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Some people wear seat belts, just in case. Others check the batteries in their fire alarms and buy car insurance just in case. Some don’t let their children run into the street even when there are no cars around, just in case. Some take vitamins, go to the gym, and eat healthy, just in case. And others wear masks, just in case. Those who denigrate and insult people who might choose to make a decision for their health and safety, and that of others, are actually denying someone else’s freedom to care for themselves in the way they see fit.
If you believe in freedom, and you believe in choice, and you think people should be able to do things that make them feel better, safer and more confident, why would you spend your time on social media and otherwise denigrating someone because of a choice they make to protect themselves? There are people who can’t walk too well; they may never fall but they use a cane, just in case. There are people who enjoy soaking in public hot tubs, but they take a shower before and after they get in, just in case. There are people who won’t walk through certain areas of places they live or visit, just in case. You aren’t railing about these choices; why rail about the choice someone makes to put a covering on their face, just in case?
And some coverings are bland—medical blue or plain white. Some are beautiful; they display artwork or a slogan, similar to wearing a T-shirt that displays something important. There are many kinds of different masks, just like the clothes people wear. Wearing it isn’t a statement against you, or anything you care about. It is a statement that someone makes to employ their personal freedom, and keep themselves protected, just in case.
If you choose to wear a mask, or use a seat belt, or buy insurance, it doesn’t guarantee you won’t get sick or injured or need help anyway. But it also doesn’t mean it isn’t the most important thing you might do for yourself this day. It just might protect you and keep you safe. Ultimately, it is up to each person to decide what they believe is best for them. It is hypocrisy to attack someone for making a choice when there are hundreds, if not thousands, of similar choices people make every single day to protect themselves, just in case.
No one is hurting you with their mask. No one is taking their mask off and pushing it onto your face, just like they aren’t forcing their vitamins down your throat. Leave people alone. Allow them to do what makes them feel confident and comfortable. No one knows what comes next. If someone feels good knowing their batteries are updated in their fire alarm, which may never go off in their lifetime, allow them to feel good about wearing their mask, which they may or may not really need.
Freedom is about choice. It’s about doing what you believe is right for you and your family. It’s protecting yourself within the limits of the law and taking steps to allow for this protection. For some people that might be buying a gun, which is often revered and admired; for others it is wearing a mask, where the same group or person makes fun of the person for wearing it.
If you believe in freedom. If you believe in personal choice. If you believe each person should have a chance to do what they believe is right for them, for their family and for their children, be a supportive viewer, not a destructive accuser.
There are enough people in the world tearing one another down for their beliefs, their lifestyle, their life views, and the way they raise their children and their families. Be a part of the group that supports someone else’s right to choose how to protect themselves. Extend that “right” past just owning a gun, to taking whatever steps are necessary to create a sense of comfort. Applaud their freedom to decide to wear a mask.
The person doing what they are doing might never need the step they have taken. It’s up to you to let them take it anyway, just in case.
