Dear Editor:
There was a picture of a group of protestors, people not wanting to wear masks, standing in front of Cherry Lane Shopping Centre.
Of course, nobody likes wearing a mask, but we do it for the good of all. Community over self.
Why do protestors use their energy in this fashion? Are they too stupid or uneducated to read the facts of science, or maybe too lazy to look beyond cherished internet information, or perhaps rigid thinkers with fixated ideas?
It’s hard to understand the science of viruses.
They are colourless and so small (100 to 500 times smaller than bacteria) that they cannot be seen through a normal light microscope. They can, however, be seen through an electron microscope like the one at the Summerland Research Station.
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Are viruses alive? There have been arguments about this because they don’t have a cell structure as bacteria do. What they do have is two active strands of RNA and DNA. (If you are interested, you can look up this stuff on Google.)
Scientists are learning more and more about the COVID-19 virus: How they hover in the air, how they are transmitted, how long they remain viable on different surfaces…and many other aspects.
The virus’s RNA and DNA only stay active for a limited amount of time. Then they become inactive. However, if this virus latches onto one of your cells, it takes over the RNA and DNA of your cells and makes you sick.
We wear masks to keep ourselves safe from the virus latching onto our cells, and if we are already infected without knowing it, we help keep others safe.
One of the protesters had a sign: “Love not Fear.” Yes, we don’t have to go around possessed by fear, but we show our love for our fellow human by unselfishly bothering to wear a mask, even though we don’t like it.
Instead of spending energy protesting, use your energy for some social good. There are people wearing a mask collecting for the Salvation Army, people working in food banks and soup kitchens and many other causes to help others during this difficult time.
Protesting about your own physical discomfort seems rather ignorant and selfish.
We are blessed by having a public medical system. We shouldn’t be adding costs through carelessness.
Marilyn Hansen
Summerland
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