Standing at a public urinal in Mullumbimby last week, I found myself face-to-face with a small poster stuck to the wall: ‘Real men don’t wear masks’.
Maybe the message was intended to elicit a wry chuckle, and its stupidity was actually ironic. But it was neatly printed and who spends money on promoting their sense of irony?
No, alas, this was a genuine communication from the bottom of the rabbit hole. For the last few months The Echo has been earnestly publishing factual articles about COVID-19 in an effort to counter the fictional ones that swarm around social media.
Still guided by the European Enlightenment of over two hundred years ago, which discovered that science is better than superstition, we have assumed that the false will not survive exposure to the true. People can be misinformed if they have no opportunity to correct their misinformation, but if the truth is available, who would cling to falsehood?
It turns out that quite a lot of people would. Naïve rationalists think that an incontrovertible argument wins them the case. But an incontrovertible argument merely puts you in a particular camp, the one that your antagonists have marked as their enemy. They have a different set of ‘facts’ and their camp is not defined by rationalism.
The ‘real man’ who stuck his poster at eye-level on the toilet wall is not going to be persuaded by epidemiology.
His belief is not scientific, although he may try to defend it with pseudo-scientific ideas.
It is a statement of identity: he belongs to the group that asserts the value of personal freedom above the value of public health. Not wearing a mask tells you what side he is on.
That side is actually quite diverse; it consists, among others, of anti-vaxxers, science contrarians, sovereign citizens, conspiracy theorists, and people who believe in the healing blood of Christ.
Politically speaking, this side is most comfortable on the far right, and to see where that leads it is only necessary to look at the United States: COVID-19 cases and deaths are now approaching last year’s levels, but this time it is mainly Fox News viewers, Trump voters and Christian fundamentalists who are affected.
These right-wingers in Republican states are ‘owning the Liberals’ by refusing to get vaccinated. And by dying.
One may feel a sneaking glee at such people removing themselves from the gene pool, but in our neighbourhood they don’t just damage themselves.
Until the federal government organises a competent vaccine roll-out and most of the population is protected, flouting the COVID-19 lockdown rules is not a philosophical protest, it is simply an act of malevolence.
Real men don’t harm others.
David Lovejoy, Echo co-founder
Recent stories, information and updates regarding COVID-19
New data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics Life shows life expectancy in Australia has decreased slightly for the second year in a row. An international team of researchers has found more evidence that COVID-19 came from animals in a Wuhan food market. The lab-leak theory that Covid-19 came from the Wuhan Institute of Virology – instead of a nearby wet market – was thrashed about in public recently, with the US Senate Homeland Security Committee holding a hearing into Covid-19. Eighteen schools in the Northern Rivers division of Richmond have received $25,000 each as part of the federal government’s School Upgrade Fund, Labor Member for Richmond Justine Elliot said last week. COVID-19 reversed earlier trends toward longer life expectancies. During the pandemic, life expectancies globally dropped by 1.6 years according to a new study published in the Lancet medical journal. Let’s not forget that Covid-19 is still a big issue in our community with 31,935 cases reported across Australia in the last week – an average of 4,562 cases per day. The Global Carbon Budget is about to be refreshed, giving the world a critical insight into how efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions are (or are not) progressing. Masks will no longer be mandatory on public transport from tomorrow, Wednesday 21 September. SW Police are urging festival-goers at this weekend’s music festival to celebrate in a safe and responsible manner, whilst also being aware of COVID-Safety measures. The Northern NSW Local Health District reports that to 4pm yesterday, Sunday May 22, there were 40 COVID-19 positive patients in hospital in Northern NSW, with one of these in ICU.
COVID-19 reduces Australian life expectancy
Wuhan market increasingly likely origin point for COVID-19
Editorial – There’s a bat in my lab!
Fresh air federal funds for Northern Rivers schools in need
COVID-19 pandemic has cut life expectancy globally
COVID-19 update for New South Wales
Five graphs you need to see before the Global Carbon Budget...
Public transport mask mandate to end
NSW Police: be COVID-vigilant at Splendour in the Grass
COVID-19 update for the NNSWLHD – May 23
For four decades The Echo has printed the stories some people loved, some people hated, and some pretended not to read. If you want us to keep telling the truth, the real truth, not the sugar-coated version. We’ll need your support to keep the presses rolling. 
