Earlier this week, Senem Yurdakul, the Editorial Page Editor on Spec’s Editorial Board, responded to Leslie Zukor’s op-ed responding to Matt Keating’s op-ed responding to Ned Latham’s op-ed responding to Gabe Weintraub’s op-ed about the much-contested mask mandate at Columbia. As a self-appointed expert in public health, I would like to respond to that.
First of all, Yurdakul argues that Zukor claims that Keating contends that Latham asserts that Weintraub postulates that masks are unnecessary and harmful to our physical and mental health. I respectfully agree to disagree about our disagreement. You see, all of their stances are erroneously correct yet accurately fallacious. I strongly believe that, as a campus, we need to recognise this and accept the reality of the situation.
Secondly, as has been discussed relentlessly on social media, every person in our community has a duty to be responsible yet free to make their own decisions within the rules of safe responsibility. There is abundant evidence to support this among journalists and also Spec.
While I cannot argue that this wouldn’t not be a solution, what would it solve? More importantly, what would it not solve?
Where does all this leave us? I don’t know. You tell me.
Nurasyl Shokeyev is a second-year student at Columbia College studying whether God is dead.
To respond to this letter to the feditor, contact:
opinion@columbiaspectator.com