Face of Freedom

You must have tried and defied belief
Maybe buried your head in insular grief
I need your hunger, you need mine
A million mouths can swallow up time
--Pete Townshend

Nice article the negatives associated with masks. The author reviews the ineffectiveness of masks from a technical standpoint. There remains no compelling scientific evidence in favor of masks. In fact, and this is me not the author, one would think that proponents of masks so convinced of the 'science' behind masks would be conducting studies, including random controlled trials (RCTs) by the dozens--or hundreds--that present incontrovertible theory and evidence in support of masks. 

But they haven't (and can't). Stunningly, the Denmark study remains the only large numbers RCT investigation of masking that has been published. To the consternation of the pro-mask crowd, the study found no significant difference in CV19 infections in masked vs unmasked groups. That, after 18+ months, no further such analysis has been conducted by public health agencies worldwide goes a long way toward explaining the 'science' of masking.

That said, the author's best contribution is his discussion of the social consequences of masking. Beyond discomfort and lack of hygiene associated with covering one's face, masks offend social sensibilities. Facial appearance and expression contribute to individual uniqueness and value. Faces, through their various expressions, efficiently convey information that is difficult, and in many cases far more costly, to obtain through other means. 

People, especially children, rely on facial expressions for their ongoing development. Indeed, Darwin (1872) observed that the face is "the chief seat of expression." A recent article in Forbes questions school masking policies primarily along this line of reasoning.

Masks erode communication and understanding. They compromise human interaction and reduce quality of life.

Why aren't public health officials being challenged to present their evaluation of the costs associated with policies that force people to mask?