If you look up the term “social contract” in Google, you get this definition:
“An implicit agreement among the members of a society to cooperate for social benefits, for example by sacrificing some individual freedom for state protection. Theories of a social contract became popular in the 16th, 17th, and 18th centuries among theorists such as Thomas Hobbes, John Locke, and Jean-Jacques Rousseau, as a means of explaining the origin of government and the obligations of subjects.”
Here in the US, the framers put these concepts into our founding documents, when they put in the Declaration of Independence “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.–That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed–“
When we talk about wearing a mask in public, and whether or not it’s okay for the Government to require this, let’s talk again about our social contract with each other. In order for me to be free, I have an equal responsibility to make sure you are free as well. When I wear a mask, I am trying to protect you from anything I might have, knowingly or unknowingly, and you doing the same shows that same level of respect and courtesy. The Government shouldn’t have to require it, or institute penalties or anything else for you to adopt what is perfectly reasonable behavior during a pandemic. You should want to do it, for the sake of your family and your community.
For over 8 weeks, I have been sewing masks- first with fabric and supplies I had stashed away for projects, and then purchasing more supplies to make sure I could continue. I did this because I wanted to make sure as many of my friends and neighbors could be protected when they went out to do basic things- from shopping to working, and be a little safer. Now, after sewing over 1250 masks myself, I’m still going- just not as quickly or obsessively as before.
The act helped bridge the gap when you couldn’t just buy a mask on Etsy or elsewhere. You got something that was made with love and caring from a neighbor. I felt like I was channeling my grandmother who grew up during the Depression, and told us stories of her mother helping families as she could, sharing food and whatever they had to make sure children were fed and clothed, even when times were tough.
We’ve seen a lot of that spirit in the community, and with everyone supporting the greater community non-profits to help families in need, and those who found themselves in need for the first time ever.
People throughout our community banded together to sew masks for essential workers and anyone who needed them, and one by one, we made a difference together. Over 7,500 masks were sewn and close to $5,000 additional funds raised for charities to help others. That’s remarkable.People saw a problem and looked around and said “Hey, I can do this to help” and they picked themselves and got to work.
One of these sewing groups has disbanded this week. In part, more people have masks now, and more are available through commercial sources, which are finally catching up. On the other side, it’s hard to do something that requires love and dedication when there seems to be people around who think you are being “Oppressive” by doing something to solve a problem. When some people look at the masks as being “controlling” rather than protective.
How a homegrown craft project, born out of love of community, became a political thing, I will never understand.
Many of the members are continuing to sew, even though the formal organization seems to have run its course. And that’s fine and natural I suppose.
I know I will always be grateful for all these women I have met, sharing patterns, supplies and doing everything they could to keep our community safer. I think they all deserve a medal. Their generosity of time and dedication should inspire everyone to do something in turn for your friends and neighbors.
That’s why I am finding I have some anger at members of our community who tell everyone wearing a mask is a sign of weakness or are otherwise constantly negative about this situation we all find ourselves in. this is the perfect opportunity to stop complaining and start working towards making things better. Volunteer. Donate time or money. Make something. Help out. Just crapping over everyone trying to make a difference does nothing but demoralizes people who are giving their all, in their way, to others.
I’ve done my share of volunteer work over the years. PTO. Local politics. Junior Board at Christiana Care. Taught classes at After The Bell. And the one thing that can kill volunteer spirit faster than anything is negativity. Volunteers need to be encouraged and nurtured, and channelled in the right direction- but we need to find more places for people to pitch in and help, not crap on those who are trying.
The disbanding of the sewing group is just a small example of how negativity starts creeping in, with a nose under the tent, and people start questioning their resolve, and whether the sacrifices they are making- in time and resources- to others is really worth it.
If we want to take Mr. Roger’s advice and “Look to the helpers” in times of need, we have to make sure we appreciate the helpers we have. That gives them the strength and the resolve to help again the next time there’s a crisis. Helping feels good. It helps calm our own internal fears and insecurities, too. But if you make helping painful, fewer people will choose to pitch in when needed, and we will all be worse off for it.
So I ask, from the bottom of my heart- Think Twice before you criticize someone who is trying to help. That negativity can be more damaging than you know. If you don’t agree, fine. Say so on your own page, your own blog, your own house, your own groups. Don’t make other people miserable. There’s no reason for that.
Remember- there’s a social contract here that we will all do things to care for each other. We even elect officials to make decisions in that regard. We pay taxes so our roads will be plowed, we can share the resources in parks and public spaces, and even have police to help keep rules in check when someone does violate the laws (those important rules) we’ve all agreed to over time. (What would happen if no one obeyed a red light or stop sign?) We only have one community, so let’s try to respect each other and be kind. That’s a virus I think we could all use a little more of these days.
Kennett COVID Information 