A different opinion is not ignorance

You have a right to your own opinion, you do not have a right to your own facts. Here are some facts: covid has killed over 270k Americans. It is worse than the past 5 years of flu deaths combined. Wearing a mask, social distancing, and limiting contact with friends, family, and strangers slows the spread of the virus.

It's entirely up to you if you care about those people's deaths, the long term health impact on those who got it and survived, and the families of those who could die from it in the future. Doing those steps is an inconvenience, sure, but it also saves lives, if we all work together. Your decision isn't just wearing a mask. It's do you care about your fellow citizens' lives. And if wearing a small piece of cloth on your face is too much to ask for helping the public health, then so be it. I hope you and those you care about don't get it, because if someone in your circle does, and you continue this "you can't tell me what to do" mentality, there's a higher chance you or someone you care about will have incredibly damaging consequences.

Also, freedoms are often limited in the name of public safety. See: after 9/11 (which had a death toll that is about how many people die every single day from covid), the NSA was granted the ability to store and investigate private information, which can be argued limits our right to privacy. Also, you aren't allowed to drink and drive, because it has an effect on those around you, and can be dangerous.

You're not being controlled. You're being asked to care, for just a little bit. Please reconsider your choices.

Listen to McCookSax here. He makes sense. It's a matter of stopping the spread of a virus.

Mrs. Wolfram serves as Director of Nursing at Colby Community College, and has previously served as school nurse for USD 294 in Oberlin. For a medical professional say that masks infringe on our personal freedoms is baseless and a blatant contradiction of her professional code of conduct as a medical professional, which is sheer madness on her part. Also, what movie did she watch? The Sound of Music?

Your opinions must be founded upon facts and not the polemics of demagogues and soothsayers. You are in a position of authority and viewed with a modicum of respect for that reason and to suggest that medical science is erroneous and your specious opinions override medical science negates your value to society.

No less that being bound by simple, straightforward traffic laws or laws regarding your performance and conduct as an instructor, you incur moral and ethical obligations to comply with laws, ordinances, and statutes requiring the use of face masks for the public good and welfare.

Funny thing about masks....

I work in an office setting of which we all have our own offices. I sanitized all the time. If someone visited, they either wore a mask even at 6' or just stayed back 10'. If I went to the grocery store (rare due to pickups - thank you Walmart), I wore a mask and sanitized religiously. I also let someone else pump my gas putting on an account so nothing was exchanged. Eating out is rare, if so it's take out.

I cared enough to protect myself for my family (grown adults not living with me).

I STILL GOT COVID. TELL ME WHERE I WENT WRONG AND HOW AGAIN THAT MASKS HELP?

Sorry rural citizen, I only come to this newspaper's website every once in a while, so I didn't see your comment in time to respond in a timely manner.

1. It absolutely sucks you got covid. I hope you are doing better now and that your loved ones are safe.

2. As Star Trek taught us long ago, sometimes you can do everything right, and still lose. Nothing is 100%, masks are there to reduce spread, not eliminate it. Work is being done by professionals to eliminate it once and for all, and that process has begun.

We're almost through this, people. Stay safe.