Maybe it pales into insignificance compared to similar protests south of the border, and this was definitely not Serbia, but Toronto too has experienced anti-mask protests.
About 40 people used the subway without face masks and held a rather desultory and embarrassing little protest at Yonge and Bloor. Out of a population of 6 million or so, this hardly even merits the label "movement"; it was just a small group of ornery, disaffected individuals with nothing better to do.
They were objecting to the new Toronto rules that everyone should wear some kind of face covering when entering a store, restaurant, public transit or any enclosed public space (unless they are younger than two, or have a medical condition that prevents them from doing so). This is based on the latest science that masks, along with social distancing and hand-washing, are essential in controlling the continued spread of the COVID-19 virus, which is in all of our interests.
The protesters' line of reasoning revolves around the idea - I suppose you could call it libertarian if you wanted to be nice, although essentially it is just selfishness - that the state should never tell its members what to do, and that no individual should have to do something they don't want to do. Which is a bit of a ridiculous and precious argument (hence the small numbers). Among the comments by protesters were: "This is what has led to the worst atrocities in history", and "When the government mandates something, it is never in your best interests".
Part of the social contract we are part of as members of society is that we observe the rules set by our elected representatives, and they provide services and keep us safe. Hence the rules of the road, the policing of thefts and assaults, and innumerable small rules like wearing seat belts, childhood vaccinations, standing on the right on escalators, etc. Wearing a mask in the midst of a global pandemic that is killing thousands of people is another such small rule instituted for the common good, and most people realize that it is not particularly onerous, and it is not difficult to subjugate one's ego (over-sized or otherwise) for a period if it means that the spread of the virus can be controlled.
Some people, however, feel sufficiently entitled and special that they don't have to submit to this social contract. Well, they certainly are special, but not in the way they might think. The vast majority of us who are willing to follow sensible rules, for our own good and the good of those around us, are not just unthinking sheep; we are thoughtful, empathetic human beings who believe that a minor inconvenience is worth putting up with for the greater good. Do these protesters really think that they are somehow exempt from the privations and restrictions that everyone else has had to, and continues to, endure?
No comments:
Post a Comment