ATTLEBORO – Masks were part of the norm in the era of coronavirus.
And it’s hard to find people who like to wear it.
Although these are not perfect shields, health experts at the federal Centers for Disease Control say they provide some protection for the wearer and others around them.
In Massachusetts, it is a requirement to wear a mask in public institutions, as instructed by Governor Charlie Baker.
One person who particularly dislikes masks and is even more mandated is mayoral candidate Jim Poore, who unleashed a tirade against them on his Facebook account on Saturday.
Here are some of them …
I’m sick of wearing masks … I’m sick of not being able to lead a normal life, and I’m tired of having my basic human rights taken away … I’ve had it, and I want that my life and others must live back … STOP the mandatory mask mandate. STOP the madness.
As might be expected, the post caused back pressure.
Current Mayor Paul Heroux has said he also does not like wearing masks, but it should be worn.
“We are all tired of wearing masks, but this virus is still with us. If you have a functional mask, you should wear that mask if it is possible to have other people,” he said in an e-mail. mail to The Sun Chronicle said. “Science is clear that masks capture contaminated droplets that exhale infected humans, and therefore masks help reduce the spread of this virus person-to-person.”
Rob Rose, one of the numbers who posted comments on Poore’s Facebook page, agreed that masks are unhappy, but that for the time being it is a necessary evil to prevent people from contracting a potentially deadly disease.
“Everyone hates masks Jim, but only some of us care more about others’ health!” he said.
Kathleen Venable encouraged Poore to do what he wants, even though he may end up alone, which may not be a good thing for a mayoral candidate.
“Do not wear a mask and leave everyone else alone,” she posted. “I certainly will not (o) many people come around you.”
Heidi Stacionis could not have fun with a pun.
“Well … It’s in Poore taste,” she posted.
Anita Lawrence said safety must come first.
“I will continue to wear a mask until science shows that it is safe not to do so,” she said.
Heather Provost questions whether Poore is serious.
“It’s a joke, isn’t it?” she said.
And Jennie Mertz questions Poore’s understanding of individual rights with a touch of sarcasm.
“As a person with a chronic disability, I completely understand how you feel,” she said … “Wearing a mask in public is definitely direct and completely comparable to discrimination and oppression. . ‘
But Poore defends his position strictly by contacting a reporter.
“Of course I knew it would confuse some feathers,” he said. “But I’m going to tell people what I believe.”
Poore said he knows others will not agree with him, but his goal is not to please everyone.
“I need to let people know what I believe, whether it’s a national issue or more local,” he said.
Poore believes Baker was wrong to wear a mask with a requirement.
“I do not think there should have been a mandate to begin with,” he said, adding that he was not opposed to it.
They should be voluntary, he said.
“I’m not an anti-mask or an anti-waxer,” he said. “I’m forced to wear a mask or forced to take a vaccine.”
If Baker changed the mandate to a recommendation, the mask would come off.
“I can not pull it off fast enough,” Poore said.
Until then, it continues.
“I comply,” he said.
And he disputes the effectiveness of masks, over which the federal government simultaneously sent mixed signals.
“If they are so good, then recommend one to every flu season?” he said.
Meanwhile, Poore said his phone number was printed in one of his posts so people could call him and talk about anything they wanted.
“If I want to be mayor, I have to be reasonably accessible,” he said.
George W. Rhodes can be reached at 508-236-0432.