I had an interesting conversation with one of my Chinese coworkers today. We were shooting the breeze about summer school, when I remembered that there was something I had wondered about for some time.
I asked her about the Chinese response to mask wearing. Since January, did anyone ever oppose it? Was anyone ever against it?
It was like I’d asked her if people in China breathe air. Why would they oppose something that benefits everyone?
I told her that some people in America continue to refuse to wear the mask, even when the virus is not nearly under control.
Again, it was like I told her that some people in America refuse to breathe air. It didn’t make sense to her.
And it doesn’t make sense to me.
I can understand that someone could’ve felt this way in the beginning. After all, masks aren’t unusual in Asia, but they are in America. We haven’t had to wear masks before, and they are not comfortable. I can get people not wanting to wear them.
In the beginning.
But now? When the science has shown that wearing a mask helps fight the virus… why wouldn’t people wear them now?
This is my question. If you are a person who continues to refuse to wear a mask… why? What is your reasoning? I’m not asking this to start a fight, I’m truly trying to understand your point of view. What scientific evidence to you bring to your position? And if you are a Christian, how do you respond to the argument that wearing a mask demonstrates love to your neighbor?
Seriously. I don’t want a fight. I want to understand.
Because right now I don’t.
Thimblerig's Ark 
I have no answers for not wearing a mask. The science is there.
I think, what people often forget, is that it’s not so much the science aspect of it – the anti-mask sentiment comes down to the very root of our American culture: freedom. Our country is built on: “You can’t tell me what to do.” It’s why we fought against the English, became a free country and believe in independence. And it really comes down to our countries values, which has always been individualistic as well, not communal. We like the idea of community, and we don’t disdain it, but at our core, we are an entrepreneurial nation where “anyone can do and become anything”.
When you tell our citizens to wear masks, despite the science, despite the evidence, despite everything saying it’s the right thing to do…you are FORCING our citizens to do something. Our culture as a government has never been built like that (unless you break the law), which is also why it takes such a long time to have systemic change actually stick in this country.
This is just something my parents helped me realize over the past few months as they are both immigrants and then I’ve begun to observe with the south vs. the west vs. the northeast…there are different sections of the US that believe one way stronger than another. The south is very pro-freedom, where the northeast is very pro-education and the west is very money focused…so you are more likely to find people wearing masks in the Northeast as they are watching the science closely and abiding by what data tells them. That is not always the case with the south, where people don’t want to be told what to do, and the west, where people want to get back to their jobs and make money. These are generalizations of course, but it helps when looking at the segments of the US.
I hope that helps a bit. (If you’re wondering, I’m from the northeast.)