Amazing how such rationale requests have been twisted into some kind of political issue or conspiracy theory.

For many on the side of this all being a “plan-demic” or an attempt at control, the common rhetoric tends to mock those on the side of science and common sense as people just “parroting the same arguments over and over” when it comes to masks, safety mandates, and the virus.

Well, I’ve been listening to the rhetoric, from people all across the country, for some time now and I must say: You “anti-masker/plan-demic” folk sure seem to say the same things yourselves. And I’m not just talking the same arguments, but the same things WORD FOR WORD.

With that, I think it’s time to share a “top ten” list, and provide debunks for each item on it. With that, I present: THE TOP TEN THINGS THAT Covid-Spriacy PEOPLE SAY:

1) It’s a mandate, not a law

This common phrase by conspiracy theorists wants the audience to assume mandates are simply “suggestions” or “recommendations” that can be ignored if desired. A rather dubious statement, but many are falling for it.
First off, “mandate” comes from the word “mandatory.” “Mandatory” means “required.” In the case of Minnesota’s governor, his mandates are borne from emergency powers granted to him by the elected state officials. So his mandates, according to the state, have the same force of law as anything else. This is an irrefutable fact.

So don’t buy into the “it’s not a law” line. Just because it’s not a law in the traditional sense (voted on by the state legislature and signed into law), it doesn’t mean you can choose to ignore it or violate it. It is enforceable, and violations of it are punishable. End of story.

2) It’s a dictatorship by the governor

As noted in item #1, these aren’t ordinary executive orders by a governor trying to impose their will. I’ll let the related State Statute (12.31, subdivision 2) of your great state of Minnesota say it for me:

https://www.revisor.mn.gov/statutes/cite/12.31

3) If you don’t like [the way defiant businesses are opening], stay away.

If only it were that easy. It WOULD be that easy if all the anti-maskers who flock to these restaurants only went STRAIGHT to the businesses and STRAIGHT back home again. But let’s face it, they are going maskless EVERYWHERE they go. So someone like me – who NEEDS to travel for work, is bound to run into one of these people at a gas station or something. A cough or sneeze in my direction and BOOM: Despite being one of those people who didn’t like them opening, and electing to stay away, STILL caught covid BECAUSE of it. The conspiracy theorists are again trying to over-simplify this thing calling for people to “just go hide” if you don’t like it. Don’t fall for it.

4) Masks don’t work

I see many variants of this argument. Some will say that, if I wear a mask, they shouldn’t have to since “masks work, right – so if it makes you feel safe you do you.” Others point out on-package notices and studies that PROVE masks don’t work. So why bother?

Again, they are quote-mining what they heard from dated or conspiracy site sources – and many are falling for it.

What they want to focus on is how cloth masks, etc. do not protect the WEARER from covid. This is actually true. But just because masks don’t work ONE WAY, doesn’t rise to ‘they don’t work, PERIOD.’

What is ALSO true is these masks prevent the TRANSMISSION BY THE WEARER of germs and covid. What do most civilized people do when they cough or sneeze? They cover it with something like a hanky. So masks are basically hands-free hankys you use to keep your germs to yourself. If you don’t believe me, look at the following from Florida Atlantic University:

https://www.fau.edu/newsdesk/articles/efficacy-facemasks-coronavirus.php

And before anyone tries to fall on the old “Virus is too small for a mask to block” line: The FAU study clearly notes that it’s not about stopping the virus itself, but the droplets and aerosols from people which can CONTAIN the virus…something a mask can readily do.

5) Business owners have a right to feed their family, pay their bills, etc.

A lot of the rhetoric keeps talking about “rights, rights rights!” Not to sound crude, but I’m sick of hearing about these businesses’ “rights!”

Don’t get me wrong: I am the first to acknowledge, and celebrate, that we all have the right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. But what conspiracy theorists gloss over is that freedom is NOT absolute. You don’t get to hurt others, or put others at unnecessary risk, to get what YOU want.
Do business owners have a right to make money to provide for themselves and their own? Of course! We all do! But there’s nothing that says they have the right to do so by running a restaurant. Sorry. I’ve covered this before but it bears repeating: Life happens sometimes. Restaurants are notorious for their low success rate even in the BEST of times. In these times, they have been hit. Hard. But that’s life. You don’t always get the Hollywood feel-good ending. Sometimes you have to re-invent your business model to stay afloat – as many have. If you can’t or won’t, then I’m afraid you’ll have to give up the ghost and accept that you need to go do something else to make money. Is it sad? Yes. Is it fair? No. But again, that’s life – but your “rights” don’t extend to doing unsafe practices to make money. Period.

6) The data is wrong

From “Flu kills more” to baseless allegations that the numbers are skewed to “generate fear” these conspiracy theorists try the old “lying with statistics” route.

The assertion that Flu deaths are higher than covid is flawed because the CDC releases ESTIMATES of flu cases each year. Different from CONFIRMED covid cases. Apples to Oranges. And no, per John Hopkins, it is NOT “just the flu:”

https://www.jhsph.edu/covid-19/articles/no-covid-19-is-not-the-flu.html

About the data being wrong: The fact you believe that mean absolutely nothing. Means nothing to this issue. PROVE IT. Prove the numbers are bunk. Just having people who don’t believe this is real, or wants it to not be real, saying the data is wrong is not enough to move the needle. I have yet to see one piece of verifiable evidence to say the data is wrong. And please don’t direct me to another conspiracy site or YouTube video made by someone who graduated from the “University of Facebook.” I want a REAL study. Verified by REAL experts. Confirmed by REAL peers. Not just someone on a video with their mouth flapping saying its fear mongering. Not good enough. Don’t fall for that.

7) Open places that have no restrictions are doing no worse than Minnesota.

Another dubious point that I’ve already debunked:
About the assertion that Sweden and South Dakota have been no worse sans safety measures than Minnesota:

South Dakota: 107 deaths per capita
Sweden: 67 deaths per capita
Minnesota: 65 deaths per capita

Next!

8) U.S. Constitution trumps state directives

A lot of conspiracy theorists like to throw the U.S. Constitution at the argument. “The state should stand on the constitution. A law repugnant to the Constitution is void.”

First off, they are showing their dizzying duality of thought: I thought the mandate was not a law – but oh, NOW it is since it’s a ‘law repugnant to the Constitution.’ SMH…

The U.S. Constitution is somewhat akin to a manufacturer’s warranty. And, with any warranty, its good advice to read the small print. In this case, the amendments.

States are afforded the ability to draft THEIR OWN constitutions. Their OWN laws. Their OWN mandates, etc. And no, I checked: Nowhere in the Constitution does it state “the right of the people to go to a bar or restaurant during a virus outbreak shall not be infringed.” The baseless “Constitution” argument is an attempt to vilify elected leaders. Don’t fall for it.

9) This is singling out small businesses

I wish I had a dollar for every “why are the ‘big box’ stores like Target, Costco, Publix, Walmart, etc. still open and not Alibi? The argument that this is proof of “singling out” the “little people” is dubious at best. But many are falling for it.

Let’s compare, say, Alibi with, say, the local Target:

Square footage: Alibi, 6300 sq ft; Target, 250,000 sq ft.
Capacity (est): Alibi, 500 (SRO); Target: 40,000 (also assumes no distancing)
Average idle time (person sitting/standing in one place): Alibi, 45-60 minutes; Target, < 5 minutes.

By now I would hope you’re seeing that this is not even CLOSE to a fair comparison. “Big box” stores have more space for distancing and they require masks (since no one has to sit and eat/drink while shopping); the larger building also allows for better air distribution, thus less concentration of particulates that might contain covid. And we haven’t even mentioned the fact a bar or restaurant is NOT an essential business. It’s amazing this is even an arugment. Another attempt at comparing apples to oranges. Don’t fall for it.

10) What about deaths from the lockdowns and isolation (depression, etc.)?

As I had suggested before, but I should be clear: I am in NO WAY unsympathetic here. I know firsthand the difficulty of trying to get by in difficult times. In addition, as someone WITH friends both dealing with – and sadly succumbing to – mental health issues, I know how tough that can be.

That said this is another case of their duality of thought: When covid deaths involve an existing health issue, they hand-wave it away, but when a death from a mental health issue occurs, they attempt to tie it to the lockdowns, etc.

Again, I do know something about this. In the overwhelming majority of cases, depression and other mental health issues develop and persist over years. So while I will not be so dismissive as to suggest ALL deaths from mental health issues have NOTHING to do with the increased isolation and hardships brought on state lockdowns, etc., there is simply no way to directly correlate one with the other.

Conversely, we CAN directly verify whether a physical, detectable virus contributed to a death.

And with that, that’s 10-for-10 debunked.

In closing, the time has finally come that restaurants are starting to open up again all across the nation. Of course, this would have come sooner had it not been for dangerous coalitions like this. I pray none of you “freedom fighters” had to deal with losing someone to the pandemic. And for anyone on the fence I hope these debunks arm you with knowledge to keep you on the side of reason.

I can understand how tempting it must be to buy in – and that is what conspiracy theorists bank on…that you’ll accept what they’re saying because you’re starving for ANYthing that gives even the illusion of control, or makes you the “hero” in your own movie…making someone like me, who is only pointing out how your arguments are wrong, flawed, etc. the “bad guy.”

And no one is the bad guy in their own story. I get it.

But it’s NOT about good vs evil – it’s about protecting one another until this blows over. Patience. We’ll be back to the way things were soon enough.