Check Out What Americans Were Asked to do During WWII

As America continues to gradually re-open, many of us are still being asked to wear a face covering and maintain the 6 feet of social distancing. This has proven to be just TOO MUCH to ask of some of our fellow citizens. Closing your business or finding out you’re out of you job is a completely different matter. But, putting a mask on to go inside Wal-Mart doesn’t seem like THAT much of an ask. Yet, plenty of people still gripe about it or just outright refuse. I’ve got one “friend” on Facebook who actually BRAGS about never having worn a mask and ridicules those that do as “sheeple”. If you are in this category of “mask protestors” you really, really wouldn’t have like living during the World War II years. I’m not even talking about people who were asked to volunteer to fight the Nazi’s and their allies. I’m talking about people who stayed home. They were asked to do A LOT for the war effort.

This became very clear to me when I was doing a jigsaw puzzle with my Mom and Dad last week. The theme of the puzzle was “Posters of the WWII Era” and…well, check it out:

We’ve all probably seen the Rosie the Riveter poster. So many men were in the service that women were asked to take over factory jobs and other essential work that still had to be accomplished. But take a look at what else 1940s Americans were being asked to do…

• Join a car club to conserve gasoline
• Buy war bonds
• Donate Lumber
• Collect scrap metal
• Eat less meat and grow your own vegetables
• Save waste fat

Try imagining some of the loudest anti-maskers being asked to do some of these things. “Save my waste fat?!? What’s in it for me?? And besides, less than 1% of all Americans are going to get killed by German soldiers!”

So, for the next few weeks, maybe consider just wearing the mask when asked to. And be thankful you can just throw the gristle from your T-bone in the garbage disposal.