I’m (hopefully) entering a new org soon. Only a few comrades there mask. At my workplace, or anywhere else really, nobody masks. The only people I see mask are like goldfish, and I only see them occasionally in public transit. It’s disheartening by the day to see Covid trivialized, and AES like even China not care anymore, in spite of their good policies beforehand.
Just makes me feel like I cannot relate to people anymore, they all look at me like I’m supremely weird for masking, so it’s even harder to convince people of anything politically, especially when I’m discriminated all the time and receive verbal abuse for masking. I really dont get how to talk to people when they wont understand the concept of masking to protect themselves/others and it makes me feel stuck politically, to the point I feel I have a one sided view of many social issues, through the POV of Covid consciousness and masking, and I dont see how a movement can be built if no one acknowledges this. I feel like I’ve become more disconnected from everyone, including comrades, especially them, because they wont listen or want to mask in the first place, and I dont know what to do. I use an N95 every day when going outside, and so does my partner. We dont eat out, etc. I get the fact many wont do this choice to sacrifice their lifestyle or whatever… but :(
I remember before masking I was taken seriously, now it’s impeding me in all my life’s aspects just cause we live in an extremely ableist society. It’s hard and alienating from others, and no one irl seemingly understands. It’s very hard to see how to build a mass movement in these conditions, or to even socialize with others (and I’m very sociable!) when you’re instantly labeled as weird. I’m so dissapointed in people sometimes I give up on interacting because of this.
Even among comrades, the moment I mention masking, everyone is suddenly awkward and tries to move on. I’m tired to act like it’s a secret or such
I wish things were different. I wish I could connect with people again. And that comrades would take this seriously, because I feel alienated even from those I share the most with, and its painful. I dont want to create a struggle session or whatever, just wanted to feel heard, I hope most people here mask anyways. It’s bad enough for my mental healtg to give up on all social stuff cause of masking, and other activities like swimming, it’s just tough. Thanks for reading
A depressing point: The guy who discovered microbes and told people to wash their hands was institutionalized for being crazy years before science caught up to him. Being leftist is really being correct too early.
Another depressing point: Most people conveniently forgot that the flu was practically non-existent when everyone was locked down or masking. Masking saves lives, for far more than just COVID.
I do like to point out when people ask why I’m in a mask that I haven’t tested, and I don’t actually know if I’m contagious or not, and they dont know where I’ve been or who or what I’ve been exposed to, so I’m trying to help them too. It’s intentionally backhanded and probably not helpful, but it’s true and it makes me feel good saying it.
My first chapter vote was repealing the mask rule for organizing. The arguments for repeal were selfish and wee-woo vibe shit in the face of people talking about how the repeal would put them at risk and how they are already dealing with complications. Not a great look for my local, but its cool they held out as long as they did. As the cognitive dissonance about COVID and the general public continues to drag on, the more I find myself being seduced by individualist anarchism. I have to remind constantly myself that I think democratic rule sucks ass, but it’s the best, least bad system we have and I don’t have a better idea.
The only empathy I can muster toward masking apathy, or antagonism, is that everyone is exhausted and burned out for the last 7 years and counting. Nobody talking politics in the US publicly has a good, consistent framework to talk about any of this. Everybody has collective trauma due to COVID that hasn’t been reckoned with.
We need effective vaccines that will actually prevent getting sick and wipe out infectious disease. We need clean air, including HVAC and UV and rapid cycling for any indoor space. The only way we can achieve this is with a class respectful and conscious society not under the thumb of capitalism.
Comrade, you are correct, just too early. You are not alone.
The only point that works with people here is that I protect a family member, and they relent, if I say I protect myself or them they laugh it off or get aggressive usually.
I’m not in the US and yea it’s an uphill battle. Thanks for writing this, sometimes I even doubt myself