This is purely my opinion and may not reflect anyone else at the Geneseo Current, but make no mistake wearing a mask is a hot button topic. One can throw fire on the flame simply say, “Should our kids wear masks?”
That statement alone may be enough to make some folks stop reading and move on or stop reading and post a comment of some sort. However you look at the mask debate there’s a lot more going on in everyone’s lives than just, ‘We’re not wearing masks anymore,’ or ‘My child shouldn’t have to wear a mask.’
Maybe some people have medical reasons for not wearing masks. Perhaps religious beliefs have something to do with it. Either way, that’s their choice and it’s a choice that the person next to them should respect. Now, I completely understand in this time of COVID, such a person could unintentionally spread infection. There may be someone reading this and be thinking to themselves that herd immunity is the way to go and to be honest, there may be some truth to that. After having COVID myself once, maybe twice, I’d rather wear a mask while indoors(in some situations) than risk catching it again or spreading it without my knowledge.
Our state leader has, once again, put indoor masks mandates in place. And once again this has spread unintended joy among Illinois citizens. I say joy in sarcasm, but we can still enjoy outdoor activities without masks.
I truly believe it comes down to respect and choice. It doesn’t seem right tell another person that what they believe is wrong. Just because two people don’t agree on a particular matter doesn’t mean either of them are wrong. That’s respect.
Our local leaders have worked incredibly hard to ensure that we, right here in Geneseo, can still have a great quality of life, even as uncertainty remains. We can still have ice cream socials, Friday night football games, and Planes, Trains & Automobiles. There may be some caveats, but our kids are in school five days a week, all day long.
But if someone were to ask me to put on a mask while I’m on the sideline at Bob Reade Field, would I do it? Yes. Simply put, I couldn’t stand the thought of being the reason those student-athletes could lose two or three weeks of their season.
Dalcon DeMaranville
Geneseo Current