[Snorlax94]

How did the mere wearing of masks become contentious? 

It's a very overt sign of being forced to do something that you're not used to.  Some people are more resistant under such circumstances than others.

Also, perhaps masks have had a negative connotation in our history, being linked to robberies and such.

There are conservatives and liberals, both young people *and* old people, rebellious people and community-minded people in Czech Republic, South Korea, New Zealand, and many other countries where more universal adoption of masks have helped get Covid under control, yet somehow only the Trumper crowd in the US has these deep-seated psychological revulsions. What a coincidence.

I actually think part of the problem in the US is the fact that masks were so difficult to come by initially, and people were told not to get masks and that only doctors should wear high-quality protective masks, and you should wear crappy masks that won’t protect you but only protect others from you. The sad thing is now I see well-made masks everywhere, and the prices are coming down, and the supplies are so great that I even see medical-grade masks available to the general public, so now people should be a lot more enthusiastic about wearing masks, but now some people have developed an intractable, deep-seated opposition to masks, and this opposition to masks could harm them, could harm their community, and will increase the R0 which will also continue to ruin the economy. They are willing to die for the Dow but cannot bear the thought of wearing a mask.

[Snorlax94]

How did the mere wearing of masks become contentious? 

It's a very overt sign of being forced to do something that you're not used to.  Some people are more resistant under such circumstances than others.

Also, perhaps masks have had a negative connotation in our history, being linked to robberies and such.

There are conservatives and liberals, both young people *and* old people, rebellious people and community-minded people in Czech Republic, South Korea, New Zealand, and many other countries where more universal adoption of masks have helped get Covid under control, yet somehow only the Trumper crowd in the US has these deep-seated psychological revulsions. What a coincidence.

I actually think part of the problem in the US is the fact that masks were so difficult to come by initially, and people were told not to get masks and that only doctors should wear high-quality protective masks, and you should wear crappy masks that won’t protect you but only protect others from you. The sad thing is now I see well-made masks everywhere, and the prices are coming down, and the supplies are so great that I even see medical-grade masks available to the general public, so now people should be a lot more enthusiastic about wearing masks, but now some people have developed an intractable, deep-seated opposition to masks, and this opposition to masks could harm them, could harm their community, and will increase the R0 which will also continue to ruin the economy. They are willing to die for the Dow but cannot bear the thought of wearing a mask.