Opinion: Stop the Stupidity, It’s Enough Already | Avi Gutfreund

The CDC announced today that vaccinated Americans don’t have to wear face masks indoors or outdoors because the risk of them spreading Covid-19 is less than minimal. Now, I’m no medical expert, but didn’t we all know that already? I think we all knew a year ago, when parks were still locked up, that masks didn’t have to be worn outdoors, vaccinated or not. And indoors? Yeah, we know that vaccinated people aren’t spreading the virus around.

Now, it’s nice that the medical establishment has finally caught up with what everyone with a morsel of commonsense knew a long time ago, but apparently, they still have a ways to go. You see, masking made sense for a while but it doesn’t anymore. Like, not even a little. For anyone.

Think about it. The reason why we wore masks is so as not to infect other people. There’s pretty widespread agreement amongst experts that masking doesn’t protect you so much as it does others. So we are mandated to wear them to protect others. Fine, that made sense. But now vaccines are available to everyone. Anyone who would like can schedule an appointment and receive a vaccine to be protected against coronavirus. So the only reason to wear a mask is to protect people who won’t get the vaccine. Isn’t that silly? Why should it be incumbent on me and you to wear a mask so as to protect someone who won’t protect themselves? By the same logic, we shouldn’t be allowed to drive cars because some people walk into the street without looking to make sure they won’t get hit. Irrefutable argument, right? The logic of forcing people to still wear masks is plainly stupid.

Let’s be clear: it’s really nice that many restrictions are being eased. It’s nice to get back to some semblance of pre-pandemic life. And I understand the urge to be extra cautious. But the requirement to wear masks simply doesn’t make sense anymore. It’s a vestige of a threat that doesn’t actually exist anymore if only people bothered to get vaccinated. It’s time to do away with it.

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11 COMMENTS

  1. Your points are well-taken.

    However to be fair let’s point out some other considerations.

    There is the issue of variants of the virus, where it is not clear whether the available vaccines protect against the variants.

    While vaccines are available to everyone, I think it quite plausible that there may be many well-intentioned people who just have not been able to obtain a vaccine yet

  2. The vaccine covers all variants.
    The well intentioned people might be well intentioned but that’s no reason for everyone else to wear a mask. They can wear a mask if they want. The rest of us don’t have to

  3. Stop with the variants excuse! It’s obnoxious and clearly agenda driven. By the same logic, you should have always been wearing a mask from the day you were born in order to combat every strain of every virus floating around us every minute of every day, some of those being deadly. The reason you don’t is because we don’t live life that way. We go about our business and daven daily for our health. Stop using the original strain & scare of Coronavirus as a reason to forever be scared. This strain/that strain…at this point it’s all part of an agenda.

  4. I still see people wearing masks when they’re alone in their cars!! It’s really insane. It’s time to ban masks completely. They’re an environmental pollutant.

  5. I still can’t understand when it comes to all other medical needs we will turn over the world to save a life. With Covid, we are all medical experts and we’re careless about the most effort we could to do in saving lives. Let the medical experts give advise – they have our best interest in mind.

  6. There are immune-compromised individuals that may not be as protected even with a vaccine etc… and there is also a 5% chance that the vaccine is not effective. Not everybody got the vaccine. Showing respect to others well-being is a Jewish midah.

  7. I see so many people have commented negatively about my original post about worrying about variants (yes, they do exist) and consideration for those who are still not protected.

    Something tells me that all you people who have criticized me probably weren’t masking even before the vaccine was available. Can’t prove it. But your attitude gives it away.

    It doesn’t hurt to be cautious just a bit more when so many lives have been lost.

  8. the people that unfortunately CANT take it because of being immune compromised and yes I know youre thinking they should lock themselves up but no It would be nice to know that the jewish people cares unlike the angry replys by number 4,5 its clear your screaming for yourself not for the klal also currently in Lakewood there are tens of cases of post vaccine covid

  9. Vaccines and KN95 masks are available. If we stop wearing masks now, we ARE considering others. When there was no vaccine, and few KN95 masks, we had to wear them to try to prevent droplets from spreading. But now that vaccines are readily available, there is no responsibility on the community to mask up in public.
    Yes, if you enter a hospital or visit an older person, you might err on the side of caution, but in general, ditch the masks!

  10. please remind joe, people who do not wear masks are not good for the environment. they are inhaling oxygen, and thereby therell be a shortage very soon, lol follow the science ! lol
    its also not fear/fare to us mask wearers, who do not get to inhale much oxygen while the unmasked get to breathe more than us.its racist! lol
    its also very hurtful and insuling to me to pass people in the street who are not wearing masks, because we know they looked down at us for wearing masks.[ even from the other side of route 9] lol
    MLM! = masked lives matter!

Comments are closed.