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Face Masks Make A Political Statement in Era of Coronavirus

Associated Press

   WASHINGTON - The decision to wear a mask in public is becoming a
   political statement -- a moment to pick sides in a brewing culture war
   over containing the coronavirus.
   While not yet as loaded as a "Make America Great Again" hat, the mask
   is increasingly a visual shorthand for a debate pitting those willing
   to follow health officials' guidance and cover their faces against
   those who feel it violates their freedom or buys into a threat they
   think is overblown.
   That resistance is fueled by some of the same people who object to
   other virus restrictions. The push back has been stoked by President
   Donald Trump -- he didn't wear a mask during a Tuesday appearance at a
   facility making them -- and some other Republicans, who have flouted
   rules and questioned the value of masks. It's a development that has
   worried experts as Americans are increasingly returning to public
   spaces.
   "There's such a strong culture of individualism that, even if it's
   going to help protect them, people don't want the government telling
   them what to do," said Linsey Marr, a Virginia Tech engineering
   professor with experience in airborne transmission of viruses.

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