Issue 5: Wear Your Damn Mask
Because you are not the center of the universe.
Hello!
Welcome to issue 5 of Blaxplaining. We’re officially halfway done with this year, and each day I beg the folks above that 2021 will be a much better year for all of us. Anyway, my plan for this issue was to share some light-hearted content for once, but I feel that there is a more pressing issue at hand, which is this nonsensical fight against wearing face masks.
What I learned this year is that common sense is not so common at all. ICYMI, we are still going through a pandemic, and even if it may seem that the world is getting the virus under control, the United States of America is most definitely not. Cases are going up in more than half the states and we now account for over 125,000 deaths (If you don’t understand the magnitude, just imagine forty 9/11s occurring within four months). All of this is happening while our leadership continues to paint a dangerously false picture that the virus is disappearing and that our lives and the economy will be back to normal before we know it.
But here’s the reality my friends: our government has no plan — we are seriously out here on our own. But it’s not just the government’s fault (well ok, 80% of it is), but what really grinds my gears is that every time I go on Instagram, I see young Black people out here living their best pandemic-doesn’t-exist lives without any social distancing and/or face masks. Well here’s another piece of reality right here: there is no vaccine, cure, or remedy. Nothing has changed since we began quarantining in March, other than the government’s need to risk lives to jumpstart the economy.
(Credit to @thedailyshow)
But back to the issue at hand, which are masks. WHY THE HELL AREN’T PEOPLE WEARING THEM?
I’ve seen people use the following excuses:
It’s too hot
I don’t have the virus, so why should I wear it
It’s all a political hoax
Face masks make you even sicker
They are poisonous because you are breathing in carbon dioxide
They are unconstitutional
And my all-time favorite:
No one can tell me what to do
Obviously, our public school system has failed us all. Face masks are supposed to protect the wearer and others from COVID-19, but the emphasis is placed on preventing the wearer from affecting others. We don’t know much about this virus, but we do know that it can be easily transmitted, so if you’re not wearing them for one of the reasons above, you are simply a selfish asshole. I mean come on, this pandemic and the act of wearing masks have become so politicized, that people are losing their damn marbles just because of a minor case of inconvenience.
So friends, long story short: wear your mask so you won’t be a selfish asshole.
Recommended Reads:
Yes, Wearing Masks Helps. Here’s Why by Maria Godoy
The US Surge In Coronavirus Cases, Explained by German Lopez
The EU Will Bar American Travelers Because of US Coronavirus Spread by Jen Kirby
The American Nightmare by Ibram X. Kendi
Why America Can’t Escape Its Racist Roots by Liz Mineo
Black Stories: Literature & Cinema (new titles added)
(Me and my mom wearing face masks — be cool like us)
I always look forward to reading your thoughts, so please feel free to leave a comment, reach out to blaxplaining@gmail.com, or hit me up on Instagram (@tylerrharriss). If you like this post, please click the heart! And if you’re not a subscriber, go ahead and hit that subscribe button!
Until next time,
Tyler