The other day I saw a women in her late teens or early twenties walking her dog in a park near my home. She was fit and healthy-looking, getting some exercise on a lovely fall day in a quiet bayside park.
And she had a mask on.
What was strange about this is how common sights like this are in California—coastal California, I should say. Except for Sacramento and other urban enclaves, the inland areas of the state are not nearly as mask obsessed as the more affluent coast.
The Bay Area where I live probably has the densest population of mask wearers, with LA a close second. In a Los Angeles Times survey that compared Los Angeles County mask use with Orange County, LA thumped the OC handily. No surprise there.
The survey also indicated that a woman is more likely to don a mask than a man. Based on my purely anecdotal observations this seems to ring true as well.
What’s interesting but not surprising about the Times survey is that it took place more than two years ago, when the mask debate in California and the world was raging the hottest. Editorial writers at the Times and other defenders of groupthink fretted about how non-mask wearers were going to kill Granny at Thanksgiving dinner if they did not change their reckless ways.
Businesses barred the non-compliant from entering their premises. When they did gain admittance but still refused to put on a “face diaper,” in the words of many a resister, they were sometimes harassed and physically chased out the door.
Then, in 2021, the mask mafia received another tool to bludgeon the non-compliant with: the vaccines. Get vaxxed and wear a mask and social distance or it will cost you your job, your child cannot attend school in person, and you will be treated like a social pariah in many other ways as well.
But now, all that has changed—to some degree anyhow. We have seemingly entered an Era of Good Feelings.
In his famous 60 Minutes interview at the Detroit Auto Show, Joe Biden declared the pandemic “over,” observing that “no one’s wearing masks and everyone seems to be in pretty good shape.” The president’s words sent a signal to Democrat Party operatives across the land including Gov. Gavin Newsom, whose splashy announcement that he was lifting California’s Covid emergency rules in 2023 was naturally timed in advance of the coming elections.
Some true Mask Believers refuse to let go of their N-95s, though. Earlier this year the San Jose Mercury News conducted a survey of its own, asking people in the “mask friendly Bay Area” what they thought of the easing of the mandates that were then in place.
“It should never be lifted,” said a hair stylist in the Delta town of Antioch. “That’s my opinion until Covid is completely eradicated.” A San Jose bookstore owner, dubbed the “mask Nazi” for his relentless enforcement of mask rules at his shop, felt the same. Another dedicated masker was furious that non-masked, non-vaccinated people were allowed to enter stores at all.
In fairness, lots of people interviewed for the article were absolutely thrilled to junk masks. This is certainly what I’ve found too. Where once they regarded themselves as the morally virtuous majority, maskers are now greatly outnumbered.
And one can hope a little bit of their self-righteousness is fading away too.
Today, as always, government and public health guidance on masking is a web of confusing and contradictory claims. California’s official Covid sitestates that masks are “strongly recommended” indoors, whereas over at the CDC wearing one or not depends on “a person’s risk for exposure” to Covid. Adding to the confusion was the master flip-flopper supposedly in charge of the nation’s Covid policies, Anthony Fauci.
In March 2020, at the very beginning of the pandemic and the debate over masks, Fauci spoke clearly and unequivocally on the subject of masks in another famous 60 Minutes interview. “Right now, in the United States,” he said, “people should not be walking around with masks.”
Adding, “There’s no reason to be walking around with a mask. When you’re in the middle of an outbreak, wearing a mask might make people feel a little bit better, and it might even block a droplet, but it’s not providing the perfect protection that people think that it is.”
The soon-to-be-retired director of the National Institutes of Health quickly walked this statement back, saying that he only said these things so that the public wouldn’t scoop up all the N-95 masks in stock like they once hoarded toilet paper and thus they’d be available for the doctors and nurses that needed them to treat sick patients.
In other words, the man lied. He deliberately lied. And it would not be the last time he would do so.
This faith in authority seems to be another characteristic of those who place their faith in masks. They continue to listen to, and apparently believe, what they hear from government officials, public health “experts” and media outlets that have consistently lied to them or distorted or hidden the truth for their own purposes.
I hope that’s not the case with the woman I saw in the park. I hope she doesn’t believe what the authorities are telling her about masks or Covid or the vaccines or frankly much of anything else. Because if she does, her mask is a sign of something else: ignorance.
View Comments (63)
Even here in the Inland Empire I see plenty of people alone in their cars or walking alone on the sidewalk double masked. I always want to scream at them "WHY?!?" but then I remember this is a total cult mentality by this point. They just don't want to give up the rituals they became accustomed to over the past two years which gave their otherwise shallow, vapid lives some semblance of meaning.
Even here in I see plenty of people wearing MAGA hats. I always want to scream at them “WHY?!?” but then I remember this is a total cult mentality by this point. They just don’t want to give up the rituals they became accustomed to over the past six years which gave their otherwise shallow, vapid lives some semblance of meaning.
What do these angry, miserable anti-American people have against making the country not a hypochondriac nation, not a freaky, indoctrinated gender-bender, drag-grooming-children, irresponsible-sex-Pro-death-to-babies nation? MAGA will always be a mission of patriots, as long as America has the 2nd amendment in both holsters. And that includes mocking the useful tools of burgeoning totalitarianism -- face diapers--the hallmark of ignorant sheeple.
Look at it this way, if you see someone with a mask on, assume this person is sick with the virus and is told to wear it to avoid infecting others. STAY AWAY FROM THAT PERSON.
Some of us have other medical reasons for still masking up. Cancer, severe allergies, asthma, COPD among a long list of others. Don’t assume you know everything about everyone!!! Mind your own business and don’t be so judgmental.
brainwashed..especially the young ones, and girls mostly.
Its odd, when I go to pickup my daughter from her private christian school, I see all the kids walking around with no masks, then on our way home we drive by the local HS just one block away. 50-75% of the kids are in the parking lot and crossing the street in masks. Two entirely different cultures and probably alot to do with adult influences.
Norcalskinny, yes it's the adults in the classroom - the public school teachers and their union. They mandate masks for their public-school students to protect themselves "the adults" from the virus. Of course, this is all based on false science, since the youngsters are the least vulnerable to the disease and therefore least at risk to transmit. They are more likely to contract the virus from other teachers and staff.
You are right. Where I am, in the SF Bay Area, the children and teens are still being compelled to mask by their teachers and also their parents. It is selfish of the adults, and it has turned children in compliant, frightened robots. Of course, this is what the Powers that Be want.
Compliant, frightened robots is what the Powers that Be want.
Kevin: it’s so “nice” for those who are not involved in professional mask design & manufacturing for the medical field to opine on the usage of masks. That’s like offering your “decisive” reasoning on how to build a rocket ship to the moon.
As someone in the field for over 30 years, by all means contact me for the true reasons to wear a properly fitting mask, with the correct specifications. As more people don’t mask up, nor get their boosters ( or never vaxed at all ) now is truly the time to continue.
This isn’t only about getting or giving Covid. It’s also about Long Covid which can for some, facilitate everything from Parkinson’s Disease, to brain damage. Scientists across the globe are just beginning to now understand more.
Laugh all you want. If you’ve already had it (or get it again as no one you know will be masked) let’s hope the next batch of derivations of Covid don’t catch you with your pants down to bite you in the ass.
Long COVID has nothing to do with wearing or not wearing a mask. I don't think anyone will be contacting you.
I would like to know more about your 30+ years in the mask making/fitting arena. According to the research I have done, most masks will not prevent the COVID or other virus' from passing either way. The size of the COVID virus is smaller than a ray of light, so therefore, if you look through the inexpensive masks or home made cloth masks and you can see rays of light, they may not provide FULL protection. Is that correct or a misnomer..? Do you wear a N95 mask 100% of the time even when you are around your family members or even while sleeping..??
Now, I had the original COVID virus back in December, 2020 and have taken the initial two-shot Moderna shots (I refuse to call them vaccines due to Pfizer coming out stating that they never tested for re-transmissibility). I have not been boosted and according to my last anti-body test through Quest Diagnostics, my immune system is still active against COVID.
I did my semi-annual check-up (I'm now 60) and my doctor told me that since I had COVID and the initial shots, that he wasn't concerned that I haven't been boosted.
So, why mask up in MY case..?? I'm not discounting your experience with masking but would like to get your input based upon my comments above.
P.S. When they offered the Flu shot (notice they don't call it a vaccine anymore) and I declined, they said that wasn't any issues with my decision. The only time I've had the flu really bad was the year that I got the flu shot (about 10 years ago).
I have professional training in respiratory protection and I can tell you without a doubt that masks give ZERO protection for viruses. The box even says so.
Masks do not work!! CDC says they are no longer necessary. The mask makes people sick breathing in your own carbon dioxide. Dr fauchi said that using a mask will do no good. He said that maybe a droplet could possibly get through the mask but it’s like using a chain link fence to stop mosquitoes. Please look it up and stop spreading misinformation!
I wear mine everywhere. My reason is for the past two plus years I have not got sick especially for allergies which are a nightmare for me. Now that the flu is coming even more reason to wear it. So stop talking about why people wear them it is their choice!
The same reason so many Californian's vote Democrat. They are ignorant!
Common sense dictates wear a mask in public areas if you don’t want to risk getting sick!
Common sense says to read the box and find out that masks keep dust out and that is about it. There is a reason why people who work with pathogens use masks, moon suits and piped in outside air. Nothing else works.
Wear a mask if you want to virtue signal.
I live in California, we are filled with NPCs. Just they way the democrats like it. Fools. I hope you all.......
I mask up because my sis is battling cancer. I love her so much and she can't risk an infection of any kind.
please try to understand our rights to protect our loved ones????.
Masks do not stop virus particles and that includes N-95 masks which were created to block dust particles for workers. Dust particles are thousands of times larger than virus particles which simply go through all masks. Suggest you watch the movie "The Real Anthony Fauci" which exposes the lies that he told about masks preventing COVID knowing full well that masks are ineffective against viruses.
The public has choice to wear a mask or not .
I was an athlete before contracting covid and bedridden unable to walk afterwards for 18 months . Long covid is real . Some of us weren’t so lucky . So if some of us want an extra layer of protection , we should not be shamed for it . You shouldn’t judge because you don’t know what each circumstances are . I find many responses here insensitive and that’s ignorance .
If anyone is judgemental and insensitive towards those who choose not to wear masks, it's obnoxious mask nazis who demand that everyone around them wear one. They ignorantly think that a piece of cloth will protect them from small virus particles when masks do not. Maybe mask nazis should cower in their safe places, wear at least three masks at all times, and wait for their Democrat masters to tell them what to do next?