Putting on a Mask is a Small Sacrifice That Everyone Can Make
I like to patronize local businesses. Small businesses are the heart and soul of every community.
So, when I shopped at three local Putnam Valley businesses recently, I was appalled to see not only customers but staff not wearing a mask, or wearing the mask below their nose or on their chin, which is basically not wearing a mask at all.
I realize it is hard to enforce the law on customers, but you can enforce it with your own staff. Whether you like our governor or not, it is a law to wear a mask inside. A law that was put in place to save lives, not suppress our freedom. As a good citizen we do not pick and choose which laws we want to follow. Yes, maybe try to change laws if we disagree, but not ignore them. Therefore, I will not shop at any local business that does not try to keep our community safe.
There is an expression, “Freedom ain’t free.” This expression is used to show how grateful we as Americans are to our brave men and women in the military who have sacrificed during a time of crisis to save our lives and protect our freedom. Well, with millions of Americans dead and infected with this virus aren’t we in a time of crisis? Can’t we ask people to sacrifice and wear a mask to protect our freedom to live a healthy life? We are all sick of COVID-19, masks, vaccines and hearing about this damn virus. Even though we are done with COVID, COVID is not done with us.
I think about the analogy of not wearing a mask to smoking inside an establishment. Smoke has volatile chemicals that can cause harm to your body. Smoking inside can cause harm to someone else’s body. If the smoker wants to cause harm to his own body that is his right. But he does not have the right to harm other people’s health.
By not wearing a mask inside that is basically what you are doing. People have health issues and this virus could cause them to become severely ill or die. People who are infected with COVID can be asymptomatic days before they know they have it. People who are infected with COVID can release particles and droplets of respiratory fluids that contain the virus when they exhale, breathe, speak, sing, cough or sneeze.
Transmission of the infected droplets can occur in distances of more than six feet. These particles from an infected person can linger in the air in a room for hours. If we do not start taking precautions, this virus will continue to mutate and eventually evade our current vaccines.
I have heard people say, “if you get COVID from the Omicron variant it won’t make you too ill, especially if you are vaccinated and boosted.” No one knows the long-term effects from this virus. Think about chicken pox and shingles, polio and post-polio syndrome. These diseases can remain dormant in your body for years then come back with a vengeance.
I know the good people of Putnam Valley and Putnam County care deeply about one another. I see it in our first responders, the brave, wonderful law enforcement officers, the town boards, the folks who volunteer their time at our fire and ambulance departments, food pantry and the neighbors who look out for one another every day.
So please, as a good citizen, caring person and a fellow American, let’s protect each other. Please do the right thing. Wear a good tight-fitting mask that covers your nose and mouth, and hopefully get vaccinated and boosted. Thank you.
Have a happy, healthy New Year. God Bless.
Susan Kimble
Putnam Valley
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