Why is wearing a face-mask so political?

Yesterday, a good friend of mine posted a passionate video of a woman on Facebook defending her choice not to wear a mask in public places. And I couldn't help but feel disappointed. Still, I decided not to post a personal response. Instead, I posted this video created by the University of Michigan School of Public Health explaining how all of the public health measures recommended by experts makes an impact on stopping the spread of COVID-19. Other individuals who responded were not entirely objective and were shockingly more political, which made me wonder how wearing face masks become a political debate in America? And, is it just as simple as Democrats support wearing masks but Republicans do not?

In early June, the Pew Research Center conducted a poll on American's face mask-wearing behavior. The survey discovered that mask-wearing is indeed becoming a partisan issue. Democrats are more likely to say they wore a mask all or most of the time in the past month (76% vs. 53%) (Igielnik, 2020). While only 49% of conservative Republicans have reported wearing a mask all or most of the time in the past month – 49% compared with 60% of moderate Republicans (Igielnik, 2020).

While most are quick to judge the CDC and President Trump's misinformation during the early onset of the pandemic in America for the divisive facemask opinions, I was surprised to find differing views on mask-wearing had also occurred during the 1918 Flu Epidemic. Like today, Americans accepted closing schools, businesses, and a ban on public gatherings, but individuals were furious when officials demanded that they wear masks. Unfortunately, my research didn't define how individuals defined themselves as politically, but it did show a difference in opinion by genders. In 1918, men associated masks with femininity and formed an anti-mask league in San Francisco until public health officials rebranded personal care to display patriotism and duty (Canales, 2020). However, it did confirm that wearing masks during the 1918 pandemics most likely saved tens of thousands of lives.

On July 21st, 2020, President Trump, who before this refused to wear a mask in public, pulled out a navy-blue mask during a White House briefing on the COVID-19 crisis in America and encouraged individuals to wear a mask. During the briefing, he remarked that "Whether you like the mask or not, they have an impact," and he indicated they are easy to get used to (Liptak, 2020). 

 This marked only the second time during the pandemic that I have seen him wear a mask, and I'm watching my social media and polls closely to see if his decision to wear a mask motivates others to adopt this critical practice.

The Okologie community is committed to empowering others with evidence-based, timely information to inspire healthful choices and spark positive change. Today, I encourage you, my friends, and my family, to put aside political differences, personal opinions, or downright selfishness and begin wearing a mask.

References

Canales, K. (2020). These surprisingly relevant vintage ads show how officials tried to convince people to wear masks after many refused during the 1918 flu pandemic. Retrieved from Business Insider: https://www.businessinsider.com/people-vintage-mask-ads-spanish-flu-1918-pandemic-2020-5

Igielnik, R. (2020). Most Americans say they regularly wore a mask in stores in the past month; fewer see others doing it. Retrieved from Pew Research Center: https://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2020/06/23/most-americans-say-they-regularly-wore-a-mask-in-stores-in-the-past-month-fewer-see-others-doing-it/

Liptak, K. C. (2020). Trump at briefing says Covid-19 crisis 'will probably, unfortunately, get worse before it gets better.' Retrieved from CNN Politics: https://www.cnn.com/2020/07/21/politics/trump-coronavirus-briefing/index.html

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