I'm a voracious consumer of information. Most of that information is scholarly and complex because of my academic interests and writing topics. But I also consume what is termed "the news," and I do my best to give a fair ear to news sources both on the left and on the right. I'm somewhere in the middle. That "fair ear" includes the current debate over whether or not masks help prevent COVID-19 or not, so I understand why my friends and colleagues have conflicting opinions about masks, thus the title of this essay, "To Mask, or not to Mask."
With regard to the First Amendment and the right of free speech, I have taught the COTUS in depth and word-by-word almost every year since 1987; I've written one book on the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment; I have an in-depth understanding of Enlightenment deists' theory of natural rights and its impact upon the Founders even though I cannot count the number of times I've told a man politely to "shut up" when using foul language in a public place, especially when I'm accompanied by a lady (I've been spit at and physically threatened for that); nonetheless, I understand those whose point of view regarding free speech and the right to peaceably assemble fuel their opposition to the secular states' mandates regarding social distancing and wearing masks. But I also understand something else.
Her name was Judy.
She was diagnosed with Stage IIIC Ovarian cancer in 1999. For the next nine years, she underwent over fifty chemotherapy treatments, hundreds of radiation treatments, hundreds of "sticks"; five major surgeries including stereotactic brain surgery (twice), and worst of all - an autologous stem-cell transplant. For that treatment, we lived for four months at the Rotary House International Hotel adjacent to the M. D. Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, Texas. I won't go into details about that process, but if you want to see a riveting portrayal of what that means, then watch the movie WIT starring Emma Thompson; it'll rip your guts out.
Speaking of ripping your guts out: Judy vomited so hard during that treatment she actually threw up part of the lining of her stomach.
After they harvested millions of Judy's stem cells, which was literally for her a bone-chilling process, the plan was to move her to the hospital's exclusive quarantine floor; zap her with experimental chemo, the effects of which would be much more brutal than normal chemo, and the results of which were unknown; and then hope she survived.
The biggest risk was referred to as Judy "going septic" because the experimental chemo had destroyed all her antibodies and therefore she had no natural resources to combat an infection, thus the quarantined floor.
This was the daily routine.
Outside her hospital room, disposable masks and gowns and hand-sanitizer were placed conveniently for me and everyone else who came to her room including every doctor, every nurse, every technician, every social worker, every chaplain - every time. Gown on, mask on, sanitize; gown off, mask off, sanitize; and then mask and gown into the special receptacle. Multiple times a day for me so that Judy wouldn't "go septic."
It didn't work.
Septic shock set in, and Judy wandered to the brink of death and the edge of eternity.
Our dear friend and her personal physician, Dr. Cindy Sessions (now deceased), flew to Judy's side where she remained for a couple of days and then returned to her patients in Dallas. Cindy didn't tell me, but when she returned to Dallas, she told our church family and mutual friends, "I don't think Judy's going to make it."
Thankfully, Judy made it and lived several more years; however, when she afterward underwent chemo or surgery, she had to continue that protocol of wearing masks, wearing gloves, avoiding buffets, etc.
During those nine years, some of our most intimate moments were the four times I shaved her head.
So, maybe I'm experientially biased about masks, but as of this moment I have several Facebook friends who have, or will have, compromised immune systems because of ongoing or upcoming chemotherapy. I also have friends with other "underlying conditions."
So, my opinion about wearing masks comes down to Judy.
And to other friends, and to people I don't know including the elderly.
Fault me for that if you will, but if there's a 1% "chance" that my wearing a mask could protect someone else, my opinion about "to mask or not to mask" has nothing to do with the First Amendment, which I understand thoroughly, but rather it comes down to . . .
caution, courtesy, and charity.
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