When I'm out doing shopping and running around I still see 1 or 2 people wearing masks. Sad, mostly young people. How to live in such fear? Can they not see that 99% of us are still alive and not using a face diaper?

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No baby we aint

I am older and wiser. Don't use masks and never had one of the shots.

Only wore masks when I had too. Never got a jab.

Many on here feel differently about it thou.

I know a few people (one is a member here) that wear masks in public as their immune systems have been compromised.

Also citizens have the right to wear them if they choose.

They bother me not at all.

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Music/Sports/Beer fan

^^^^^^^^^

what Rusty said
And i would like to Add Maybe they were sick, and they had to be out. So they wore a mask to protect others.

Maybe a compromised immune system...Maybe. But I never saw anyone publicly wearing masks before 2020... Fear is a powerful thing.

Times have certainly changed.
Remember the time when wearing a mask into a bank would have resulted in you talking with the local police?
Now, if you wear a mask into the jewelry store or clothing shop, you may get to meet one-on-one with the entire local police force (at least in some parts of California).

And how does this affect you?

I don't currently wear a mask on a day to day basis but as a person with a suppressed/compromised immune system sometimes I do.

I also, on occassion, wore one prior to Covid.

I don't think it makes me ill informed or anything else.

Like I said it really doesn't concern you so I don't understand why you care or more importantly how this affects you.

It's personal choice...I don't see the problem either way......Ben

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Cogito, ergo BOOM!...

Notwithstanding the immune compromised or ill people, I think a lot of young people grow up afraid of the world. Yeah, it's rough out there but their parents trained them to be afraid.

Mom and Dad drove them to school, wouldn't let them play outside alone or go places on their own. It used to be that parents trained their kids to recognize threats and how to handle the situation. Run, scream, fight back whatever.

Now kids are kept inside protective walls. They live inside their phones and lash out digitally at other kids. The protective shield promotes hostility and reinforces the notion that more physical protection is needed. Many of us learned back in the day that bullying somebody on the playground could lead to fisticuffs and some hard learning. Being a brute could hurt and maybe be self-correcting. Those days are gone.

Offa my soapbox now . . . . I'm gonna go put out my sign: STAY OFF THE LAWN!

I am a severely immune compromised person and started wearing a mask in 2016 at the initiation of my treatment that caused the compromised state on advice of my doctor. Further, more recent treatments further damaged my immunity so I wear a mask always when shopping. I do not live in fear as the OP suggested but take reasonable steps to protect my health from acquiring airborne diseases.

It was a sad day when the wearing or not wearing of masks became a political statement as it is a personal and often medical necessity. Why it bothers some people is hard to fathom and foolish.

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John. SWCA #1586

You obviously don't have much of an Oriental population.

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Dean
SWCA #680 SWHF #446

Most states have had laws on the books "Outlawing mask wearing in public" for the last 150 years. Judging by news footage needs to happen again. Joe

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Wisdom chases me; I'm faster

Don’t judge them to harshly. They could be a care giver
To a person that would not survive even a
Mild case of any kind of flu.

It doesn't bother me that people wear masks. As a matter of fact, I really don't care what most people do or don't do. So long as they are not bothering, harming or disturbing others I generally pay them no mind.

I have no patience, however, for strangers that that make a scene over my wearing/not wearing a mask. Most of the readers here have likely encountered the type. My mantra is "run your own life, not mine."

I have COPD and some days when air quality is bad or pollen is heavy, I put on a mask. So what? Ain't none of your business.

One of the big problems in the world today is so many people feel the need to criticize others for things they know nothing about.
Life is much more peaceful when you mind your own business.

I will just say this, as someone who has undergone a fair bit of medical training in my former line of work. The typical masks you see people wearing (the stupid paper ones) or the cloth ones do nothing to benefit you.

Surgical masks (paper) were intended for surgery to stop large droplets. Not viruses.

The cloth masks make you look fashionable but do nothing. Ever seen pants stop a fart? Nope.

The only masks worth about anything is N95 style, "gas masks" with filtration, or a full SCBA respiratory.

This is based on training I received from doctors and nurses in the course of my studies and work in hospital care.

Take it for what it's worth. If you choose to wear one, might as well be a "proper" one.

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Go ahead... make my day.

People have the right to wear a mask if they so choose. We do not have the right to say they can't. They don't have the right to say We must. Nuff Said!!

I went into one of my banks recently...on the door I was surprised to see a sign. No masks hoodies or dark glasses allowed...and when I gave the teller a deposit slip and money he demanded to see my ID. Huh? Like I will put money in someone elses account. Been using the bank for 15 years. I just told him no and kept my cash. But I was surprised about the no masks or hoodies sign! Having been involved with medical stuff for years I know and knew with the mandate that the masks and bandanas do not help with anything other than dust and large droplets. as stated unless you wear the N 95s they do no good for anything connected to disease in the air. That said I don't care if someone wants to wear a mask. Maybe better than nothing for those with compromised immune systems. The only ones with masks that bother me are these Palestinian protestors

From post #11.

"It was a sad day when the wearing or not wearing of masks became a political statement as it is a personal and often medical necessity. Why it bothers some people is hard to fathom and foolish."

Two likes, for when one is not enough!

Some folks get bothered when somebody is wearing a mask in public.
Some when they see a person wearing a gun.
Time to stop and take some deep breaths!

73,
Rick

You nailed it........WITH BIG NAILS.

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S&W Accumulator

The nurse that helps care for my mom often wears a mask so she doesn’t spread anything between her clients/patients. It seems Asian cultures are a little smarter than we are in the west about these things

Yes fear is a powerful thing
I’ve had Covid twice and I do have some fear i might get it again. I sometimes use a mask in certain situations in order to better my chances of staying healthy

I do tell you; I don’t need permission to be
safe.

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SD social distanc'n since 1889

Thought this was going to be about the eye doctor

Thought this debate was passe.
Still see some here and there, never gave it a second thought until a lady wore one while driving down my street.
I thought as useful as wearing a condom while alone in bed.

If people want to wear a mask, that's their business. I will say that if people think that surgical masks provide them with protection, they have been sadly misinformed.

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Can open, worms everywhere.

Well said. I had similar training to yours and was taught the same. On top of that I had HazMat and WMD training, which taught me a lot about what would and wouldn't protect me.

If people choose to wear a mask, they should at least wear one that will provide some protection.

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Can open, worms everywhere.

I'll wear a mask if I want to. I won't if I don't want to.

I'll carry legally if I want to. I won't if I feel I don't want to.

I'll drive an EV if I feel like it.

No matter what I do, it is none of anyone else's bizness.....

When it was required, I figured I might as well have some fun with wearing a mask. So I wore a Bat Signal mask. The only reaction I got was from people who thought it was pretty cool.

I too received medical training as a paramedic during my 33 years as a full time paramedic. You do realize that many infections are spread by droplets such as flu, measles, TB, the common cold etc. any which of those may have been fatal to me during the nadir of my blood counts during my various courses of treatment. And I do wear a “proper” N95 mask. As mentioned by another poster I also was trained in Haz Mat and WMD and was certified as a Haz Mat Incident Commander and functioned in that role as I was also a firefighter for 35 years in addition to being a paramedic for 33 of those years during my career

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John. SWCA #1586

My point exactly. I'm not trying to run anyone's life. Just an observation and an opinion. Always love a good discussion between forum members. Will "they" try it again?

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No baby we aint

While being treated for cancer my Doctors greatly encouraged me to mask up.
Encouraged to the point that one provided me with the mask she recommended at no cost. There are times I still wear one in various situations.
I suspect my insurance paid the bill on those.

Just don't call me late for dinner.

I can't find a mask that will filter out the smell of skunkweed my new Illinois neighbors brought with them.

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SOS USA

I trusted the little science they knew about it when it shut much of the world down. 3 jabs. Masked when needed to go in a store. That covid killed my 40 year old nephew. He was no choir boy, being a felon at 18, but it tore up my sister.

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There's a Monster on the loose