In a plethora of ways, the United States appears increasingly divided.

One subject of separation: masks.

Are you prepared to dress like a surgeon for the rest of your life?

It would seem many are.

A number of Americans still want to cover their cough-holes.

From what I can tell, COVID is a permanent part of the world. Just as with other viruses, it’s embedded in ongoing organic life.

Perhaps one day, it will be annihilated; but that day isn’t likely to be soon.

The virus may well outlive our great-grandchildren.

If so, two obvious options loom:

1. Go back to living normally, as COVID will always be with us.
2. Mask forever, as COVID will always be with us.

Each is based on a certain amount of sense, but some in the latter camp don’t want to co-exist with those in the former.

Such evidently applies to a Penn State professor, who seemed to recently suggest that those unwilling to mask should die.

His proposed method of mayhem: vehicular violence.

As noted by The College Fix, on Sunday, Professor Edward Fuller tweeted a mouthful:

“Why is it a parent’s right to endanger the lives of other people’s kids and of teachers? Maybe [people] wearing masks should just drive drunk and speed [through] the neighborhoods of pro-COVID parents as a way to excise [sic] their freedom and rights.”

Penn State professor just deleted this tweet: pic.twitter.com/as5ipv2nBy

— Corey A. DeAngelis (@DeAngelisCorey) January 16, 2022

Call it a bold choice.

It’s especially courageous, given that younger Americans have shown exceptional viral resistence.

Consider survival stats from the Centers for Disease Control at the end of 2020, before the public had been offered what was labeled a vaccine:

0-19 years: 99.99997
20-49 years: 99.9998
50-69 years: 99.995
70+ years: 99.946

As for education, Ed has a vested interest beyond being an instructor.

Per his PSU.edu page, he’s part of the school’s “Department of Education Policy Studies in the College of Education.”

His research interests include: educator (teacher, principal, and central office administrator) quality, distribution, mobility, turnover, and career pathways; educator preparation; school improvement; evaluation; and, charter schools.

He’s director of the Center for Evaluation and Education Policy Analysis, as well as associate director for Policy of the University Council for Educational Administration.

His PhD is in Educational Administration (Policy and Planning).

Unsurprisingly, some anti-getting-hit-by-drunk-drivers folks didn’t fancy his tweet.

Penn State spokesperson Lisa Powers told the Fix Dr. Fuller doesn’t speak for the school:

“Penn State does not condone the tweet, and we can share that the faculty member regrets his poor choice of words — which do not represent the views of the University nor the College of Education.”

His social media post — which has been deleted — strikes me as indicative of where we are.

The last two years have seen a surge in hysterics, as people have literally fought over masks.

Americans’ anxiety has been uprooted, plunged to the surface like so many fears shallowly flushed.

And the divide isn’t purely partisan.

Take, for instance, Democrat Bill Maher, who’s come around to a pummeling of pandemic policies:

Meanwhile, The View’s Sara Haines believes she may forever mask amid indoor crowds:

"How dare you!" Whoopi ridiculously pops off against Bill Maher for anti-mask jokes, tell him to say out of society. Sara Haines joins in by saying masks will be a permanent "new normal" like airport security after 9/11. "I may never … feel comfortable without a mask." pic.twitter.com/AHjJcKR79c

— Nicholas Fondacaro (@NickFondacaro) January 24, 2022

Personally, I long for a return to normal.

But as we negotiate for the future, I’m not sure “normal” is on the table.

And in case you were wondering, Professor Ed was writing in response to praise for Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin, whose January 15th executive order lets families choose whether their schoolkids are medically muzzled.

Of course, we’re progressively parted where parents’ say in general is concerned:

Terry McAuliffe: "I don't think parents should be telling schools what they should teach." pic.twitter.com/7S15pTv1gY

— Greg Price (@greg_price11) September 28, 2021

We’ve come a long way in a short time.

Roughly two years ago, anyone who claimed Americans would soon be masked might’ve been accused of being inebriated.

Fast-forward past the relative blink of an eye, and a professor’s recommending those naysayers be hit by drunks.

Edward Fuller is a professor, and his views no doubt influence students in secondary education. But at least he isn’t teaching what would, in such a case, surely morph into a moniker: Driver’s Ed.

-ALEX

See more content from me:

Church Pastor Claims Jesus ‘Transgenders Himself’ in the Bible

Mask Maniac Throws Hot Coffee on Donut Customer for Daring to Show His Face

Clemson Admissions Counselor Makes Clear What She Thinks of Republican Applicants

Find all my RedState work here.

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