Civil Debate Please - Why do you refuse to wear a mask?

a reply to: AverageWang

Why the hell would I wear a mask ????? What reason ???? I’m not out here sneezing and coughing on anyone
Doesn’t make sense . I’m not getting anyone sick . The same reason I don’t take a vaccine . The same reason I do or don’t do stuff . If I’m not hurting anyone else then it’s none of your god damn business to know why I do things . I know the government wants to turn you into a rat but I’m trying to stay free thanks

a reply to: AverageWang

I don't wear a mask for the same reason that I shower instead of bathe: I don't want to linger in my own filth.

Also, I am a spiteful cuss and don't like to be told what to do.

originally posted by: AverageWang
I own a mask, it's free to wear, and there is evidence that wearing a mask can limit transmission of particles expelled from your nose and mouth, that is why they are used in healthcare all the time, pandemic or not.

But I'm slightly different on the mask situation. We know at the very very least that they are not harmful to use, and regardless of what you believe the benefits of them are, if you know they aren't harmful, why don't you wear one in public places?
Love you and Happy New Year.

Alright dude, you want the actual argument that most cannot articulate? I got it for you, take notes.

You say:
" there is evidence that wearing a mask can limit transmission of particles expelled from your nose and mouth"
I say: What percent reduction? Say you only need to be exposed to 10% of the contagion in a single breath of someone who is sick in order to contract it. You spend 15 minutes in a room with them. So lets say you breath 200 breaths in those 15 minutes which is about accurate. If your mask stops 25% of what you exhales (actual number is less than 10% of that), how much did you actually protect them? They were still exposed to 150 full unmasked exhaled breaths.

You say: "they are not harmful to use"
I SAY: If it is not harmful to inhale what you exhaust, then why don't we just pipe exhausts on cars to the air intake? Your argument assumes that your body will make the same use of what you exhale as the fresh air you inhale, and that is NOT true. Your body has to work harder to clear more inhaled CO2 since 100% of it was not swept away when you exhaled if you are wearing a mask. The amount of air the mask traps is the amount of air you re-breath on each breath. So lets say it captures 5% of one breath worth of air. 1 in every 20 breaths are canceled out. Thats like skipping one breath every 1.5 minutes. Now I can run about 100 yards without taking in a breath of air, but everyone is not me. When you wear a mask your body starts falling behind the rate its natural breathing cycles are supposed to be. Thats why people naturally give their nose more air. Its the same as taking a gasp to catch up with that 5% they are losing. There are many problems related to breathing higher levels of CO2 on a regular basis. That's why people with controlled air environments don't use less oxygen to save money. Heart rate increases, blood pressure increases, people sweat more. Many things take place that can be measured when you partially obstruct peoples airways.

Besides these problems, you have things like CAPACITY of the mask itself. Face covering do not hold virus and trap them like ghostbusters. How many breaths do you need to exhale through a mask before it is at field capacity? Once it is at capacity, how does it catch more of those scary COVIDs? If it is holding them, why does the mask never clog? What happens to the virons that overflow if you think a full mask catches viruses?

On top of all this, here is ANOTHER irrefutable problem. I own a shop and used to do glass and media blasting for people using my walk in booth. I have tons of PPE, 3M respirators, masks, gloves, etc. When you blast media in a closed space you build up large chucks of microscopic particulates that float in the air. If you were to spend 5 minutes in that room with an N95, you would end up in the hospital from all the powdered particulates that would settle in your lungs after bypassing you mask. Those masks stop 95% AT BEST. My cheap P100 carts stop much more than that. My good carts will stop even more and are used in labs.

There is no mathematical evidence to support masks as being a solutions to anything airborne smaller than dust. You need respirators for things that small.

There are no widespread cases of asymptomatic spread to justify masks on people with no symptoms of being sick.

That being said, if you have the news scaring the crap out of the population, if you are trying to manage them and are the gov or work for the gov, you would likely tell the population masks work so they don't all freeze with fear and stop sending their kids to school and not going to work. You would be adamant they will be safe if they mask so things dont come to a halt. The problem here is, the people who have worked with masks long before COVID knew from the start they dont stop viruses. Some bacteria, but not airborne viruses. So you now have the scared and gullible trying to force the informed to wear a mask they know does not work. It doesn't matter that you are trying to force them to do things against their will because you think it is good, you are trying to take their free will, by even arguing the general public should be masked.

I bought a GROSS of blue surgical masks in February 2020 because I knew the mandates were coming. I would never otherwise own those blue garbage masks. Doesnt mean I ever thought they worked. Walking around in one of my 3M masks just looks ridiculous. But the respirators are what I switched to from N95 over ten years ago for general dirty machinery, paint, and other stuff I work with.

Also, with all of this being said. If I can ride a motorcycle without a helmet, who are you to make me wear a mask? If its to save other people, then why are we allowed to buy cars that go above the speed limit? You realize how many lives would be saved if you could not make a car speed?

There is no irrefutable mathematical evidence to support masking the public, but there are many much stronger mathematical arguments I can use to take other things you like, if you fall for the baseless precedent of the first argument, that I have the right to take from you or force you to do anything in the first place. You arguing anyone has the right to force anyone to do anything who is not guilty of a crime, is arguing that anything can be done to anyone without precedent if the argument is good enough. You logic applies to way way more than just wearing a mask. To accept masks is to accept all the things they could set a precedent for.

No one who understands this should budge one bit on masks.

a reply to: AverageWang

I no longer wear one, unless I am at work. The reason I no longer wear one is that almost everyone around here has stopped. I'm not particularly worried about a covid infection for myself, and I see no reason why I should worry about infecting others if they themselves do not seem worried.

On a positive note, previous studies have shown that omicron is not so good at infecting the lungs, and more recently, tests on animals have further confirmed this.

a reply to: AverageWang

I don't refuse to wear a mask , If the situation calls for one like i.e. I'm in a room full of virtue signaling Karen's then I'll put on a mask better that then getting stabbed

but in all seriousness , A mask is pointless it does ZERO to stop the Virus , Now If everyone walked around in full Hazmat suits and had a sanitizing room they walk through in there home , that would actually work.

But that piece of cloth on your face is nothing .

a reply to: AverageWang

I'm in California...yeah, yeah I know.

The ONLY reason I wear one is to actually stay under the radar and blend in with the sheep.

I pick and choose my battles and if going into a store or wherever for less than 15min requires a mask so be it. I could care less.

I don't shop. I know what I need and like and I'm in and out in a jiffy.

Mask on as soon as I break their entrance and mask off as soon as I exit.

The people wearing their mask all the way to their cars or in their cars, more power to them. I don't even shake my head anymore.

I work from home, thankfully, so I'm not in a mask all freaking day.

For me, it's a workable way to go about it. I ruffle no feathers, and maintain my own rules outside of stores and the like.

ETA: I know they don't work. Just saying.

Suffocation. You nor anyone else can tell me how wearing a mask effects my breathing capacity (lack thereof). Not saying this in a dickly manner. Just saying it matter of factly because there’s always a horde of someone’s who will tell me how it doesn’t effect them or it’s not a big deal for them. That somehow equates to ‘no effect on me so no effect on you’. Peace.

Because I'm neither sick nor am I a surgeon.
Oxygen deprivation is for kinky people anyway.

originally posted by: Kaiju666
Suffocation. You nor anyone else can tell me how wearing a mask effects my breathing capacity (lack thereof). Not saying this in a dickly manner. Just saying it matter of factly because there’s always a horde of someone’s who will tell me how it doesn’t effect them or it’s not a big deal for them. That somehow equates to ‘no effect on me so no effect on you’. Peace.

Yes! This!

They're always so quick to tell you it's no big deal and it's all in your head. In my case, I know most of it is, but that doesn't change the effect, and if I haven't adapted to it after damn near a year of it, I don't think anything is changing.

So they can stuff it.

a reply to: ketsuko

I base it on risk not requirements. I live in a city and cases on are the rise here suddenly when we have been below average for the last two years.
In a crowd for sure.

I also wash my hands the moment I get home. If I'm gonna be out
for a while I have hand sanitizer in my car.

I've remained virus free so far and yes I am vaccinated. Booster is next month.

What is with liberals doing crazy sh!t, then trying to moderate the conversation? Claiming they are the logical ones?
"I'm not touching you!!"
"I'm not touching you!!"

I have asthma, after a few minutes I feel like I’m choking.

a reply to: VictorVonDoom

Yes! It does fog your glasses.
We’re required to wear the stupid mask when leaving our office, or congregating closer than 2.5 meters to each other on the mine site.
And a lot of people complained that wearing the mask while wearing our safety glasses becomes a greater safety risk because now you can’t even see properly.
But of course since eye injuries were up 50% this year, the request to remove the safety glasses was dismissed.

a reply to: Karen657

I'm a healthy woman in her mid-40s who works out strenuously 5 times a week. Statistically speaking, I have little to fear, and less with each new variant.

Like you, I base it on risk, and my personal risk is low and getting lower each time a new strain comes round.

Right now, I'm not afraid of the "head cold of doom".

originally posted by: ketsuko
a reply to: AverageWang

I am claustrophobic and I've always had real trouble with stuff over my face, especially tightly. If it's below zero degrees F outside, I'll still be the one without a scarf because it bothers me that much. If I fall asleep and later on get blankets pulled over my face, I've been known to wake up in a panic because of it.

s.

Stay at home then....

originally posted by: DBCowboy
a reply to: AverageWang

I'd say 99% of the population doesn't know how to wear a mask properly.

They become petri dishes for respiratory bacteria and viruses over time.

99% of the population have not been fit tested, thus negating the efficacy of masks.

People wearing masks are often touching their faces before and after donning masks, negating the efficacy of masks.

Masks are a symbol of obedience and virtue signaling.

You avoid the question.

Wearing a mask (even if not perfectly) is better than no mask at all.

a reply to: AverageWang

There is as much evidence supporting the idea that the masks do nothing as there is that they limit the spread. In fact, the CDC has admitted several times that the mask wearing was mostly about placating humanity's infuriating trait of always thinking "OMG there must be something we can do!!!"

I refuse to inconvenience myself just for the placating of strangers.

originally posted by: Lemon1234
a reply to: AverageWang

I get headaches for days after having to wear a mask for 5 hours or longer.

I repeat myself...

originally posted by: onthedownlow
I happen to believe trapping extra heat and humidity in my lungs is unhealthy for me. The masks do very little to slow transmission. I think people that are concerned should limit their social engagements and public outings. When I go on a diet I don't force everyone else to join me, I suggest everyone deals with their health concerns as they choose, but do not infringe on my liberties

So don't wear a mask at home. Your LIBERTIES end where mine begin and that is anytime we are in public space together.

originally posted by: Nickn3
I have asthma, after a few minutes I feel like I’m choking.

I'm having trouble seeing the connection between the two things.

Asthma has a sizable emotional content.

Try practicing wearing a mask.

I had to work up to being comfortable with wearing a mask. It was well worth the personal effort - my allergies are almost nonexistent since learning to wear a mask anytime I'm in public or a gathering.