It’s never too late to do the right thing — so do it now on face masks, Gov. McMaster

The reason why the adage “It’s never too late to do the right thing” is so powerful is because it is so true.

There really is always time to do what’s right.

There really is always time to stop a journey that’s headed down a misguided path — and change its course toward a far wiser one.

It’s a heartening reality that Gov. Henry McMaster should embrace.

At long last.

McMaster should realize that it’s not too late to finally do the right thing by implementing a statewide face mask requirement to slow South Carolina’s still-raging rates of COVID-19 cases and deaths.

All the right answers

Would it be uncomfortable for McMaster to make such a dramatic, public about-face after weeks of dismissing the idea of employing a statewide face mask policy — even as big and small communities all over South Carolina have taken the very action he won’t take to protect South Carolinians?

Maybe.

But this is what is so empowering about doing the right thing, even when it’s overdue: it gives you the liberating ability to possess all the right answers when you’re challenged on why you’re doing it.

And so it would be for McMaster if he took the needlessly delayed step of requiring South Carolinians to wear face masks.

Flip-flopping?

But how, you ask, would McMaster answer the critics who would accuse him of being a “flip-flopper”?

That’s easy.

McMaster could simply lower the face mask that he often wears when speaking to the public — thankfully, irony has survived even the specter of COVID-19 — and utter these words while looking intently into the cameras:

“The only thing worse than making up your mind without any facts is not changing your mind when the facts change. And the fact that it’s now possible for nearly 80 South Carolinians to die in a single day from COVID-19 is enough to change my mind about a statewide face mask policy. You all need to wear them. And I’m now issuing an order to make sure you all do just that.”

Who could sensibly argue with that?

The defiant backlash

OK, you ask, but how would McMaster deal with the inevitable backlash from the many defiant South Carolinians who a): cling to the governor’s “no requirement” stance as inspiration to keep petulantly refusing to wear face masks, and b) insist that most of their fellow citizens feel the same way they do?

Again, that’s easy.

McMaster could simply point to the recent poll that revealed that 79% of South Carolinians would back him if he decided to implement a statewide face mask requirement.

“The majority of our citizens think it’s the right thing to do,” McMaster could say. “And I’ve come to realize it’s the right thing for all of our citizens to do. Now I’m taking action to ensure exactly that.”

Who could sensibly argue with that?

Hardly ‘breaking ranks’

Well, you ask, how would McMaster answer all of the ankle-biting political pundits who’d sneer that the governor had “broken ranks” with numerous fellow Republican governors across the country?

Actually, that’s extremely easy.

McMaster could simply point out that President Donald Trump — the primo Republican of all Republicans in America — recently declared that wearing a face mask is a “patriotic” act.

“I stand with our president,” McMaster could say.

“And we South Carolinians take a backseat to no one when it comes to our patriotism. That’s why I have decided to implement a statewide face mask requirement as an opportunity to put our patriotism on display for the whole nation to admire. It’s the right thing to do because it’s the patriotic thing to do.”

Who could sensibly argue with that?

Do it, governor

In short, there really is no compelling reason for Gov. McMaster to wait one more day to put off doing the right thing.

It’s still not too late, governor.

Put a statewide face mask requirement in place.

This story was originally published July 24, 2020 at 8:02 AM.