mask usage is way down

I haven't reported on mask usage in a while. From what I see, it's now way down—to the point where, if I see someone masked now, I'm inclined to assume he or she is masking up for pre-pandemic reasons (e.g., not wanting to spread a cold to others, etc.). It's a shame it's taken so long for the public to crawl out from under its own paralyzing fear (of COVID, of ostracism/disapproval, whatever), and it's a sign that people here are still more likely to obey authority than to question nonsensical policies. Obeying orders is what got so many kids killed on the Sewol ferry in 2014 (they were repeatedly told to stay in place, and few of the kids had the gumption to abandon ship when they should have). As the song says, When will they ever learn? Until the next crisis, then!