HomeMy WebLinkAboutMask Mandate (20)Hello, my name is Kyle Key and I live at 5504 W. 6000 N. in Rexburg. I am writing to the esteemed members of the city council to address the topic of a mandatory mask mandate being considered.
As a concerned citizen that is considered a member of a high-risk group I absolutely do not support a mandatory masking mandate for many reasons which I will articulate below.
The foremost reason I reject the argument for a mask mandate is that it is a broad mandate that violates the fundamental right to choose, instead of addressing a narrow, specific problem.
This has implications that could potentially violate constitutional rights and result in lawsuits that are wholly unnecessary if we instead allow the good citizens of Rexburg to exercise
their ability to self-govern and use common sense.
As I mentioned above, I fall into a high-risk group for complications arising from infection from COVID-19. As a citizen, I see the function of the local government to inform me of the
dangers of the disease and offer strong suggestions on how I can mitigate the risk to myself, but local government doesn't need to compel me to choose for myself how I will manage risk.
I can choose to keep myself out of public places where higher risk is likely. I can choose to use curbside services for all of the necessities without having to make contact with others.
It is not the responsibility of other people and lower risk groups to give up their rights so that I can feel safer. It is my responsibility to mitigate risk.
Additionally, the statistics from the Idaho coronavirus website (coronavirus.idaho.gov <http://coronavirus.idaho.gov> ) do not indicate a need for mandatory masking. The website, as
of the time I am writing, shows 61 total confirmed cases in Madison county and zero deaths. Statewide, emergency room visits for COVID-like illness have dropped precipitously since
its peak on March 16th to under 1% of emergency room visits. Yes, there have been an increase in positive cases in Idaho, but testing has also increased.
What does this information tell us? More people are testing positive for COVID-19, but they are asymptomatic and not overwhelming our healthcare system, which was the objective of flattening
the curve. Deaths are decreasing and hospitalizations are decreasing, despite the latest increase in cases. The serious threat is not there and therefore required masking is completely
unnecessary.
I urge the members of the city council to reconsider implementing a mandatory mask mandate. It is wholly unnecessary and ignores the important constitutional rights we hold sacred and
also flies in the face of the American culture of self-governance. It also ignores the plain science and statistics provided by the state of Idaho. Additionally, I believe it could
result in lawsuits that could be avoided if we only use common sense and our ability to choose to mitigate risk.
America and especially Rexburg is great because we don't need to be told what to do to help ourselves and our neighbors. Whether it is a pandemic or a flood from a dam bursting, my trust
and confidence lay in the individual citizens around me who share my values and will do the right thing. Please let us do the right thing instead of feeling the need to compel us to
do it.
Respectfully,
Kyle Key