“I wear a mask not because I am afraid but because it is one way of showing that I care about my neighbors. There is a lot we don’t know about COVID-19, but all the evidence suggests that wearing a mask helps to prevent the spread of the virus.”

That is the comment of a smart man, an elected official in Texas, who is fed up with the griping about orders to wear face masks to combat the COVID-19 virus.

I refer to Jefferson County Judge Jeff Branick, a lawyer who understands that health value should override convenience and comfort.

Branick is following the lead established by Dr. Anthony Fauci, one of the health experts who have joined Donald Trump’s coronavirus pandemic White House response team. Fauci said this week that Americans have to become “part of the process” that officials hope will eliminate the pandemic, hopefully sooner rather than later.

I happen to agree with Judge Branick. As the Beaumont Enterprise reported: In a strongly worded open letter to the community, he acknowledged that he expected some pushback when he announced the new ordinance on Tuesday. “What I didn’t expect was the level of pure hatred and profanity laden messages that would make a sailor blush,” he wrote. 

I hope the open letter that Branick issued is taken to heart, taken seriously and that Texans who read it or hear about it understand that mask-wearing mandates aren’t intended to deal with people’s comfort or convenience. They are intended to protect human lives. What in the name of medical caution is wrong with that?