Maybe it’s just me, but I question how much of a life a person’s had if he or she hasn’t experienced someone saying to him or her, “You’re comparing apples to oranges.” The other option would be an impeccable understanding of what things one ought, or ought not compare. Past that, maybe the folks you’re hanging out with are either not too smart, or too closely knit.

I’ve seen now multiple times, people expressing the idea that there are two things that can be compared in any sense, that in my mind are definitely an apples to oranges comparison.

What’re we talking about here? Comparing requiring folks to wear masks when:

1. The risk of spreading an illness is generally negligible
2. The results of the virus to the majority of the population is not terribly bad and
3. Many studies have been done that cast serious doubt on the idea that masks are particularly helpful at containing viral spread.

There’re even more considerations, that work together to inform regarding the potential usefulness of masks.

On the other side of the comparison, is the “my body, my choice” mantra that is all but religiously repeated by individuals trying to justify abortion.

The first thing you need to understand is, there are a very large number of people who believe that, upon conception, you’re not talking about a “clump of cells,” but a baby. To make things clear, most of those same people hold with the idea that a baby is a human being as well.

That means all of people in that secon group, view it as committing murder to have an abortion.

Some of them can agree to justification in certain scenarios. For example, if the life of the mother is at risk, and the baby won’t survive if the mother doesn’t live long enough.

I tend to challenge even that level of excuse for abortion. I’ve literally known someone (probably more than one someone) who was told carrying their child to term would result in their demise. The one that readily comes to mind, carried her child to term with much difficulty. She had a healthy baby, and had minimal problems after just months following the birth of the child.

Of course, another favorite copout, is to say the mother and the child or just one of the two, is or are destined to have a low quality of life as a result of the child being brought to term and delivered.

The reality? It’s almost impossible to tell whether or not this is how things will work out.

How about that old favorite? “Having the baby would be an extreme inconvenience to the mother, and nobody is willing to adopt.” You’ll forgive me, but there are pretty much always people who can and will readily adopt such children.

In the cases where the mother became pregnant though “a proclivity to unprotected sexual activity,” the biggest dodge is that this is “normal behavior.”

It just doesn’t take a genius to figure out, if I go dancing in traffic, I’m very likely to be dispatched, or at least severely injured by a fast-moving hunk of metal, plastic and glass.

I’ve said it before and will do so again, actions have consequences. You can argue that you “couldn’t wait,” to indulge in physical intimacy, that doesn’t mean you won’t have to deal with the fallout when you do so.

Snuffing out an innocent life because you were unable to act responsibly would be akin to killing a cashier or waiter at a store or restaurant because they asked you to pay for what you were leaving with, or had eaten. Does that sound reasonable? No? Not to me either.

You took the action that ended in a given result, and though it’s true the outcome isn’t the same every time, you knew the risk. Now it’s time to be “big enough” to live up the dealing with the thing that happened.

Will it be inconvenient? You can bet it will. Carrying a baby—particularly to term—is typically no laughing matter. Will you have to make difficult choices? Very likely so. The first such choice is, “Do I keep this child, or give it up?”

Regardless your decision, there will be more tough choices to follow.

If you choose to give the baby up for adoption, you’re likely to have the hardest of times going through with it when you meet that precious bundle.

If you choose to raise the child, you’ll almost certainly deal with any number of challenging moments. Some will be a matter of expense, some a matter of dealing with the needs and desires of the child. It’s probable you’ll have things you’d like to have or want to do that won’t be possible.

This is parenting; even wealthy mothers and fathers often come to the conclusion they must sacrifice for their babies.

The simple reality is this, if you choose to act in ways that even may result in procreation, don’t be surprised to find you’re with child. Regardless all other things, what you do when you find out will affect you (and potentially your child) for the rest of your life.

Even if your choice is adoption, you’ll always know you have a child out there somewhere you could have called and raised as, your own.

As for wearing a face mask, I could potentially put another at risk of contracting a virus. Considering the results of doing so are generally pretty ho-hum, I can live with that.

Could I be the cause of some poor soul meeting his or her demise as a result? Certainly. Is that also possible as a result of the common cold, or influenza? It most definitely is.

Is it reasonable for me to take some precautions to keep others from getting infected? No doubt.

Do I hold it against others that the do or don’t wear masks? Not at all.

You can hold it against me, that I don’t wear masks (even though in six months, the death toll from COVID-19 in the state where I reside is somewhere in the range of 530 persons). If you do though, expect me to ask you about your actions during the ‘flu season. Likewise, expect me to ask you why you’re not wearing one when you have a cold. Is that anything like killing an “inconvenient child?” I think not.

Thanks for reading, and may your time be good.