Regular readers know I recently enjoyed a family road trip to New Mexico, and what did we do there to celebrate our newfound freedom and respite from a long season of pandemic sheltering? Why, we went to the Museum of International Folk Art in Santa Fe to see the current exhibition on pandemic masks.
#mask: Creative Responses to the Global Pandemic is a remarkable demonstration of how the states artists, many of them Indigenous New Mexicans, have used art to explore history, public health equity, and politics, and to encourage individual mask use as a demonstration of humanitys hope and care for one another.
The exhibition reminds us that the first pandemic masks emerged in the mid-14th century with face coverings featuring elaborate, birdlike beaks that could be filled with herbs and greens thought to keep out the bubonic plague ravaging Europe. There are some great inspirations on exhibit for Da de los Muertos and Halloween if you happen to visit. The exhibit will be open until early 2023.
We were maskless the day my family, all of us fully vaccinated, toured the museum and its far-ranging collection of folk art. Alas, we are maskless no more. The latest guidelines published by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention call for vaccinated people to wear masks in indoor public places where the coronavirus, especially the highly contagious delta variant, is spreading at substantial or high levels. Local officials agree we are again in a state of emergency.
So long as unvaccinated people behave as if they are somehow safe from infection or spreading it, we should err on the side of caution. That means taking an unwanted step back and agreeing to mask up once again. This pandemic, public health officials have been telling us all along, is not over.
I unmask if I am in a reasonably uncrowded indoor space, like the San Antonio Report offices, with people who are vaccinated, but otherwise I am masking up. Of course, even that might have to change if the variant continues to spread unchecked.
You should mask up in public indoor spaces or crowded outdoor spaces, too. Not because I am telling you to do so, or lecturing here. You should do it for yourself, your spouse, your children, your elders, your co-workers. If ever we needed a Love Thy Neighbor moment, it is now.
If enough of the unvaccinated population can be reasoned with and persuaded to reassess their vaccine hesitancy, their fears of unintended side effects, or their misguided political convictions, we can deal more quickly with this spike than past ones. If we fail to convince the minority to join the majority of protected San Antonians and Texans, we are in for troubled times that inevitably will interfere with social and economic recovery.
Gov. Greg Abbott, why not underscore the import of mask use and restore an emergency order requiring public indoor mask use? Personal responsibility is a noble thought, but 40% of the adult population is not listening.
The moment is key. Starting this month, hundreds of thousands of Bexar County students will return to school, and with the tens of thousands of adult educators. Many of those students are under 12 and not yet eligible for the vaccine. They are vulnerable, and they also are capable of spreading the virus. Yet Abbott has prohibited Texas schools from requiring masks. I dont get it.
Bexar County hospitals and intensive care units have filled up, yet again, with COVID-19 victims who are unvaccinated and now intensifying a public health crisis. Public health workers yet again are being asked to save the lives of people who acted selfishly and ignored the pandemic as not their problem.
Fiscal conservatives should note that the cost to taxpayers of the average hospitalized COVID-19 patient who is uninsured is $34,000 to $45,000, with out-of-network charges reaching as high as $73,000. That says nothing about the multitrillion-dollar government spending necessitated by the pandemic and economic shutdown.
Mask use, by comparison, seems like an affordable path back to pandemic recovery.
Here is the original post:
Love thy neighbor and mask up - San Antonio Report
- Freedom Caucus: The Fight Club of Congress - The Christian Science Monitor - September 29th, 2023 [September 29th, 2023]
- History shows a better strategy than shutdown for reducing the deficit - MinnPost - September 29th, 2023 [September 29th, 2023]
- Haake: For the freedom caucus, chaos is the point - Chicago Tribune - September 29th, 2023 [September 29th, 2023]
- Appeals court sets hearing date on Missouri abortion rights initiative ... - Missouri Independent - September 29th, 2023 [September 29th, 2023]
- Things to Know About the Billionaire Card - a Diamond-Encrusted ... - CEOWORLD magazine - September 29th, 2023 [September 29th, 2023]
- Report on Countries that are Candidates for Millennium Challenge ... - Millennium Challenge Corporation - August 28th, 2023 [August 28th, 2023]
- The Freedom Caucus' shutdown threat recalls tactics of past House ... - NPR - August 28th, 2023 [August 28th, 2023]
- Opinion | Joe Biden op-ed: 60 years after March on Washington, we ... - The Washington Post - August 28th, 2023 [August 28th, 2023]
- Universal Basic Income: Fiscal fantasy or AI necessity? - talkbusiness.net - August 28th, 2023 [August 28th, 2023]
- Hurtling toward a fiscal cliff - POLITICO - POLITICO - August 28th, 2023 [August 28th, 2023]
- Governor Glenn Youngkin - Virginia Governor Ralph Northam - Proclamation - August 28th, 2023 [August 28th, 2023]
- New Zealand - The Heritage Foundation - January 4th, 2023 [January 4th, 2023]
- Singapore Economy: Population, GDP, Inflation, Business, Trade, FDI ... - January 4th, 2023 [January 4th, 2023]
- Mexico Economy: Facts, Population, GDP, Corruption, Business, Trade ... - December 12th, 2022 [December 12th, 2022]
- Economic liberalism - Wikipedia - November 7th, 2022 [November 7th, 2022]
- Don't ask, don't tell - Wikipedia - October 15th, 2022 [October 15th, 2022]
- In first debate, Healey and Diehl clash over the economy, abortion and Trump - WBUR News - October 15th, 2022 [October 15th, 2022]
- Election 2022: What to know about California propositions - Visalia Times-Delta and Tulare Advance-Register - October 15th, 2022 [October 15th, 2022]
- Vice President Kamala Harris calls on Texans to protect reproductive and voting rights during Austin visit - 25 News KXXV and KRHD - October 15th, 2022 [October 15th, 2022]
- How Republicans in the Rio Grande Valley are using faith to draw in Latino voters - CBS News - October 15th, 2022 [October 15th, 2022]
- Letter to the editor: Pierce will work for values that matter to Senate District 25 - Press Herald - September 20th, 2022 [September 20th, 2022]
- Letter to the editor: Left needs heads examined - Washington Times - September 20th, 2022 [September 20th, 2022]
- Book Banning, Curriculum Restrictions, and the Politicization of U.S. Schools - Center For American Progress - September 20th, 2022 [September 20th, 2022]
- Judge considers halting enforcement of Indiana's near-total abortion ban - The Times of Northwest Indiana - September 20th, 2022 [September 20th, 2022]
- Texas Youth Summit draws conservative to plot the culture war - The Texas Tribune - September 20th, 2022 [September 20th, 2022]
- The Weight of Trump - The Atlantic - September 20th, 2022 [September 20th, 2022]
- Tanzania and Zambia want to upgrade the 'Uhuru Railway' but can they? - The Conversation Indonesia - September 20th, 2022 [September 20th, 2022]
- Power games: Plans to shift to a centralised market in power sector must take into account concerns of all stakeholders - The Indian Express - September 20th, 2022 [September 20th, 2022]
- Inside the Academic-Freedom Crisis That Roiled Florida's Flagship - The Chronicle of Higher Education - September 7th, 2022 [September 7th, 2022]
- Liz Trusss energy price cap handout will put her talent for U-turns to the test - The Guardian - September 7th, 2022 [September 7th, 2022]
- FM stresses joint Arab action to overcome regional crises - Jordan Times - September 7th, 2022 [September 7th, 2022]
- The contract of Nigerian citizenship and diaspora voting - Guardian Nigeria - September 7th, 2022 [September 7th, 2022]
- Study ranks Midland as top economic freedom area in Michigan - The Center Square - September 6th, 2022 [September 6th, 2022]
- Another Shocking Decline in Life Expectancy | The Fiscal Times - The Fiscal Times - September 6th, 2022 [September 6th, 2022]
- Liz Truss Has Been Elected As The New Prime Minister Of The United Kingdom. Replace Boris Johnson - Nation World News - September 6th, 2022 [September 6th, 2022]
- Why the Left Is Learning to Love the Military - The Atlantic - September 6th, 2022 [September 6th, 2022]
- Millions of dollars spent secretly at B.C. Legislature - theBreaker - theBreaker - September 6th, 2022 [September 6th, 2022]
- Economy forecast to grow by 7-7.5% in current fiscal Times of India - English Bharat Times - September 6th, 2022 [September 6th, 2022]
- The Union Government Is Arbitrarily Squeezing States Fiscal Freedom To Borrow - The Wire - August 15th, 2022 [August 15th, 2022]
- House Freedom Caucus calls on McCarthy, McConnell to reject 'lame duck' spending this fall - Fox News - August 15th, 2022 [August 15th, 2022]
- JAGs 7th and most ambitious season yet is titled 'The Freedom Practice' - Vermont Biz - August 15th, 2022 [August 15th, 2022]
- Why is the Michigan Medicine nurses' union abridging freedom of speech? - WSWS - August 15th, 2022 [August 15th, 2022]
- Board of Elections certifies recall effort to oust East Cleveland's mayor - News 5 Cleveland WEWS - August 15th, 2022 [August 15th, 2022]
- Bangabandhu's thoughts on economic freedom are still relevant - The Financial Express - August 15th, 2022 [August 15th, 2022]
- Overview: A Year of Taliban Rule in Afghanistan - Voice of America - VOA News - August 15th, 2022 [August 15th, 2022]
- Rochester enters the era of the $250,000 police officer - Rochester City Newspaper - August 15th, 2022 [August 15th, 2022]
- India aims to be developed nation in 25 years: Modi - Gulf Times - August 15th, 2022 [August 15th, 2022]
- EDITORIAL: Welcome to new thinker on the block - Coeur d'Alene Press - August 15th, 2022 [August 15th, 2022]
- Letters to the editor for Sunday, August 14, 2022 - News-Press - August 15th, 2022 [August 15th, 2022]
- The Serious Lack of Good Governance and Economic Freedom: Root Causes of Sri Lanka's Ongoing Turmoil - Heritage.org - July 27th, 2022 [July 27th, 2022]
- The FOIA backlog continued to grow last year - Federal News Network - July 27th, 2022 [July 27th, 2022]
- More money rolling into state's casinos, less tax being collected The Daily Gazette - The Daily Gazette - July 27th, 2022 [July 27th, 2022]
- EDITORIAL: Fentanyl, death by the dose - Washington Times - July 27th, 2022 [July 27th, 2022]
- Liz Truss's tax cuts are not inflationary - The Telegraph - July 27th, 2022 [July 27th, 2022]
- The UN wants to educate children it will succeed only if it feeds them first - The Guardian - July 27th, 2022 [July 27th, 2022]
- Sunburn The morning read of what's hot in Florida politics 7.27.22 - Florida Politics - July 27th, 2022 [July 27th, 2022]
- A first look at the medium-term fiscal program - BusinessWorld Online - July 19th, 2022 [July 19th, 2022]
- Financial Giants Reject West Virginia's Claims That They're Boycotting Fossil Fuels - The Epoch Times - July 19th, 2022 [July 19th, 2022]
- Five Waldo County towns ready to vote on broadband - Republican Journal - July 19th, 2022 [July 19th, 2022]
- Indian Navy expected to spend 70 pc of capital budget in domestic procurement this fiscal: Rajnath Singh - ThePrint - July 19th, 2022 [July 19th, 2022]
- NGO letter opposing T.42 amendments in appropriations - Government Accountability Project - July 19th, 2022 [July 19th, 2022]
- Digital services provided by foreign firms to be taxed from tomorrow - The Kathmandu Post - July 19th, 2022 [July 19th, 2022]
- Ayushman health ID card: A need for fine tuning! - Times of India - July 19th, 2022 [July 19th, 2022]
- Windfall tax on crude goes against incentive of more pricing freedom - The Financial Express - July 9th, 2022 [July 9th, 2022]
- Diversity, equity and inclusion update: June 2022 issue | CU Boulder Today - CU Boulder Today - June 29th, 2022 [June 29th, 2022]
- Menendez, Schiff alarmed that Biden again approves US military aid to Azerbaijan - Armenian Weekly - June 29th, 2022 [June 29th, 2022]
- Egypt is cozying up to Russia. It's time for the US to step in. - Atlantic Council - June 29th, 2022 [June 29th, 2022]
- PM to say to G7 leaders: We must keep up our resolve on Ukraine - GOV.UK - June 29th, 2022 [June 29th, 2022]
- Where have all the Christians gone? | News, Sports, Jobs - Williamsport Sun-Gazette - Williamsport Sun-Gazette - June 29th, 2022 [June 29th, 2022]
- President Biden waives Section 907 restrictions on US aid to Azerbaijan - Armenian Weekly - June 24th, 2022 [June 24th, 2022]
- Senate retirement bill benefits wealthy Americans - The Hill - June 24th, 2022 [June 24th, 2022]
- Ambassador Kierscht Interview with The Key - US Embassy in Mauritania - USEmbassy.gov - June 24th, 2022 [June 24th, 2022]
- Roe v. Wade overturned: How will it affect abortion access in Indiana - The Herald-Times - June 24th, 2022 [June 24th, 2022]
- Constricted devolution of fiscal power - The Kathmandu Post - June 22nd, 2022 [June 22nd, 2022]
- Public office and accountability issues in Nigeria - Daily Trust - June 22nd, 2022 [June 22nd, 2022]
- Shaheen, Portman Participate in Discussion Hosted by Dartmouth on Russia's Unprovoked Invasion of Ukraine | US Senator Jeanne Shaheen of New Hampshire... - June 22nd, 2022 [June 22nd, 2022]
- Congress Ignores Pressing National Business While It Obsesses on Jan. 6 - The Epoch Times - June 11th, 2022 [June 11th, 2022]
- Ukraine Economy: Population, GDP, Inflation, Business, Trade, FDI ... - June 11th, 2022 [June 11th, 2022]
- How would India fare on a modified misery index? Better than US & UK, worse than most others - ThePrint - June 11th, 2022 [June 11th, 2022]
- "Don't Want RBI To Become Extension Of Government": Ex CEA Arvind Subramanian - NDTV Profit - June 11th, 2022 [June 11th, 2022]