I want to start by saying this is not going to be a pro-mask or anti-mask discussion but instead a call for us all to consider how little we know about the people we encounter each day.

There is an often paraphrased adage about how we should be kind because everyone is fighting a battle that you know nothing about.

Some people may see a person wearing a mask and become angry thinking that person is not vaccinated and putting them at risk but little do you know that person is not only fully vaccinated but is taking extra protections to protect their young children at home who are not old enough to be vaccinated yet or their immunocompromised mother who is undergoing cancer treatment.

We all have different comfort levels with masks and varying comfort levels with potential exposure. We understand the importance of opening up our economy and getting people back to work and supporting our small businesses. I have been hearing from people about how they receive comments and looks from people when they are wearing a mask indoors. We have all seen the videos on social media of people being harassed for wearing masks or being asked to wear a mask by an employee of a business. When someone is wearing a mask, I think it is important to consider that you do not know why they are wearing it and they are likely wearing one to protect themselves or someone they love.

As the Delta variant cases rise and some localities are choosing to require masks indoors for both vaccinated and unvaccinated people, we will continue to see people wearing masks. With COVID-19 we have learned that nothing is ever certain and we can only do the best with the information that we have. We must work with our health experts to gain as much information as possible to keep people safe. Rather than shaming people for their decisions, I think it is important for people to have honest conversations about their concerns and ultimately be guided by science and facts. We live in a time where it feels like there is no baseline of facts that we all are working off of. Looking at the data, nearly all of the deaths due to COVID-19 are among the unvaccinated population. Some people who were previously vaccine-hesitant are speaking out and encouraging people to get the vaccine after becoming very ill or having a loved one who was unvaccinated and became severely ill. There are even people who have gotten the vaccine who worry about telling their loved ones that they actually are vaccinated because they fear criticism for that decision. I also do not believe that people need to be shamed for being vaccine-hesitant either but instead, we must address the misinformation that people are receiving.

I speak not only as a health care professional who has been working diligently to vaccinate our community members but also as someone who is in our communities and talking to people who are scared and who are just trying to protect others and themselves. I only ask that before you draw a conclusion about someone or pass judgment about why they are wearing a mask to have empathy and compassion for what they may be going through.