I hope and pray the elephant in the room, in our local businesses and in our schools, isn’t a Republican. Same goes for a Democrat in a donkey’s clothing who won’t require people to wear coverings when out in public, much less make public the number of COVID-infected state employees, including school staff, and students.

It’s obvious our governor, legislators and state education board dare not tackle that problem, especially in an election year.

Some businesses, mostly chain stores, require masks, and will give you a mask if you forgot yours. But if they run out of free masks, they might let you inside anyhow.

Health officials in the know say wearing masks is the way we can help control the virus spread, but those in power apparently don’t believe in that science. Or, they believe, as some doctors do, that it just has to run its course.

Tell that to the families of the 500 Oklahomans who’ve died from the virus.

I get it, face coverings aren’t comfortable, and some say they make them feel they live in a third world country.

Many of us have learned they are necessary to keep others safe.

Not us, but others!

Or at least some have learned. You can’t count some college-age students, and 30-somethings, who enjoy partying too much to bother with the health of others.

Also count the majority of Enid’s City Council in that number of slow learners. They voted down a mask requirement, twice. Then their mayor, who probably violated the state open meeting law by polling the board, called off a third meeting because he didn’t have enough votes to pass mandatory masks.

Council members in Hennessey and Kingfisher have ignored a mask mandate, at least in public meetings.

However I am proud of Hennessey’s youngest board member, Keith Meek, who started wearing a mask to meetings. When someone questioned him, he said he wore it because his children had to wear them at school, and they should see their daddy wear one too.

Hennessey, which has a population of 2,200, has had 135 positive cases, compared to the City of Kingfisher’s almost 5,000 population with 96 cases.

The two deaths in Hennessey were women 65 and older.

80% of the state death toll is in the 65 and up group, but there are currently only 14% in that group with the virus. That may be low because so many have died.

The largest numbers of those who’ve tested positives are in the 18-35 age group at 36%. The 36-49 year-olds come in at 21%; 50-64, 18%, and 5-17, 9%.

As that author and friend also knows, it’s not just young people who ignore wearing face coverings in Oklahoma. That’s why local government should suck it up, before the election, and require face masks since the governor won’t admit he was wrong.

“Throughout the history of the world this is the only generation of young people to kill off their parents and grandparents.”

— Author known