Masks Have Become a Political Calling Card
Rep. Darren Bailey (R-Xenia) speaks to a colleague on the makeshift House floor in May. Bailey has become a de facto leader of an anti-mask movement in Illinois.
Nowadays nearly anything can become political. Some conservatives proudly shop at Hobby Lobby and eat at Chick-Fil-A. There are liberals who flock to Starbucks wearing a Patagonia quarter-zip.
It should not be a surprise politics has permeated the coronavirus pandemic. Ideally, in the eyes of public health experts, Americans would focus on facts and the best medical advice they can find to stay healthy. Some politicians, though, seem to be taking heed to former Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel’s infamous line, “never allow a good crisis go to waste.”
In some parts of the state, wearing a mask, or not wearing one, can be an act of political defiance.
“Political leadership makes a huge impact,” said Awais Vaid, deputy administrator and epidemiologist for the Champaign-Urbana Public Health District. “If there was more consistent messaging across the board and leaders at the local, state and national level were giving the same information, the most current scientific evidence, that would really help.”
Public health experts say science is clear: COVID-19 spreads through respiratory droplets in the air and wearing a mask or other face covering can lower the odds it spreads.
“We know that wearing a mask correctly and consistently is a very effective way to limit transmission,” says Chris Hoff, the director of Community Health Resources for DuPage County Public Health. “Any kind of barrier that’s effective in reducing the droplets or spray when we cough, sneeze, talk, or sing is a useful way to reduce transmission.”'
The Illinoize reached out to ten Illinois lawmakers, evenly split between Republicans and Democrats.
Only Rep. Will Guzzardi (D-Chicago) spoke to the issue.
He said the political nature of masks comes from the top.
“It starts with the president,” Guzzardi says. “The president has decided it’s in his political interest to downplay the severity of the pandemic. He went for so long refusing to wear a mask. Rather than treating this as a public health crisis, the president and his team decided to roll it into a broader discussion about American values and what side people are on. That’s very sad because the coronavirus doesn’t care about which side you’re on.”
Guzzardi says the concept of wearing a mask around others should not be a political issue but it has been in Illinois.
“We’ve seen it even among my colleagues,” he says. “We should be better than that. We should be above the fray of partisan politics. We should be looking out for the well-being of our constituents. It’s very sad and a lot of lives are being lost because of this politicization.”
Guzzardi was publicly critical of Rep. Darren Bailey (R-Xenia), who proudly flouted mask requirements during the shortened May legislative session. Bailey was removed from the House floor during the first day of the May session for refusing to wear a mask on the floor. He returned the remainder of the shortened session wearing a mask.
Bailey is perhaps the de facto leader of the state’s anti-mask movement, who filed multiple lawsuits challenging Governor Pritzker’s “stay at home” emergency orders. Rep. John Cabello (R-Machesney Park) also sued Pritzker over his emergency powers. Other Republicans, like Reps. Allen Skillicorn (R-East Dundee), Blaine Wilhour (R-Beecher City), Brad Halbrook (R-Shelbyville), and Chris Miller (R-Oakland) have also been publicly skeptical of the effectiveness of masks.
Speaking at a “Re-open Illinois” rally outside the State Capitol in May, during the heart of the first wave of the pandemic, Bailey, who was not wearing a mask around the large crowd, used prayer to make some of his political statements most clear.
“We’re not taking [this COVID-19] situation lightly, Father God,” he prayed toward the crowd. “But we live in a free country where we can deal with this as Americans. I pray that soon and very soon everyone in this state would be known as essential again.”
Furthermore, Bailey asked God to provide freedom from Pritzker’s mask orders.
“Forgive us, Father God, for being quiet too long. Restore us, rescue us, bless us, heal us, and bring justice to this [State Capitol].
Many Republicans privately say Bailey is using the exposure, which included a national primetime interview on Fox News, as a launching pad for the race for governor in 2022.
Pritzker himself has been the most vocal advocate for masks in Illinois, leading to more frustration, especially downstate, where a Chicago Democrat is already unpopular to begin with. Meanwhile, Democrats have spoken to supporters about how seriously they take the pandemic. High-profile scandals over haircuts for Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi have fanned flames on the other side.
“We have seen compliance (with wearing masks) improve a lot lately and it is a good thing,” Vaid said of Champaign County. “There are some small pockets, maybe some rural communities that are not following or not taking it as seriously as others.”
Both Vaid and Hoff said one of the biggest pieces of confusion of late is how people behave when wearing a mask.
“The face mask is never a substitute for physical distancing,” Hoff said. “Just because you have a face mask on doesn’t mean you can be within six feet of people. Even if you are in an indoor setting and you feel like you can be six feet away from people, we really recommend people keep those on.”
With the weather cooling, there will be fewer opportunities to socialize outside where transmission is less likely. That also means flu season is coming. Vaid said it’ll be more important than ever for people to keep wearing a mask this fall - regardless of who they’re voting for in November.
“The mask will definitely help with both COVID as well as for the flu, he said. “You’re wearing a mask for protection not just for yourself, but for others as well.”
