With the delta variant now killing a thousand Americans per day, is it really that bad an imposition to require face coverings in some limited circumstances or “strongly urge” that people be vaccinated?

By the same token, should the government put its coercive power behind prohibitions of outdoor gatherings when available evidence suggests the virus isn’t easily transmissible in the open air? Should the government issue orders with only theoretical benefits when the trade-offs are quite tangible and real?

Indoor mask mandates are not fascism, but it is dangerously authoritarian for governments to arrest people for maskless outdoor picnics. Surely there’s an acceptable (if not entirely happy) medium whereby some people accept a bit of discomfort while others allow a realm for private choice amid uncertain and competing risks.

And surely there is room for people of different viewpoints within this broad middle ground to accept the concerns and fears of others without accusing them of bad faith or, worse, either fascism or murderous negligence.