Should masks be required again

Haelei VanGend, Staff Writer

This is a big time in all of our lives. I don’t think any of us thought masks would be the hottest topic, but they are. Everyone has an opinion on this topic, and the reality is that no one is 100% right. Choice? Required? Law enforcement? Being back in school where it’s all choice, you hear and see a lot of things regarding masks. I have decided to interview 2 people to get you at least 2 different opinions, but keep in mind there are thousands out there.
Nick Westberg and Tori Thomas are two people interviewed. The first, and most obvious, question asked was simply, “Do you think masks should be required?” Nick responded very logically by saying, “I think in some places requiring masks makes more sense than others. Places like airports, Disneyland, hospitals, that all makes sense. Then on the other half, at schools, or the grocery stores, that doesn’t make sense to me.” Then on the opposite side we had Tori’s response. She had a very different approach. “No, we shouldn’t be required to wear masks. No one should have the power to make someone else’s health/personal decisions. Regardless of place or population, if you’re worried, you wear the mask. Don’t rely on others.” So as you can see, two different people, two different views. Another question asked was whether or not they consider their actions to have an effect on others.
Nick responded, “It’s half and half for me. Part of me thinks if someone is that worried about catching anything, they can wear a mask, they shouldn’t really need to make sure everyone is if they’re taking enough precautions. But then I also think of my two year old niece who has health problems, and those issues mean she can’t get sick, but also can’t wear a mask. So it really depends on the situation but most of the time I notice I choose what’s best for me in that situation.” And then again, we have Tori who feels completely different. When asked the same exact question, we got a totally different response. “I really don’t think about that. If someone is super worried or they’re scared, they can stay home, or they can wear a mask. Just because they’re worried shouldn’t mean I have to change my life and how I act and where I go. I don’t tell people wearing masks that they should take them off simply because I don’t agree, and so no one else should do the same to me while wearing one. It’s my choice to wear one as much as it is theirs.” As you may be able to tell, interviewing 2 people, got 2 completely different sides.
Should masks be required? The world has been asking this question for what seems like forever, and I don’t think this question will die out anytime soon. Everyone has a different opinion, and we don’t know if we will ever know what’s right or wrong.