Wearing a mask to try to prevent infection from the Chinese coronavirus should be voluntary and not mandated.

Anyone who wants to voluntarily wear a mask should be able to freely. Any private business – particularly a restaurant – that wants to require that a mask for customers should be legally able to do that. (It seems counterproductive to have diners to wear a mask as they enter a restaurant and then take them off while eating).

School children should not be required to wear a mask while in classes or on a playground. Any parent who fears for their child’s safety can send them to school with a mask or in most cases, keep them home in a virtual learning situation. Teachers who want to wear a mask at school should be able to do so even though masks are no guarantee of catching or spreading the virus. Masks definitely are a drawback to the education process and should be avoided.

Mandatory vaccination is a violation of constitutional rights to privacy. A private company can chose to require vaccination and then decide to fire anyone who won’t comply. The government, particularly the military, should not require vaccination.

The true science is that vaccination helps some people but these “vaccines” are not really vaccines and are experimental. And more and more studies show that herd immunity, which is people getting the virus and recovering, is a better long-term deterrent to this disease.

The underlying danger in the mask/vaccine debate is control. Self-appointed judges of public safety are manipulating facts to exert more control over population behavior. There is a healthy balance between freedom and safety and it is tilted in the wrong direction at this time.

Wear a mask if you wish. Get vaccinated if you think that is wise. Just don’t make it illegal for those who don’t see the need for these steps.