Sudbury letters: Differing views on wearing a mask in public

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Wearing a mask a sign of respect

In Ms. Shawna Rothney’s letter to the editor (‘Don’t mask me in,’ July 12), she is critical of wearing a mask. She indicates it is her right to not wear a mask and she should not be subject to bullying for not wearing one.

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Sudbury letters: Differing views on wearing a mask in public Back to video

Let us be clear that a person’s rights end when their actions put another person’s health and safety at risk. Ms. Rothney’s view of mask-wearing could well put herself, her family and close contacts at risk.

By not wearing a mask, Ms Rothney puts anyone near her at a higher risk level for contracting the virus and developing COVID-19. She could easily pass the virus on to her grandmother, grandfather, son, daughter or others including the front-line medical people who now have to treat the infected person just because Ms. Rothney was not wearing a mask.

Ms. Rothney says wearing a mask is asked because “some people believe masks are an effective way of slowing the spread of COVID”. I do not know Ms. Rothney, so I do not know her occupation; however, there is no “believe” in this. There is “certainty”, though.

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Ms. Rothney should note it is the best medical and scientific minds in the world that have proven masks do mitigate the spread of the virus. No one has ever said that masks are 100 per cent effective at preventing the spread of the virus, but it has been determined they are quite good at limiting spread.

Without a mask, the risk of spreading the virus rises significantly. Scientific evidence shows that this virus spreads like wildfire. One needs only to look at the new case and death numbers related in the United States. The cases there have spiked at incredible speed over the past two weeks.

Many people in the U.S. felt they had the right to continue life as usual despite the pandemic. This pandemic is the game changer to the rights and freedoms people seem to think they have in their back pocket.

Ms. Rothney should realize this pandemic is not about her and what she feels she is entitled to do. This society is full of rules that cannot just be tossed aside on someone’s whim. We cannot just zip through a red light because we would like to get home quicker. We must wait for green to keep everyone safe.

Ms. Rothney does get it right when she says we should come together and respect each other. This is what makes a healthy and safe society.

When I wear a mask, I am signalling I respect your right not to become infected by me.

When you wear a mask, you are signalling you respect my right not to be infected by you.

I agree that bullying is not the path forward to making people realize how important wearing a mask is during this pandemic. Education is the path forward.

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Listen to the doctors and scientists from around the world and wear a mask. Most of us wear shoes. Wearing a mask is no more time consuming or difficult. Stop the whining and put on a mask. We don’t want to go back to everything being closed up again.

Jenny Glanz

Sudbury

I can decide when I should wear a mask

Re: ‘Sudbury could make face masks mandatory, council told,’ July 9.

If city councillors want to assure they are booted out of office at the next municipal election, then, by all means, let them pass this dystopian and community-divisive bylaw. Have we lost all sense of proportion? Is someone out there that hungry for power?

My wife and I have seven face masks in our car and we wear them when we deem the occasion requires it. We will never wear them because we are told to wear them. We are not children.

A merchant denies me entry, fine with me, I’ll take my business somewhere else, or go shopping in a municipality governed by common sense instead of folks stupider than stupid.

Ray Vincent

Sudbury