To the editor:
In these difficult, unprecedented times, Gov. Eric Holcomb is tasked with keeping the state safe. While requiring all Hoosiers to wear a mask when they are out in public isn’t something I am personally excited about, in the end, I believe it’s the right call.
According to the state’s COVID-19 dashboard, positive cases in Hancock County have continued to rise since mid- to late July. The state as a whole has continued to see a climb in positive cases and hospitalizations since early July as well. In a letter to Gov. Holcomb, the Hancock County Board of Commissioners criticized his decision to issue the executive order and even went so far as to say, "we know we can proceed with judicial review of this matter." This statement alone bothered me because every American has the ability to pursue legal review through our justice system, but that doesn’t mean the law will be on their side, as their statement seems to lead us to believe.
Additionally, the commissioners think that "a better decision would be to allow local government to make its own decisions with regard to mandating masks." There are 92 counties in the state. How confusing would it be for each county to have its own order on a mask mandate? If there was no statewide mask mandate and it was left up to each individual county (and possibly cities and towns as well for that matter), individuals would have to be cognizant of not only what county they are in, but what other counties they might travel through/stop in, and what each individual county’s stance is on wearing a mask. It would be unnecessarily complicated, and for what purpose? To not have to wear a mask for a very limited amount of time while in a public setting?
In a letter to the residents of Hancock County in March, the commissioners wrote: "The Commissioners remain very sensitive to the fact that it is of paramount importance, in conjunction with the health of our citizens, that we maintain commerce and business. We ask that in the spirit of our great country and community that we unite in our efforts and personal responsibility to fight the spread of this virus until it is defeated.” It would appear that as of recently, they have changed their mind on this matter – when masking up in public is a simple, non-invasive action we can take to help ensure everyone’s safety and so that we can continue to keep our businesses open during this time.
I personally don’t care if you wear a mask or not. But as for me — I will wear my mask in public even when I’d prefer not to. I will not gripe and complain about it because it doesn’t hurt me and it doesn’t affect my day-to-day public excursions in a negative way. I applaud Gov. Holcomb for making the difficult, (and in some opinions) unpopular decision of implementing a statewide mask mandate to help slow the spread of the COVID-19 virus and keep our Hoosier businesses open.
Dusty Wicker
Greenfield
Dusty Wicker is vice chairman of Hancock County Young Republicans and is a Republican precinct committeeman in Jackson Township.
