There are so many reasons to wear that mask, especially if you want to reopen the economy. You have to protect the vulnerable, and the people who are paid to protect the vulnerable by serving them and the larger community because this cost of massive death is more than we are willing to tolerate. That mask is just one tool of admittedly limited value, but it is a concrete visible useful land un-invasive tool, that reminds us of the other ways we need to help protect each other. When we wear it, we remind ourselves and each other that we need to stay further apart, wash our hands more often and more deliberately as well.
You simply will not get a rebound in the economy if a third of the population is too scared to walk into the malls, the theaters, the sports arenas, the shops, the churches, and the events which involve commerce, tourism and exposable non essential income. Businesses with brick and mortar based customers (read older), that hope to gain back their customers back, have got to get these customers to wear masks so they don't scare other customers away. Now they can do it with soft sell tactics, or by providing discounts to those who are willing ( wear a mask, get 5% off your purchase) or they can re-write their signs to say 'No shoes, no shirt, no mask, no service, but they are going to need to get those customers to stop worrying about the guy coughing and sneezing who is standing in the middle of the aisle, so they can relax, enjoy themselves and make 'impulse buys' or they are toast!
Turning this 'mask' into a political or cultural war, only serves to get politicians more money in their war chests, and media more drama for their ratings. Once the election results are in, brick and mortar businesses won't care whether the new normal is masked or not, they will care if their customers keep avoiding going out and about because we keep having this virus killing people and constant visible reminders that nobody cares which is what the unmasked customers represents. They will be seen as a little dirtier, a little more selfish, and stores that have a lot of those, will lose those who cannot afford to take greater risks.
