GENE SIMMONS: Why U.S. States Have To Mandate Mask Use

Gene Simmons has defended some U.S. governors' decision to mandate mask-wearing in their states, saying people who are defiantly skeptical of wearing face coverings are putting all of our health at risk.

After the KISS bassist/vocalist shared a news story about Republican Iowa governor issuing a mask mandate after previously disparaging face covering restrictions as "feel-good" measures, a fan asked Gene on Twitter, "Why do you have to mandate what is obviously a personal choice?" Simmons responded: "Interesting question. Answer: We all have to stop at a red light. That's because if we don't, it, it would effect others. Jets don't allow smoking. Even if you don't feel like it...Wearing a mask, protects others from YOU...Even if you don't feel like it."

Last month, Simmons spoke about the resistance to mask-wearing edicts at places like grocery stores and retail stores, with some store customers reacting negatively when approached by staff who request them to "mask up," and customers attacking other customers for non-compliance to wearing masks.

"Be kind to each other," Gene told Edmonton, Alberta, Canada's K-97 radio station. "C'mon! Seeing these YouTube and TMZ videos of everybody going insane. I know the nerves are up, 'cause we're all scared — what's gonna happen and all that stuff. It's okay. The sun is gonna come out one of these days. It's all gonna get better. And just be kind to each other. That doesn't take much effort. And wear your goddamn masks. It ain't about you.

"If you sneeze, you put your hand over your mouth," he explained. "Why wouldn't you cover your face for something that might be life-threatening. 'Well, you can't tell me what to do.' Actually, you get told what to do all the time. When there's a red light, you're told to stop the car. 'Well, I don't wanna stop the car.' It's not about you. 'Cause if you go through a red light, you're gonna kill somebody, possibly. So when there's a red light, you're told to stop.

"Wear a goddamn mask. It's not about you; it's about the rest of us," he reiterated.

This past summer, the U.S. Surgeon General urged people to wear face coverings, saying they will promote freedom during the coronavirus pandemic.

In a study published in June, researchers from Texas A&M University, the California Institute of Technology and the University of California San Diego, concluded "that wearing of face masks in public corresponds to the most effective means to prevent interhuman transmission."

President Donald Trump tested positive for COVID-19 last month after refusing to follow his own government's public health advice to wear a mask during the coronavirus pandemic.

According to a recent New York Times poll, a majority (59 percent) of Trump voters support requiring masks (only 18 percent are opposed),and 81 percent of Trump voters who support mandatory masking think Trump does as well.