It’s Not That Difficult:

I can’t even believe I’m writing about this as a serious issue, but here I go – Please Wear A Mask.

Because many of the citizens of Tulsa choose not to wear masks, Mayor Bynum proposed an ordinance to mandate wearing masks as Tulsa’s COVID-19 numbers surge. The city council is supposed to vote on the ordinance today.

Why did it have to come to this? Health officials, including Dr. Bruce Dart with the Tulsa Health Department, have told us that wearing masks is one way to mitigate the spread of the virus. You would think that would be enough to have everyone wearing masks in public places. It’s not like it’s a big sacrifice or something. You’re just putting a piece of cloth over your mouth and nose. It doesn’t hurt. It doesn’t cut off your breathing. What it does do is cut down the infection rate. So, why do people get all hysterical about it?

I was happy to see that Stillwater implemented a mask-wearing policy last week. My sister and my 91-year-old mother live there. They are both at risk. A couple weeks ago, I took my mom to a doctor’s appointment. We both wore masks. I was disheartened to see so many people not wearing masks, even as they went into a health clinic. If my 91-year-old mother can wear a mask, I would think a young, healthy person could wear one to help protect her from coronavirus, which at her age would almost certainly be fatal.

That’s the thing that stumps me. Wearing a mask is a selfless community act that is simple, painless and can help others. It’s a public service, an act that contributes to the greater good. It’s something we can all do to help mitigate this pandemic. We can help save lives, while keeping our hospitals at a manageable capacity. What, exactly, is the downside?

As parents, our children are watching us. They follow our example. I know that I worked to pass on values of helping others, doing the right thing, and working for the greater good of society. The mask ordinance wouldn’t apply to children younger than 18, but isn’t it nice to be able to say to our children that they can do something to help stop the spread of COVID-19? They can do their small part to participate in helping other people stay healthy? It’s an empowering lesson for them.

Wearing a mask in public shouldn’t have to be something that we’re “required” to do, but if that’s what it takes, I certainly hope the city council votes to enact the proposed ordinance.