In the age of COVID-19, real men wear face masks. So why are many refusing to do so?
On men, masks
After a recent grocery shopping trip, I sat in my car and noticed that about 1 in every 10 people entering the store were wearing no face coverings — in spite of the large sign regarding the law to wear them.
Here’s what else I noticed: about 90% of the people who weren’t wearing face masks were men.
There were men without masks who were accompanied by female partners who were wearing masks. There were men without masks who were shopping alone. And there were men without masks who were shopping in groups.
Since when does callous disregard for others pass for manhood?
It is discouraging to read about visitors who want to blame our areas for giving them the coronavirus. Well, if those people didn’t wear masks, they have no right to complain.
We can and must do better than this.
Real men wear masks.
Judy Harlow, Ocean Isle Beach
On mandates
People say we need a national face mask policy, but we already have one: it’s called personal responsibility.
Government mandates can’t change stupidity.
We should follow the same rule of thumb with face masks that we have with seat belts — and just buckle up whenever you go out.
Charels Moran, Leesville
On protesters
The First Amendment gives us the right to peacefully assemble but no citizen is granted the right to destroy property or physically harm individuals.
The lawless march of America’s current rioters has only revealed their minimal knowledge of history. Why attack the statues of Gen. Ulysses Grant? Why advocate destroying the monument of Abraham Lincoln? Why deface Saint Patrick’s Cathedral?
How wide will these rioters cast this net?
Eli Yale was a governor of the British East India Co., which was a leader in African-Indian slave trading. Do the protesters want the name of Yale University changed to atone for Eli Yale’s past racist sins?
Meanwhile, what do we hear from all of the Democratic mayors and governors when it comes to enforcing the laws? Crickets. And why would the Democrats defeat the police reform bill by Republican Sen. Tim Scott, except for election political reasons?
Carol Swain, a Black professor who taught at Princeton and Vanderbilt, is right when she concludes that Black Lives Matter is no longer a civil rights movement but a covert political organization.
In addition, to claim that African Americans are denied opportunities is counterfactual. The progressives seem to conveniently forget the long list of successful Black figures over last four decades, which includes two-term former President Barack Obama and Colin Powell and Condoleeza Rice (two past secretarys of state).
Carroll Player, Florence
On McMaster
It was silly of me to expect anything different from Gov. Henry McMaster during his recent press conference. I thought that after several consecutive days of 1,000-plus new COVID-19 cases, McMaster was finally going to do something.
But, boy, was I wrong: McMaster just continued to beg the selfish people of South Carolina to do their part and wear face masks. It was yet another embarrassing moment for South Carolina.
McMaster just doesn’t get it: he hasn’t figured out that if the selfish people of South Carolina are not wearing masks by now, it’s never going to happen. The time for begging is over. It’s time for the governor to show some backbone. It’s time for him to stop being weak and to stop playing to an audience of one.
McMaster needs to start caring about the GOOD people of South Carolina, and to quit passing the buck to cities, counties and municipalities across this state.
I am a 21-year veteran of the United States Air Force, and this is our old saying: “Lead, follow or get out of the way.” McMaster should just do his job — or just get out.
Ronald Andersen, Winnsboro
On face masks
I’m starting to feel a little embarrassed for The State Editorial Board because of your constant editorial pleas to Gov. Henry McMaster to demand that people wear face masks in South Carolina.
Your pleas make me think of a frightened individual who keeps running behind someone else while constantly whining, “Please sir, make me wear a mask. I don’t know how to make that decision on my own.”
Ron Shealy, Lexington
On history
Only Marxist, fascist and other totalitarian countries try to rewrite their histories.
Rusty DePass Jr., Columbia
This story was originally published July 3, 2020 at 5:56 AM.