Arnold Schwarzenegger has been perfectly clear that he is pro-science and pro-vaccination during the pandemic, even recording himself getting the vaccine earlier this year.
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And now, he has a message for anti-maskers.
“Yeah, you have the freedom to wear no mask, but you know something? You’re a schmuck for not wearing a mask, because you are…supposed to protect your fellow members around you,” he said. “It’s just that simple.”
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Schwarzenegger’s remarks came during a conversation with CNN’s Bianna Golodryga and Alexander Vindman about how COVID has been politicized and the spread of misinformation over the past year and a half.
“There are still people who live in denial. There’s still people who don’t believe in masks. There’s still people out there who say ‘Well we don’t have to do social distancing and all this kind of stuff,’” he said. “And I just think that people ought to be reminded over and over that the experts are saying that we have to wear masks.”
The former governor of California pleaded — and not the first time — with people to listen to the experts, pointing out that Dr. Anthony Fauci and others have studied for decades to understand how viruses like COVID function.
“Why would you not believe someone like that?” he asked.
He did seem to acknowledge right-wing criticism that Fauci and other experts have changed their guidelines over the course of the pandemic, but also said the obvious thing — that as we learn more about something brand new and evolving, the conclusions the experts come to may shift. That’s how science works, and it doesn’t mean anyone is lying or has malicious intent.
And it certainly isn’t an excuse for anyone to just discard science altogether.
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“There is a virus here. It kills people. And the only way we prevent it is to get vaccinated, we wear masks, we do social distancing, washing your hands all the time, and not just to think about ‘well my freedom is being kind of disturbed here.’ No. Screw your freedom,” Schwarzenegger said. “Because with freedom comes obligations and responsibilities. You cannot just say ‘I have the right to x, y, and z’ when you affect other people.”
His frustrations with Americans who won’t put up with a little bit of discomfort and inconvenience so that we can get the pandemic under control and save lives in the process is palpable, and a sentiment that’s shared by many.
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Schwarzenegger also repeated something he’s said many times in recent months, which is that he hopes the whole country comes together to fight against something impacting all of us, noting “we all have to work together on this.”
*First Published: August 12, 2021, 8:07 am
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