After being cooped up by cold weather and COVID-19 for the past few weeks my wife and I took a short trip to Pella this past weekend to get a look at the tulips and some springtime color from the safety of our car.

What we saw were hundreds of people walking around the town at relatively close quarters, less than ten percent of them wearing masks and generally acting like there was no danger in their actions. I don’t know if it is denial, stupidity or a death wish, but, in general, Iowans are not taking the probability that they could become deathly sick seriously. They also ignore the fact that they are quite possibly infecting others by not wearing a protective mask in public places.

The fact that the businesses that are currently open do not require their employees to wear masks is inexcusable. Relatively few shoppers and employees in the grocery stores and home and farm supply stores wear masks. Most of the people who load my phoned-in grocery order aren’t wearing masks. The pizza delivery person usually is bare faced. A lot of the people working the take-out windows don’t wear masks. These irresponsible people are endangering anyone who comes into contact with them.

If I were to light up a cigarette while I shopped for groceries, I would be asked to leave, and most likely be arrested, not because I was harming myself, but because the toxic mess I was exhaling is harmful to others. The same is true in this dangerous time – people have to wear a mask to protect anyone else they encounter until this virus subsides. Store managers need to take the responsibility of protecting their employees as well as their customers by requiring masks to be worn in their places of business.

And the general public should come to the realization that we should do a better job of protecting ourselves and our neighbors.