Continuing to wear a mask yourself is harmless, but trying to make everyone else continue wearing masks is harmful.

Oh, I see what you're saying. Yes, that's true at this point in time, but I don't think that's what anthonygd was arguing. They were complaining about the act of personally wearing a mask without a scientific basis.

It's probably late for you to see this but here's an attempt to clarify... my complaint is with wearing a mask as a statement _while_ complaining about the other side being overly aggressive in making their statement.

Essentially 6 months ago you somewhat had the moral high ground because science was on your side, but now it's just personal preference.

If you feel safer with a mask, that's fine (it might do some miniscule good). If you wear a mask to show everyone where you fall on the political spectrum, than just own up to the fact that you're being divisive.

You can call it "divisive", but the two actions are not equivalent.

In terms of merely making a statement, then the anti-mask option would be something like wearing a shirt or mask with a message about how this whole mask thing is stupid.

The objection to people going maskless 6 months ago is not that they were making a statement, it's that they were endangering people in aggregate.

When you say "Was it lip-service and posturing 6 months ago or is it now? Do you value science or not?", that would only be justified if the science was specifically saying not to wear a mask right now. But that isn't true and has never been true. Wearing an unnecessary mask has always been fine.

> trying to make everyone else continue wearing masks is harmful.

Who's doing that?