Why I Won't Quit My Mask. Not Yet

Also: I Don't Know If I Believe Anymore That Peace Is Possible ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  [View in Browser]( | [Donate [WBUR]]( [WBUR](  [WBUR]( May 16, 2021 Dear Cog reader, The CDC made [big news]( afternoon, when it changed its guidelines (again), by announcing that fully vaccinated people can engage in most indoor and outdoor activities, without wearing a mask or physically distancing. "You can do things you stopped doing because of the pandemic," CDC Director Rochelle Walensky said. Many people, though, aren’t ready to ditch their masks just yet – and it's not because they feel some eternal commitment to virtue signaling. “To be clear, I’ve hated wearing a mask for the entirety of this pandemic," writes Kaivan Shroff. "However, like millions of vaccinated Americans, I’ll continue sporting a face covering for the next month or two.” He explains why in his [essay](. Also this week: a thoughtful, wrenching piece by Taymullah Abudur-Rahman, an imam, on the violence between Israelis and Palestinians. “I’ve lived my entire life being treated as a [second-class citizen in a country I love]( he writes. “I’d be remiss to not hold Israel accountable for failing to live up to its highest ideals.” We also had two essays about efforts underway to vaccinate harder-to-reach populations – including immigrants and people of color – where they live. The nonprofit GOTVax uses [voter mobilization tactics]( (think texts, calls, knocking on doors) to get shots in arms, while one [community center]( in Boston is vaccinating with a local, human touch (and a hefty dose of music). P.S.– Our colleagues on WBUR's education desk are working on a series about unexpected lessons learned during a year of pandemic school and, to help, the Cog team wants to hear from parents, guardians and caretakers. [You can learn more about the project here]( or below. Cloe Axelson and Kathleen Burge Cognoscenti editors newsletters@wbur.org Must Reads url[Why I Won’t Quit My Mask. Not Yet]( Wearing a mask isn’t about eternal virtue signaling, writes Kaivan Shroff. For me, it’s about acknowledging that our actions influence others. [Read more](.   #%23%23[Twitter](   #%23%23[Facebook](    [I'm A Man Of Faith. But I Don't Know If I Believe Anymore That Peace Is Possible]( The violence this week makes me wonder how long I can look through a spiritual lens to contextualize political oppression, writes Taymullah Abdur-Rahman. [Read more](. [Hey, Google! Who Was I Before I Met You?]( A move prompts writer Julie Wittes Schlack to ask: Are we lords of a smart home or serfs of a lazy one? [Read more](.  Support the news [How A Community Center In Boston Got More Shots Into Arms]( Vaccine distribution shouldn’t be a one-size-fits-all approach, writes Iván Espinoza-Madrigal and Nina Garcia. Community-based sites offer a local option and human touch. [Read more](. [We Can Boost Low Vaccination Rates The Same Way We Raise Voter Turnout]( We use traditional get-out-the-vote – text messaging, phone banking and door-knocking – to vaccinate people in the hardest-hit communities, write David Velasquez and Alister Martin. [Read more](. [Can't Meat Eaters And Vegetarians Just Get Along?]( Reducing rather than abolishing meat eating, combined with sustainably raised livestock, can help to avert climate disaster, writes Rich Barlow. [Read more](. What We're Reading "If we don’t follow rules as restaurants reopen, they might well need to close again, this time for good." – Washington Post, "[Indoor dining must return. Just not the way we knew it.]( "For parents of kids with disabled bodies, out there can be exhausting." – Longreads, "[Out There I Have to Smile]( "We have spent a year fighting to flourish in the negative space, the place where things we love went missing." – The Lily, "[I got sober during the pandemic. What will happen when my friends meet this version of me?]( A MESSAGE FROM WBUR CITYSPACE 5/20: Education Now And Then: Projections On Post-COVID Learning The coronavirus pandemic upended education. We examine the innovations that students and teachers hope will stay, and the new ways educators are supporting students through the losses of the pandemic. Join WBUR senior education reporter Carrie Jung for a conversation with students and educators to discuss hopes and fears for learning after the pandemic. [Learn more and register here.]( “ When a person across the world dies unnecessarily, it is a stain upon the fabric of our entire humanity. — Gaurab Basu, "[What I Saw As A Boy In India Shaped My View Of Global Health]( We Want To Hear From You [We Want To Hear From You: What's School Been Like During The Pandemic?]( We’re asking parents of school-aged children to reflect on a year of remote- and hybrid-learning for a special project. What has the last year been like for you, your children and your family, as you navigated pandemic-era school?      If you’d like to write for Cognoscenti, send your submission, pasted into your email and not as an attachment, to opinion@wbur.org. Please tell us in one line what the piece is about, and please tell us in one line who you are. 😎 Forward to a friend. They can sign up [here](. 📣 Give us your feedback: newsletters@wbur.org 📨 Get more WBUR stories sent to your inbox. [Check out all of our newsletter offerings.]( Support the news [WBUR]( [WBUR]  [WBUR]( [95289b97-66e8-43d4-a174-3bc3520a79a9.png]( [Instagram](  [Twitter]( [Facebook]( Want to change how you receive these emails? [Stop getting this newsletter by updating your preferences.]( I don't want to hear from WBUR anymore. [Unsubscribe from all newsletters.]( Interested in learning more about corporate sponsorship? [Click here.]( Copyright © 2021 WBUR-FM, All rights reserved. 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