Mask And Gun - Two Tools With Similar Goals

Fun Fact - you know you have been hanging out with someone for a long time when you start to think alike. Yesterday my wife Julie and I had very similar thoughts about masks and guns even though we were in two different locations. I was home and she was at the store and the thoughts seem to have occurred at a similar time. Anyway, here is my version.

There is a lot of division in my favorite Michigan town about two tools - Guns and Masks. They might seem to be vastly different in materials and proper usage, but my point here is to draw your attention the the similarities. How can a face covering of paper or cloth be similar to a tool designed to ignite gun powder and fling projectiles in space at high speed?

I believe there are two common threads in these tools and the people who advocate for their use: Control and Fear.

Masks

Fear: Those of us who advocate for the wearing of masks in places where face to face interaction is going to occur take a lot of guff from people who are not fans of masks. "You can't be afraid of everything," they say. "You cannot live your life in fear." I am willing to admit that there is fear involved in my decision to wear a mask. If I trace it to the core - it is the fear of contracting a potentially fatal illness. Having gone through a tough health ordeal a few years ago, I have absolutely no interest in repeating same.

Control follows closely behind the fear in the wearing of masks, because it is my desire to exhibit some control over an unseen disease that can really mess me up. I happen to believe the data that indicates the wearing of masks all around causes the likelihood of catching or spreading COVID to shrink to very low percentages. Human beings are constantly seeking control - especially over things that produce fear. Our ancestors figured out that fire did a lot to keep their tribes free from being hassled by carnivores at night and that is an early manifestation of the fear/control combination of motivators.

Guns

Fear: Those who chose to arm themselves, especially those who carry their weapons with them during the entirety or majority of their daily lives are also doing so with fear as a motivator. What is the absolute worst that might happen? Someone who is bigger, more powerful or even someone mentally unhinged might suddenly appear in your life and threaten to take your stuff or worse yet, harm you or a loved one. They might try to enter your home or business illegally. The might try to mess up your life (kind of like a disease might).

The desire for Control comes from the thought that by being armed 24/7 one might be able to manage such threats to one's person, property or family.

How things are playing out. In my neck of the woods, those using guns to manage their fears and exert control over the outcome of their lives seem to take a very dim view of those of us who are wearing masks to do the very same thing. It is open season to ridicule us and it is to the point that some folks refuse to patronize businesses who are demanding that patrons wear masks.

How about we cut that shit out? I have yet to witness any mask wearing person deriding a gun carrier about his or her fears and methods to control them. How about we recognize that many human actions are driven by a complex mix of fear and the desire to be in control of our situation? (There are other motivators, obviously, but I am discussing these two right now.)

One final thought: The moisture containing COVID can be stopped with a mask. Two masks work even better than one. A gun won't work so well.