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Letter to the editor: People who don’t wear masks could cost businesses money

Donald Samuels
Silverthorne

It is with distress, although not surprise, that on the May 1 morning newscast on KYSL there was a story about confrontations between non-mask wearers and mask wearers (as well as employees) at the Silverthorne Target. I would like to do a thought experiment with the readers. Divide the county into two groups: those who believe wearing masks is protective of themselves and others and those who don’t. It does not matter if the mask is 0% or 100% effective. All that matters is that mask wearers believe in it and will not approach a non-mask wearer. A non-mask wearer does not believe this and will approach anyone. Now imagine that the ratio of mask wearers to non-mask wearers is 1-to-100. Businesses in the area loose 1% of their customers as the mask wearer won’t go in the business. The business in all probability survives a 1% loss of customers. Now imagine the ratio is reversed. One non-mask wearer in the business will keep out 100 mask wearers. Does anyone think that any business can survive the loss of 99% of their customers? The actual ratio is obviously between those limits but I think is high enough that business that might otherwise survive this will not. Please think about this as you make your choices. Do you want local businesses to survive or not?


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