On April 18th, a federal judge in Florida ruled that mask mandates on air travel were not legal, and the Biden administration approved the measure.
The sight of air passengers and flight attendants celebrating the ruling mid-flight with loud cheers as if their favorite football team had won the Superbowl sent chills down the spine of health experts. The US death toll reached at least one million COVID-19 deaths within two weeks, while the World Health Organization estimates at least 15 million deaths worldwide. Is the dropping of mask mandates on air travel really something to celebrate?
Mary Fashik, a queer disability rights advocate, told me over email that the viral videos made her feel like her life as an immunocompromised person has no value. Fashik, who has a host of chronic illnesses, continued, writing, "I have always known that society sees me as a burden and does not care whether I live or die." Knowing that and it being clearly demonstrated are two different things.
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Maya Davis, an asthmatic Black Caribbean-American living in Brooklyn, also relayed her thoughts on the videos to me, writing, "I feel like Alice when she went down the rabbit hole." My faith is in the common good.
The latest variant of concern, BA.2.12.1, is spreading rapidly and is expected to be the dominant form of the virus within the next few weeks. COVID is the third-leading cause of death in the US according to the CDC. Tourists sip complimentary champagne on Delta flights and whoop about what could be described as a minor annoyance on their way to their vacations, in the face of this alarming, often avoidable catastrophe.
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The elderly, the disabled, the working class and Black, Indigenous, People of Color are groups that already faced disproportionate health outcomes before 2020. The researchers from the National Opinion Research Center found that mask usage by white people rose in 2021 when their communities were being hit hard, but then fell when reports showed that Black and Latinx communities were suffering at higher rates. Anti-Blackness is pervasive and has tremendous consequences, both in terms of the policies that get passed, and what doesn't.
The Scientific Amerian reported earlier this week that elders over age 65 have suffered more losses than any other demographic. The oppressions are compounded by the fact that elders of color are more likely to be primary or secondary caregivers to children.
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Most of the people who travel for leisure are part of the privileged few. It comes as no surprise that some will prioritize individual fun over collective care given the historically individualistic nature of American culture. It's not right that they need to loudly cheer about it as hundreds of graves are being dug.
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I spoke to people who said that non-masking tourists should be ashamed of themselves. Fashik wrote, "Stop being selfish." Ms. Kamins wrote, "Grow the hell up." There is no harm in wearing a mask on a plane. Not wearing one does. There are people with disabilities and chronically ill who have the right to live.
The CDC still recommends that travelers stay masked, even though the ruling is in effect for air travel.
If you choose to reveal on flights, you should keep the applause to yourself and have decency to read the room.
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