In the midst of this pandemic, people all around the world have been told to wear masks, and most are happily complying. These areas are seeing drastic decreases in cases and deaths, slowly able to open up their economies without spikes in cases. Every country has this under control, except one - the United States of America.

In America, the mask has become a symbol of a political and cultural divide. Karens all over America have pulled temper tantrums over not being allowed to stay in certain establishments due to not having a mask. Trump himself has ordered every person around him to wear a mask, but neither he not Pence will follow the same guidelines. This is all in light of the majority of political officials (even Republican politicians) and Fauci stating that wearing a face covering in public is the best way of battling COVID, a fact proven by the rest of the world.

Now, we can blame this all on stupidity - and it really is partially a matter of simple ignorance. But there's a deeper understanding to this. This refusal to conform to standards that will benefit the entire community stems from the American ideal of individualism over the collective good. Masks are not only for the benefit of the person wearing it but to ensure that one does not unknowingly infect another person. To most countries, especially socialist countries where government regulation is more accepted, this is all that masks are.

To Americans, masks muzzle the spirit of individualism. It is a sign of weakness - a sign that you are submitting to the pressure of the elites. No, Americans will never do such a thing. Americans must always maintain their individual spirit. This spirit has now devolved into literal violence against store employees and the usage of a cough as a biological weapon against people who annoy Karens. Yes, this type of spirit works for the Revolutionary War, where we fought for no taxation without representation and defied tyrannical rule. But this is not tyrannical rule; this is a minor inconvenience to save the entire country from a deadly pandemic.

On a broader note, this pandemic has ultimately revealed how ignorant the American public truly is. How they will put their pride before the welfare of others, even while the whole world is watching. We have finally proven to the world that no country can put their faith in America because all we'll do is shout "individual rights" and leave them to suffer on their own.