# The pro-mask side needs to step up its influencing game **URL:** \ **Category:** The Quarantine Zone\ **Tags:** covid-quarantine\ **Created:** [July 20, 2020, 3:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-pro-mask-side-needs-to-step-up-its-influencing-game/915842 "2020-07-20T15:21:05Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 8
**Author:** ![DesertDog](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/desertdog/32/11503_2.png) [@DesertDog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DesertDog)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2020, 5:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-pro-mask-side-needs-to-step-up-its-influencing-game/915842/141 "2020-07-23T17:13:26Z")
> [@Saintly\_Loser](#): > > So it amazes me that anyone in the department would think twice about wearing a mask. Could it be they’re still in the “so young they’re immortal” stage of life? Not just COVID-related but everything in general. ---
**Author:** ![Kimera757](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kimera757/32/3765_2.png) [@Kimera757](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kimera757)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2020, 5:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-pro-mask-side-needs-to-step-up-its-influencing-game/915842/142 "2020-07-23T17:23:47Z")
> [@](#): > > The White House told The Hill in a statement that “everyone who attended the fundraiser was tested” for the coronavirus. How fast are these tests supposed to be? At best they can track infections after the fact. ---
**Author:** ![RitterSport](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rittersport/32/6326_2.png) [@RitterSport](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RitterSport)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2020, 5:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-pro-mask-side-needs-to-step-up-its-influencing-game/915842/143 "2020-07-23T17:29:24Z")
It took three days for me to get my results back in June in NJ. My daughter’s test, more recent, took 8 days. Maybe the fundraising ones could be expedited? (We both tested negative) ---
**Author:** ![Kimera757](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kimera757/32/3765_2.png) [@Kimera757](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kimera757)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2020, 5:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-pro-mask-side-needs-to-step-up-its-influencing-game/915842/144 "2020-07-23T17:31:53Z")
> [@RitterSport](#): > > Maybe the fundraising ones could be expedited? Sure, but not fast enough. The tests aren’t magic or instant. If the test could tell if someone had the virus within a few seconds, then you could exclude such people from these events. However, even an expedited test probably takes hours. By that point the event is over. ---
**Author:** ![RitterSport](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rittersport/32/6326_2.png) [@RitterSport](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RitterSport)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2020, 6:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-pro-mask-side-needs-to-step-up-its-influencing-game/915842/145 "2020-07-23T18:14:48Z")
To be clear, they’re probably just lying, but another way to do this would be to require tests in advance of the event. That’s what I had to do before a medical procedure – three days before, get a test. Basically, the shortest amount of time that will still allow the results to be ready. ---
**Author:** ![Saintly\_Loser](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/saintly_loser/32/4045_2.png) [@Saintly\_Loser](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Saintly_Loser)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2020, 7:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-pro-mask-side-needs-to-step-up-its-influencing-game/915842/146 "2020-07-23T19:13:55Z")
> [@DesertDog](#): > > Could it be they’re still in the “so young they’re immortal” stage of life? Not just COVID-related but everything in general. No, it’s not that. Plenty of the maskless ones are in their forties or fifties. And a twenty-something year old is just as likely to be wearing a mask as an older firefighter. I really, really don’t get it. ---
**Author:** ![RealityCheck71](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitycheck71/32/3493_2.png) [@RealityCheck71](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityCheck71)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2020, 8:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-pro-mask-side-needs-to-step-up-its-influencing-game/915842/147 "2020-07-23T20:00:37Z")
Yeah, hard to believe Firemen could be macho goofballs. Super hard to believe. ---
**Author:** ![Saintly\_Loser](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/saintly_loser/32/4045_2.png) [@Saintly\_Loser](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Saintly_Loser)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2020, 8:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-pro-mask-side-needs-to-step-up-its-influencing-game/915842/148 "2020-07-23T20:59:07Z")
It’s not hard to believe, of course. These ones, the ones I’m talking about, are fire inspectors, not firefighters, but still, your point is well-taken. And some of the women in that department behave pretty much the same way, except that they’re less likely to threaten to “kick your ass” if I won’t get on an elevator with them. That said, my surprise stemmed from the fact that the Fire Department, in NYC, also incorporates the city EMTs. Nobdy knew better how bad it got here than the EMTs. ---
**Author:** ![Senegoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/senegoid/32/6606_2.png) [@Senegoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Senegoid)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2020, 10:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-pro-mask-side-needs-to-step-up-its-influencing-game/915842/149 "2020-07-23T22:08:52Z")
> [@RealityCheck71](#): > > Yeah, hard to believe Firemen could be macho goofballs. Super hard to believe. Not so hard to believe. I think one needs to be pretty much macho in the first place to become a firefighter (or even an EMT for that matter). Those guys have to get into some dangerous shit, not to mention having the guts to deal with pulling gruesomely burnt bodies from buildings. Or even worse, pulling burnt shrieking writhing barely living bodies from buildings. Or possibly becoming one themselves. ---
**Author:** ![needscoffee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/needscoffee/32/1076_2.png) [@needscoffee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/needscoffee)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2020, 11:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-pro-mask-side-needs-to-step-up-its-influencing-game/915842/150 "2020-07-23T23:23:37Z")
I think he was being sarcastic. ---
**Author:** ![Jackmannii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackmannii/32/311_2.png) [@Jackmannii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackmannii)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2020, 2:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-pro-mask-side-needs-to-step-up-its-influencing-game/915842/151 "2020-07-24T02:28:33Z")
Dr. Fauci threw out the ceremonial first pitch before tonight’s Nationals - Yankees game, wearing a mask as he strode purposefully to the mound. Then he missed the plate by a country mile. C’mon Tony, step up your game! ---
**Author:** ![Monty](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/monty/32/47_2.png) [@Monty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Monty)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2020, 5:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-pro-mask-side-needs-to-step-up-its-influencing-game/915842/152 "2020-07-24T05:40:44Z")
That wasn’t a miss. He was demonstrating how the ball and the plate were social distancing. ---
**Author:** ![BippityBoppityBoo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bippityboppityboo/32/5745_2.png) [@BippityBoppityBoo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BippityBoppityBoo)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2020, 6:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-pro-mask-side-needs-to-step-up-its-influencing-game/915842/153 "2020-07-24T06:25:47Z")
Dang! That was a good one! 🤣🤣🤣 My fantasy was that the team would pipe in uproariously cheering crowd sounds into the stands-just to drive you-know-who batty. He was booed the last time he was at a ball game. ---
**Author:** ![Lance\_Turbo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lance_turbo/32/6156_2.png) [@Lance\_Turbo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lance_Turbo)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2020, 3:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-pro-mask-side-needs-to-step-up-its-influencing-game/915842/154 "2020-07-24T15:29:08Z")
Angel Hernandez called it a strike. ---
**Author:** ![DesertDog](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/desertdog/32/11503_2.png) [@DesertDog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DesertDog)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2020, 6:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-pro-mask-side-needs-to-step-up-its-influencing-game/915842/155 "2020-07-24T18:00:55Z")
> [@Jackmannii](#): > > Then he missed the plate by a country mile. > > C’mon Tony, step up your game! “I’m a _doctor_, not a pitcher, Jim!” There was a YouTube video in the news section that was headlined Fauci Throws First Pitch so I brought it up. It showed him striding to the mound then making that gawdawful pitch, then started looping on throwing the pith, throwing the pitch, throwing the pitch, over and over again. I watched for thirty seconds then checked there was another _two minutes_ so I shut it off. I should have made note of the channel name so as to never play one of its videos again. ---
**Author:** ![GIGObuster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gigobuster/32/421_2.png) [@GIGObuster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GIGObuster)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2020, 10:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-pro-mask-side-needs-to-step-up-its-influencing-game/915842/156 "2020-07-25T22:27:18Z")
These posters need to be mentioned, specially the **Reversible** “Choose Your Mask, or Covid-19 will.” > **[Masks For Freedom - Ryan Lynn Design LLC](https://ryanlynndesign.com/portfolio/masks-for-freedom/)** > > SOCIAL MEDIA Tap and hold to save to your phone SOCIAL MEDIA STORY Tap and hold to save to your phone PRINT Click below to save from Dropbox ---
**Author:** ![Raucous84](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/8dc957/32.png) [@Raucous84](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Raucous84)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2020, 7:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-pro-mask-side-needs-to-step-up-its-influencing-game/915842/157 "2020-07-27T19:04:47Z")
Slightly off topic, but are the anti-vaxxers actually in the same group? I thought that they were much more aligned with the “left”, so to speak. ---
**Author:** ![RitterSport](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rittersport/32/6326_2.png) [@RitterSport](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RitterSport)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2020, 7:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-pro-mask-side-needs-to-step-up-its-influencing-game/915842/158 "2020-07-27T19:08:28Z")
I was just thinking about idiots who ignore science in general – if we can figure out what message reaches these idiots, maybe we can reach the other idiots, too! I don’t really know the demographics of the anti-vaxxers – I thought it was a mix of left-wing woo nutters and right-wing religious nutters. ---
**Author:** ![BippityBoppityBoo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bippityboppityboo/32/5745_2.png) [@BippityBoppityBoo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BippityBoppityBoo)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2020, 7:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-pro-mask-side-needs-to-step-up-its-influencing-game/915842/159 "2020-07-27T19:35:02Z")
> [@RitterSport](#): > > I don’t really know the demographics of the anti-vaxxers – I thought it was a mix of left-wing woo nutters and right-wing religious nutters. I think you have just about nailed it. All I know is that I have met very few true scientist in anti-vaxxers movement. ---
**Author:** ![I-AM-WABI-SABI](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/d6d6ee/32.png) [@I-AM-WABI-SABI](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/I-AM-WABI-SABI)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2020, 7:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-pro-mask-side-needs-to-step-up-its-influencing-game/915842/160 "2020-07-27T19:52:08Z")
Look the wife and I are up to 5 people we know that have died from the the virus. All avid mask wearing people. Three were from my wife’s country in South America. One three houses down and another in our town. Again never left without a mask since April. From what we can gather two got it from contamination by touching the mask by adjusting, taking it off or putting it on. So we as a family in Florida will have no part of masks but will continue to social distance, wash our hands and do the things before this mask craziness and anger started. Since we both survived a mass shooter last year we both PTSD issues and my wife gets claustrophobic issues constantly and the mask sets it off. We are both Trump supporters and him wearing one or not wearing one isn’t even a in our thoughts on how we should act. Most stores just leave us alone and for everything else there is Amazon. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-pro-mask-side-needs-to-step-up-its-influencing-game/915842.md?page=7) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-pro-mask-side-needs-to-step-up-its-influencing-game/915842.md?page=9)