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Morgan Pursglove

Lyndee Mckay

AP/IB English

September 23, 2021

Mask Debate within the United States

The COVID-19 pandemic has overwhelmed the United States and has created a division

in the nation. Protests have sparked across the country, and people have argued whether masks

should be worn or not. In addition, there have been debates about the effectiveness of masks and

vaccines, as well as heated arguments between communities, leaders, and loved ones.Throughout

the article, "To Mask or Not to Mask?", written by Theresa Bourke in 2021, and the political

cartoon, "Anti-Mask", illustrated by Mike Lukovich in 2021, persuasive techniques are used to

state the authors' opinions and the opinions of others concerning mask usage. The authors also

use these techniques to inform readers about the debates that are happening throughout the

country.

The article "To Mask or Not to Mask?" is about parents in the Brainerd School District in

Minnesota, arguing whether or not their schools should have mask mandates. It starts by giving

information about the current health guidelines and rules regarding masks in Minnesota. For

example, masks are required on public transportation. However, for public facilities such as

schools and businesses, masks are only recommended. With no federal or local requirements, the

decision to make a mask mandate in schools is left to the school boards.

In a school board meeting, several issues were discussed regarding mask mandates for

schools. For the parents who were against required mask usage, there were many arguments

made about how "...students [aren't] being able to engage properly with their peers while hiding
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their faces, [are] struggling with mental health issues and [are] seemingly developing illnesses

from wearing masks all day every day," (Bourke 5). Therefore, they argued that masks should

not be required but instead be a personal choice made by students and their families. On the other

hand, the parents who advocated for a mask mandate argued that it would provide a safer

environment for their children and help prevent illnesses from being spread throughout the

classes. Some parents threatened to keep their children home from school if there was a mask

mandate, while others said the opposite.

In the meeting, one mother made an intense argument to the school board against

requiring masks. The mother told the board that her daughter had constantly suffered from

wearing a mask the previous year and had not been able to eat due to her tonsils becoming

swollen. However, when her daughter was kept home for two weeks and was not wearing a

mask, her tonsils returned to normal, and she could eat again. This mother begged the school

board to choose the children's health over recommendations given by the Center of Disease

Control (CDC), and the school board's fear of potential backlash. Later, another mother pleaded

for the school board to enact a mask mandate in the district. She explained that her family

members have suffered from the effects of COVID-19, and she does not wish for the children of

the district to go through the same thing. She included facts from credible medical centers, such

as Mayo Clinic and Rochester Medical Center, saying that while masks may not be 100%

effective, they still help to keep kids safe. By the end of the meeting, no decision was made and

the board said they would continue to discuss and think about the issue.

After reading this article, the author's persuasive technique is straightforward. The first

instance where we see this approach is in the title. The title of the article immediately grabs the

reader's attention and informs them of the topic. With the title "To Mask or Not to Mask", the
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audience can assume that the article will discuss both sides of the argument. The author does not

use words that would have a negative connotation or cause disinterest in the audience. This then

increases the number of people who will choose to read it. Throughout the article, the author

never states her opinion but equally discusses the opposing viewpoints between parents at a

district meeting. This maintains a sense of anonymity for the author because her opinion is never

clear, so she can freely discuss this matter without creating division or indignation. Using this

technique, she can kindle an interest in a broader and more diverse group of readers regarding

this subject.

Similarly, Mike Lukovich, illustrator of the political cartoon "Anti-Mask", uses

persuasive techniques to accomplish his end goal; to create a desire in his viewers to learn more

about this topic. In the political cartoon "Anti-Mask", viewers can see a patient who is being

treated for an illness and a doctor who has an oxygen mask in his hands. As the doctor goes to

put the mask on the sick patient, the patient says, "No thanks. I am anti-mask…". The viewer can

infer that the patient is dying or seriously ill and chooses not to receive the medical assistance he

needs because he is anti-mask. There are many things about this cartoon that draw attention to

the viewer's eye. The artist used vibrant and dark colors to draw attention to the things he

believes are important, and then uses lifeless and dull colors for unimportant things. One of the

central focuses of this cartoon is the eyes of the characters. The doctor's eyes are bright, white,

and focused, showing the doctor's determination to save and help the patient. In contrast, the

patient's eyes are black circles with no color, emotion, or shape. This could represent the

exhaustion and illness that the patient is experiencing.

The purpose of this cartoon is to show that our actions have consequences. Another

underlying message that could be seen is how we as humans act and think. It shows how prideful
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and irrational humans can be, and how many people only look out for themselves. In this

cartoon, the patient may have wanted the oxygen mask that could save his life, but was too

stubborn and ashamed to admit that he had been wrong. We see the doctor wearing a mask and

face shield, and the patient who refuses an oxygen mask even though he is sick. Lukovich, the

cartoonist, wants his viewers to understand the two schools of thought on wearing masks and

their effects. He uses symbolism, exaggeration, and stereotypes to support his claim. The

persuasive tone used in his comic creates an amusing depiction of the stubbornness people have

regarding masks, and the political debate of whether people should or should not be wearing

them.

The article, "To Mask or Not to Mask?", and the political cartoon, "Anti-Mask", have

many similar characteristics. One of the aspects they have in common is that they both use their

unique persuasive techniques to inform readers about this topic, and spark an interest in them to

learn more about mask usage. In the article, Bourke uses quotes to show the different sides of the

argument, maintain a balanced discussion, and prevent the article from sounding biased. In the

political cartoon, Lukovich uses few words and specific colors to draw the viewer's eye to the

central focus of his cartoon. In this case, the central focus would be the illness the patient is

experiencing and his desire not to wear a mask. Lukovich used this technique to show that while

masks are proven to save lives and prevent illness, people still refuse to wear them. In the article,

Bourke uses quotes to show the division and conflict that has been created over a simple matter.

While the authors may have used different techniques, they were used to argue for the same

thing,

When discussing mask usage, Lukovich and Bourke made their arguments clear while

informing viewers about the topic. They used different persuasive techniques but were able to
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create compelling arguments and make their points evident. For example, Lukovich used words,

colors, and shapes to show his beliefs on mask-wearing. He also used drawing techniques such

as contrast and distortion to draw attention to the important parts of his cartoon. Similarly,

Bourke was able to use quotes and examples from current news to show the occurring

discussions. Using these different techniques, the authors were able to express their opinions, and

teach people about the overarching problem of the debate of mask usage.
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Works Cited

Bourke, Theresa. "To mask or not to mask? Parents clash over masks, school board

makes no mandate." Brainerd Dispatch [Brainerd], 10 Aug. 2021. Brainerd

Dispatch, www.brainerddispatch.com/news/education/

7147008-To-mask-or-not-to-mask-Parents-clash-over-masks-school-board-makes-no-

man

date. Accessed 20 Sept. 2021.

Luckovich, Mike. "Anti-Mask." KHN, Kaiser Family Foundation, 6 June 2020,

khn.org/multimedia/anti-mask/. Accessed 21 Sept. 2021. Cartoon.