrance. Wear a mask.