The Honor System. Yeah, That Should Work. Right?
On May 13, 2021, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) surprised many by announcing that vaccinated people no longer had to wear a mask indoors or outside, and they no longer needed to social distance. The statistics on new infections and the efficacy of the three approved vaccines showed these new recommendations were appropriate. They followed the science.
There are, of course, exceptions. We must wear masks on public transportation, airplanes, and in businesses that require it. CDC Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky stated,
“Anyone who is fully vaccinated can participate in indoor and outdoor activities, large or small, without wearing a mask or physical distancing. If you are fully vaccinated, you can start doing what you had stopped doing because of the pandemic. We have all longed for this moment when we can get back to some sense of normalcy.”
Many epidemiologists disagreed with this assessment. But state and local governments and some businesses immediately fell in line with these new recommendations.
There’s only one big problem with this. How will we, the vaccinated, know that you or anyone else not wearing a mask has also been vaccinated? The vaccines are not 100% effective. Privacy advocates would chaff at requiring businesses to require proof of vaccination (although Oregon has advised businesses and workplaces that they will have to verify customers’ and workers’ vaccination status before allowing them to go maskless). Asking an unmasked shopper at Trader Joe’s (one of the grocery chains no longer requiring masks for the vaccinated) whether they’ve had their shots could lead to some rough encounters. The past fourteen months have shown us the “Karens” and “Kens” who go ballistic when forced to wear a mask. Former child actor, Ricky Schroder, is the latest outed haranguer. And there are weekly reports of delayed flights when passengers refuse to heed these rules. Some still discount the danger of COVID. Others believe their First Amendment rights to peacefully protest allow them to go maskless. To clarify, the First Amendment protects someone from undue free speech and peaceful protest constraints from the government, not private companies. And over the years, court rulings have cemented the federal and local governments’ right to decide what is best when an action by the majority adversely affects a minority of the population. In this case, public health issues can trump personal choice.
Science shows us that vaccinated people can now live more normal, almost pre-pandemic lives. Yet, human nature may not. It’s not the CDC’s responsibility to police vaccination compliance. But is it the government’s? Should they require us to show proof of vaccination? Many school districts already require proof before children are allowed to attend. Is this any different?
The powers that be are asking us to use the honor system. Unfortunately, the pandemic has taught many we can’t trust strangers (and sometimes even our own relatives). As to the public good, some continue to subscribe to “every man and woman for him- or herself.” It’s not that I enjoy wearing a mask. But I will continue to wear one while shopping at Trader Joe’s and other stores if only to reassure others who don’t know me I value their well-being.
The honor system. Yeah, that should work. Right? Not yet.
This poster is part of a series of posters about the sorry state of American political discourse. Jeff Gates does these under the guise of the Chamomile Tea Party. This poster is part of a group of images he’s been doing since the beginning of 2020 about the election, the pandemic, and social justice. Download a high resolution copy of this poster for free. In fact, all Chamomile Tea Party posters are free to download under a Creative Commons license.
Follow the history of our country’s political intransigence from 2010–2020 through a seven-part exhibit of these posters on Google Arts & Culture.