Hell Freezes Over: Maher Is Onboard With This Part of Trump's Education Policy
Media Fluffers Come Out for Newsom
Why Our Founding Fathers Were Right
Che Guevara’s Daughter Addresses...
Half of Gen Z Forgot What the American Dream Is All About
Javier Milei Faces a Herculean Task in Argentina
The Economic Case for Trump’s Second Term
The Palestinians Will Always Be Losers
Blinken's Diplomatic Doublespeak in the Wake of Kissinger's Legacy
KJP Under Fire for Violating A Federal Law and Getting Away With It
Liberal Magazine Promotes Satanic 'Ritual Abortion' Provided by The Satanic Temple
Florida Democrats Cancel Primary Election, Automatically Handing Biden the State's Votes
Watch When An Entire Diner Says They're Voting for Trump
Joe Biden Snubs His Seventh Granddaughter Again This Christmas
House Committee Chairmen Reaffirm: No Special Treatment for Hunter Biden
Tipsheet

Why Is Joe Biden Wearing Masks on Zoom Calls and at Meals?

AP Photo/Patrick Semansky

Masks have become cultural and tribal totems for many Americans, sometimes to the point of absurdity on both ends of the spectrum. I understand, to some extent, the logic behind high-profile vaccinated people continuing to model mask-wearing in public as a continued precaution for non-vaccinated people – even though immunized people are immune and overwhelmingly safe from contracting or transmitting the virus. There's also an argument that it is simply courteous to others, who don't know your vaccine status, to mask up in public. But Phil Klein asks a fair question about the balance of the calculus: 

Advertisement


A follow-up question: Just as Klein suggests that ostensible courteousness actually becomes discourteous for many along the way, at what point does "setting a good example" become setting a bad example? I think we're already there in many ways. For instance, here is the president of the United States on a Zoom call with other world leaders, sitting by himself, while fully vaccinated, wearing a mask (and quite possibly two, since he often double masks). No one else on the call appeared to be masked: 


Then there's this image released by the White House last week: 


Biden was hosting the Japanese prime minister. Both vaccinated, they sat as far away from each other as possible and wore masks while they were seated for a meal. Millions of Americans have dined at restaurants during the pandemic, including prior to vaccine availability, and they all recall removing their masks at the table. I tend to agree with this warning about the optics involved: 

Advertisement


Same deal with this spacing


When COVID theater is so obviously irrational and performative, what is the point? These officials may tell themselves they're helping, but I think this is ridiculous to the point of being counter-productive. Confidence in the vaccines means acting like the vaccines warrant confidence, which they absolutely do – including the finally un-paused Johnson & Johnson shots. That pause, by the way, was over...this: 


I'll leave you with some more good news about vaccines and COVID, followed by a question that answers itself:

Advertisement

Join the conversation as a VIP Member

Recommended

Trending on Townhall Videos

Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement