A Day Without Masks

One thing that strikes me about all these maskless threads is how compliant so many ATSs are, implicitly or explicitly.

Some of us wear masks out of courtesy, some of us to protect others, some to protect ourselves, some even to keep warm. We make up our own minds.

What surprises me is how many people feel they had to do it, or reacted against it, because they were told to.

a reply to: Whodathunkdatcheese

At work, I like having a job. I discovered last week that I survived a massive purge there as it was when COVID hit even if I did get put on contract losing money, and then I got brought back to full-time afterward. I was luckier than most. But if your employers tell you how to handle things and masks are part of it, do you jeopardize that when so many are out of work now?

As to other activities, do you make trouble for others who are small business owners and could end up facing legal trouble if you put them in a position of taking your business maskless or telling you no and losing your business? They're struggling now too.

And, of course, no one really *needs* to eat, so no one has to go out and get groceries and stuff.

Maybe you are different, but you live in an area long enough and you build up relationships with the people you patronize, even at the grocery store. You don't want to put them in a difficult position with the law which is what you're really looking at doing during these mandates.

The only real way to resist some of this would have been on a mass level, not as an individual.

a reply to: dug88

We've been lost since we invited the Walmarts of the world into our neighborhoods for the sake of "convience", but people's willingness to accept what most knew was wrong destroyed any possible hope I had.

They are literally bribing people with their kids future to take an experimental shot that shouldn't be authorized due to there being treatments available.

The sense of jubilitation from breathing in fresh air for over a year should be shame imo.

I know that's going to upset people, but so many bought in for appearances sake and destroyed everyone's future in the process. The ailments people will bring on theirself for immediatary comfort amazes me.

a reply to: ketsuko

Yes, when the inverse is destroying everyone's future, YES absolutely yes. Plus you just said your job isn't asking people if they've been vaccinated?

a reply to: TheLead

I know that's going to upset people, but so many bought in for appearances sake and destroyed everyone's future in the process. The ailments people will bring on theirself for immediatary comfort amazes me.

I agree with you, but understand that whatever choice you make, you are making it alone.

When I was young I thought fighting the good fight was about doing what was right, that it was noble, and history would thank me at sometime down the road. I was wrong. For every Robert Bilott, and the likes, there are thousands, if not millions of me, that have risked everything to stand by what we believed to be right, only to be shunned, and left hanging out to dry, by those people that you fought for. For me, the excuse was always, I couldn't risk my children being without a home or hungry because I bucked the system.

I don't regret my decisions, and I don't blame them for my losing my job because I fought back and they didn't, even when they offered support, and encouraged the fight, a fight, as it turned out, they were unwilling to do themselves. That is on me. It was my choice, and I learned a lot. Most importantly, I learned you can't fight someone else's fight.

If you decide to fight, fight with determination, and know that you may find yourself alone in the battlefield, and you are likely to lose. Know that the fight is not always about winning the battle, and that it may just be one battle in winning the war.

I have learned in my old age to pick my battles wisely. The fight is hard enough, I see no wisdom or winning in fighting the people in the fight, when the goal is to win the war.

That is just my opinion.

originally posted by: TheLead
a reply to: ketsuko

Yes, when the inverse is destroying everyone's future, YES absolutely yes. Plus you just said your job isn't asking people if they've been vaccinated?

They aren't formally, but they are keeping an informal tally. If you want to take your shot, you need to let your supervisor know you're going to be late and that needs a reason. I suppose you could lie about it, but again, there's no reason to lie.

a reply to: NightSkyeB4Dawn

Exactly, there are some hills worth dying on, and I judged this was not one of them.

a reply to: ketsuko

There's no reason to submit to screwing everyone over based on lies, yet here we are.

People treated this as irrationally as most do snakes or spiders. Instead of learning what to avoid they lived in fear (most not over the danger of the virus, but the way they appear to their peers). I have no problem people taking a wide birth to not get be bitten by a harmless snake or spider. Instead what happened was people used their children as a shield and maintained a really similar path.

a reply to: TheLead

Yeah, screw the kids! They totally get why mommy and daddy gave up their jobs and won't go shop for food and stuff anymore. I mean living homeless is just like camping forever, amirite?

a reply to: ketsuko

Yes, we did, but its ok, because we screwed them equally.

Seriously, with the control our government is taking over us, along with tanking any potential future they had what kind of life do you think are going to be living?

Temporary inconvenience is not equal to longterm slavery. Imo

originally posted by: TheLead
a reply to: ketsuko

Yes, we did, but its ok, because we screwed them equally.

Seriously, with the control our government is taking over us, along with tanking any potential future they had what kind of life do you think are going to be living?

Temporary inconvenience is not equal to longterm slavery. Imo

I hear what you are saying, but I don't know any starving child, or any child that is homeless, that is not going to sign up for whatever the ruling class has to offer, even if it means taking on the title of slave.

The only ones that will be willing to die for freedom, are the ones that thinks they have had freedom, while experiencing a full belly.

a reply to: NightSkyeB4Dawn

So we go out of our way to create more dependancy?

We graciously hand them more slaves to abuse, because freedom is an illusion?

originally posted by: TheLead
a reply to: NightSkyeB4Dawn

So we go out of our way to create more dependancy?

We graciously hand them more slaves to abuse, because freedom is an illusion?

Your goal is worthy. I just can't go along with your strategy. Some will be willing to die for a, possible, better future for humanity, down the road. Some will be willing to sacrifice their freedom for the life of their children today.

We each have the right to that choice, even though there are many that are not given that opportunity.

a reply to: NightSkyeB4Dawn

But they are literally using not livelihood , but entertainment to get people to sell their and their kids future and people are blindly accepting.

Anyone that was wearing masks for the safety of themeselves and others should still be wearing a mask, thats not what we're seeing. What we are seeing is that people disenfranchised others with legitimate medical conditions so they didn't get looked at funny. In doing so they blindly accepted a horrible future for us all.

Acting like you were doing it for your kids to not have a small inconvenience of being looked at, while simultaneously enslaving your kids is not equivalent in my eyes.

originally posted by: TheLead
a reply to: NightSkyeB4Dawn

But they are literally using not livelihood , but entertainment to get people to sell their and their kids future and people are blindly accepting.

Anyone that were wearing masks for the safety of theirselves and others should still be wearing a mask, thats not what we're seeing. What we are seeing is that people disenfranchised others with legitimate medical conditions so they didn't get looked at funny. In doing ao they blindly accepted a horrible future for us all.

There may have been some entertainment venues that people patronaged during this last year, but the majority of the people affected were not given much of a choice. Life basics were withheld, unless you adhered to store policy, and this was supported by State, County, and Local governments, under the rules of engagement during a pandemic.

Those that wished to rebel against the restrictions put into place, could do so at their own risk of having their needs not met. During a period of strict quarantine, when all services are already limited, and most people are more afraid of losing what little they have, with no guarantee when or if their supplies will be restored, are not going to be concerned about a better tomorrow, when they have no faith in today.

I truly understand what you are saying, it is just that I work with the homeless and the indigent, on a regular basis. It would likely surprise you and shock you, what some parents have done, and are willing to do, to provide food and shelter for themselves and their children. Wearing a mask is not even on the list.

a reply to: NightSkyeB4Dawn

I've always understood I am on a path alone, and I'm ok with that. I , WE have already lost and I'm aware of that

The only path out of this hell we have created is every person accepting responsibility for themselves and those withinh their sphere. The only way to make the controllers powerless is for us to take on the ailments ourselves. Instead of holding ourselves and those close to us accountable we think since others get away with things so should they/we. We should be going about it in an opposite manner.

People are too selfish for that, I see it every day. Any time I am in a public space I analyze evrything and everyone around me to make sure I don't hinder their experience. I have always socially distanced, I've never been one to hover over someone while they make their choice. I scan and find what I want from afar and wait for them to finish. When I'm driving I analyze the rate of speeds of all the cars that are around and make sure to not hinder them. If I see that a car that is going relatively the same speed in front of me when we come to a slower moving vehicle, I go ahead and get over before having to hit my breaks, but I also stay back and allow the other person pass first. It's really tiresome for me to be in public and creates a lot of apathy, but if anyone was to be like the avatar they present to the world they would also do this. This should be seen as your obligation to use public spaces.

I told my boss right off, wasn't happening. He could do nothing as he needs me more than I need him. The G.C. of the job I've been working on talked about masking, I told him I was gone if so. Because I have always made on conscious effort to assit all of thise around me I have saved him a lot of headaches and a lot of money, he wants me to work for him.

I make jack #, because i've never oversold myself. When it comes time for me to move on my boss is going to offer me whatever he can to stay, and I'm simply going to say you had plenty of time to make things right. He's not a terrible person for using me in the manner he does, rather that seems to be the norm. You see I see all bad actions relatively the same, the people that control our world are not much different than the man sitting next to you. The actions only appear to be different, because it's a different form that was built in a different plane. To succeed in this life you simply cannot live by principles, if maintaining principles leads to a meagher life so be it.

I'm sorry you were left out to dry, sadly it's to be expected in this day and age. Most peoples backbones are made out of flubber.

So many people act like they are fighting the fight by anonymously calling out the establishment, while publically bending the knee. Those actions directly help the enemy.

I get that everyones needs and circumstances are different, but what people are not grasping is that we needed to be weighing it against the future carnage we caused for today.

a reply to: NightSkyeB4Dawn

Business can't medically descriminate, even though they did with everyone that complied's assistance. Right now, the vaccine shouldn't have caused the mandate lift, but they did to offer it as a benefit of being vaxxed. That means that they knew most people knew that mask was useless.

Thats my whole point though, it was the choice between maybe not shopping and a guarantee of destroying everyone's future.

Now I'm not saying everyone is evil for not taking that stand, I'm just saying we literally buried ourself under a mountain to not have to climb a hill that is inevitable.

What's the point of being awake to just watch the train coming?

originally posted by: TheLead
a reply to: NightSkyeB4Dawn

Business can't medically descriminate, even though they did with everyone that complied's assistance. Right now, the vaccine shouldn't have caused the mandate lift, but they did to offer it as a benefit of being vaxxed. That means that they knew most people knew that mask was useless.

Thats my whole point though, it was the choice between maybe not shopping and a guarantee of destroying everyone's future.

Now I'm not saying everyone is evil for not taking that stand, I'm just saying we literally buried ourself under a mountain to not have to climb a hill that is inevitable.

What's the point of being awake to just watch the train coming?

Again, I hear you, but if the world was as altruistic as it would need to be to make what you describe work, we would not be here having this discussion.

Survival is basic, it is primordial, autonomous, and not subject to laws or critical thought.

Personally, I think what people think "being woke" means, is far overrated, not clearly understood, and in a lot of cases, useless. Especially, when it leads to ideas that are impractical or unobtainable. As you posted, we usually will find ourselves on the path alone. It is our responsibility to do what we believe is right. What we are willing fight for. What we are willing to die for, and most important, what we are willing to live for.

originally posted by: NightSkyeB4Dawn
a reply to: ketsuko

I am interested in seeing how it will play out at church tomorrow.

I am sure it will likely be about half and half. I know that the servers have been requested to continue to wear masks, but because of the area, and because we have had a couple of people that have been fully vaccinated still test positive for the virus, I am sure the Pastors will not take the risk of allowing the staff to go maskless just yet.

But I will see.

I am replying to my own post, just to follow up.

The church streams the service so those that want to view from home are provided that opportunity. There was a noticeable increase in the in person worshipers today, and as I suspected, it was about half wearing mask, and about half not wearing masks for the first service, with a little more people not wearing masks at the second service.

I suspect the number of those not wearing mask will increase each week, until only a very few of those that need to or want to, will be wearing masks.

Again I noticed a much lighter feeling in the atmosphere, likely due to seeing friends one had not seen in a long time, and for those attending worship together in person again.

I know for a fact some that came today, did not wear masks prior to the so called lifting of the ban, so they were happy to return to in person worship, now that it is not expected at church. To be fair and honest, the church never made mask wearing a requirement, they did not enforce it, and they did not make anyone uncomfortable for not wearing a mask. Most that did not wear mask outside of church either chose not to come in person, or they wore a mask out of fellowship, but there was a handful that did not wear masks, and they were not called out for it.

Looking at the transition over the last two days, I think that it will not be a big deal around here. Those that want to wear one will, and those that don't want to wear one won't. Sort of how they handle most things around here, in MYOB country, where social distancing is called being a good neighbor.

a reply to: TheLead

Yes, they can and they did.

I have a child who was officially medically exempt from masking under the original rules as laid out.

Do you know what happened? The local ordinances made it legal for businesses to discriminate against him and us if he was not masked within a short period of time, ADA or no. In other words, the mask ordinance was given power over the American's With Disabilities Act and those accommodations in our area under the emergency powers. Then businesses were told they had to discriminate against him and us. He's hearing impaired and relies to some degree on reading lips.

Again, there are some things worth dying on the hill for, but this was not it.