When the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced last month that vaccinated people need not wear masks regularly, Americans’ reaction was polarized. Many seemed to tear off their masks and cry “Freedom!” while others not only refused to do so, they expressed horror that anyone would.
So while mask use dropped, large numbers still continue to wear masks in many circumstances. Many private businesses continue to require customers to wear masks, and so on. Each side considers the other at best foolish, at worst evil. While this may look like yet another partisan political battle, it is in fact related to attitudes to risk and trust that underlie our politics. Those different attitudes also explain why different groups often fail to understand one another.
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