Masked Dystopia

Jeffrey I Barke, M.D.

“Daddy, look, that man doesn’t have a mask on,” said the little boy to his father while pointing at me.

I was in Sprouts Market to test their newly relaxed masking rules: encourage the use of face coverings, but don’t insist on them as a condition of being in the store.

I noticed immediately that I was the only customer in the market without a mask. I could feel the stares as I walked through the aisles. One lady reversed her tracks when she saw me coming. Another elderly man stood with his arms held tightly crossed, undoubtedly scowling under his mask as I picked out my organic oranges.

An obese, wheelchair-bound woman asked: “Don’t you know you are a danger to others?” As she rolled away I noticed a quart of vanilla bean ice cream in her wheelchair’s basket. I wanted to tell her that the ice cream was a greater risk to her health than my maskless face, but I restrained myself. All of the store’s employees were covered and, as a result, actively promoting the false narrative that masks protect, when in fact they don’t.

I will not list the nearly endless number of studies showing the uselessness of wearing a mask to prevent the transmission of a viral illness. They are available for all to review. I will, however, remind readers of all the major players that correctly told us early on in the pandemic that masks are ineffective at stopping the infectious nature of the disease: Dr. Anthony Fauci, World Health Organization, US Surgeon General Jerome Adams, CDC Director Robert Redfield, CDC Director for the National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Disease, Dr. Nancy Messonnier, HHS Secretary Alex Axar, spokesperson for the Infectious Disease Society of America, Dr. Amesh Adalja, the New England Journal of Medicine, and the Journal of the American Medical Association to name a few!

We have entered a strange new world where delusional fear drives the behavior of some regardless of the facts. Delusion is a medical term that means a persistent false belief that is maintained despite evidence to the contrary. Even now when the so-called health experts tell us we can remove our mask, the message falls on deaf ears - fear has paralyzed a lot of people in our country into disregarding facts and evaluating science. Our children are most affected by what some are now calling a Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. 

What caused this behavior of distrust and fear?

Covid-19 didn’t force us to lead dehumanized, fearful lives. Covid-19 didn’t shut the schools. Covid-19 didn’t devastate the economy. Covid-19 didn’t cause the highest suicide rate since the Great Depression. Covid-19 didn’t cause more teens to die of suicide than of this viral illness. And, Covid-19 didn’t shutter the churches in some communities while allowing liquor stores to remain open. The culprit was us — the American public that allowed the bureaucrats to infringe upon our liberties in the name of pseudoscience. It was us, the American public, that failed to ask the question at each change in direction: “This change you propose, at what cost to the public?”

Back to Sprouts. As I was waiting to check out a very cute little kid - he must have been 5 or 6 years old — was standing with his dad ahead of me. Father and son both had masks on, the little one wore a Superman mask - rather cute even if it was part of an old Halloween costume. The boy's gaze shifted from me, then to his father, and then back again to me. I smiled at him each time. Finally, he pointed at me and said, “Daddy, look, that man doesn’t have a mask on.” I responded to him, “Hi Superman, why are you wearing a mask? Did you know, masks are no longer required.” The father quickly looked up, and did not know what to say. “Come on son, don’t talk to strangers,” he quipped under his breath as he pulled his son close to him..

I checked-out without hassle, the checker was polite and never asked me to put on a mask. As she helped me bag my groceries she said under her breath, “I can’t stand these masks either.” As I walked out of the door, I glanced behind me in disbelief at the masked, faceless zombies that continue to inhabit our world.

I refuse to live my life in fear despite being told that I should. The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom. Proverbs 9:10.

I worry that too many of us have forgotten this message and instead have been taught to fear the government and social scorn more.