I am devastated to hear about the loss of Care Failure. An absolute idol, a hero who was wonderful to meet.

On rare occasions, sane people will have real arguments about wearing masks to prevent respiratory illnesses, but authorizing parties generally insist on the ad hoc nature of such rules. “No one believes face masks should always be mandatory,” the Toronto Star’s editorial board said in March. 10 years from now, no one will bother with these minor inconveniences – so the debate begins – and we’ll be happy to make the ordeal less deadly and more manageable.

There’s always a hint of desperation in the debate, as not many people think the masking should be permanent. But columnist Martha Lederman at least got Globe and Mail readers across the Rubicon this week. She hasn’t fully voiced her support for the mask requirement in the long run. But she argued, “We need to normalize the wearing of masks, which is common in parts of Asia.”

“This time of year, formerly known as cold and flu season, we typically see an increase in respiratory viruses, including COVID — and masks need to be brought back into our lives every year,” Lederman said.

Mask haters can rest assured that annual mandates are highly unlikely — and not just because mask extremists like Lederman tend to undermine their own positions. She begins her column by implying that those who disagree with her are “sociopaths,” which is a great way to lose an argument in one fell swoop. Talk to some people who have to fight for a living, and you’ll soon hear some very legitimate objections to masks (even from some people who are happy to live with the rage).

I think politicians and health officials understand this: They inevitably have to consider the tolerance of the entire population, not just us keyboard warriors. But even they have often been terrible at defending their pandemic stance.