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Are Masks Gaining Acceptance Across the Political Spectrum?
Commentary: Americans are masking up, if begrudgingly, which is good news for Covid-19 control
Recently I heard a devout Trump supporter tell her family in a private setting, “Don’t forget your masks!” And it got me to wondering: Are Americans across the political spectrum starting to see the sense in this simple, selfless, vital preventive measure? Might we actually turn the tide on this pandemic through the positive actions of the masses, regardless of conflicting advice and poor examples from some of our governmental leaders?
Maybe. Masks are just one in a range of measures, from hand-washing to avoiding large indoor crowds, that are needed to force the suddenly spiking Covid-19 case curve down again. But some limited polling and personal observations suggests that while we all may hate wearing masks, more and more people are wearing them. I’ll get to this heartening evidence below. First, a brief public service announcement:
“Wearing a mask protects the people around you,” Arnold Schwarzenegger said yesterday in a tweet. “It isn’t political. It isn’t weak. It’s the right thing to do. It lets us get back to work. Do it.”
Science, of course, backs Arnold up on this. Masks or face coverings of just about…
