Rural mask mandates: Do it for ourselves and each other

The mask issue seems to have reached our city hall, and for now, I am mostly pleased with the results. Make no mistake, I support the use of masks when in tight quarters and consider it a matter of civic duty to do so, but I would personally find a mandate inappropriate.

The council took no action on the matter, which suits me for now, but it seems to be due to more of a housekeeping matter than an outright refusal. Reporting indicates that concerns were raised regarding enforcement, in addition to the more pressing question as to which body should address the matter. Personally, I would have preferred that they simply refuse because most McCook residents are responsible neighbors and can be trusted to use their own good judgment. I was not in attendance, so that may have been expressed as well. We can only hope.

That’s easy for me to say, of course. The only time I feel obliged to don the device is when I visit the grocery store. Daily, I drive the two miles to my office alone, where I share a 2,000 square foot space with three or four people. It’s not often that I find myself within six feet of any living human, except when shopping. Even there, the cashier is protected by a plexiglass shield like one would find at a convenience store in a rough neighborhood.

Having said that, I am quite aware of how the other half lives. During my city-dwelling days, I used public transportation daily. Commuter trains, subways, and busses present an entirely different set of social distancing challenges and I would view masks as essential in that environment. I would be saddened to see the same restrictions that are quite necessary for a more densely populated community imposed on rural Nebraska.

I can also tell you that I recently had a whopper of an asthma attack to remind me of the consequences of COVID-19. The inability to breathe is about as terrifying as anything I can imagine and should not be taken lightly. The virus is indeed a very serious matter, but I would prefer that my effort in combating it, and those of my neighbors, remain voluntary.

I never recommend taking one’s news from social media, but it’s a darned good barometer of public sentiment. What I have been seeing lately is that folks are frustrated with the several inconsistencies in health-related regulations.

Whether it’s smaller, mom and pop businesses being shut down when the larger, corporate entities get a pass (as being essential), or if restaurants are forced to serve meals outside, only to be enclosed in tents, the public takes notice.

A particularly sore subject is the regulation of churches, while airlines and other public transportation operate with people packed like sardines. The disparities are many; enough so that they begin to look arbitrary.

The good news is that we now have a vaccine on the way. Recent news has reduced the claims of effectiveness from 90% to 70% and has included warnings of potential side effects for those of us who have allergies, but it has been developed in record time. A friend of mine recently noted that the virus has a 99% survival rate, but at best, the vaccine is only 90% effective.

He implied that our immune systems, arguably, were more effective than the vaccine. Good point, but that doesn’t particularly account for our ability to spread the virus while infected. It’s better not to be infected at all.

Trust me. I am by no means an anti-vaxxer. I like visiting The Museum of the High Plains and seeing an iron lung machine where it belongs; in a museum. While I probably wouldn’t be the first to step up to the plate to try an unproven vaccine, there are also a lot of folks who are in line ahead of me. If there are any bugs in the potion, they will be evident long before my turn rolls around. Assuming the best, I currently plan to take it.

In the mean time, let’s wear the mask and wash our hands, and do those simple things that we are asked to do, not for ourselves but for each other.

It looks like we have another several months, if not a year of this ahead. As the Brits said in 1940, keep calm and carry on.