Anything is comparable if you try hard enough. But I think that there's a very big difference here, when the issue back then was a lack of representation, and we have that representation now. It's apples to oranges.
It's not blind faith. All the information is out there, about what is and isn't helpful. Making an informed decision to limit interactions and wear masks when you do interact isn't blind faith at all.
First, that was the reason I put laws/recommendations. Because for the most part these haven't been laws, but I believe in some places (maybe not the US, but in other countries as well) there have been. So I included both. Second, it's not only related to your own safety. Masks are used specifically to help other people, and you are correct, no law can interfere with you breathing. They can however, interfere with you breathing on someone else, if breathing on them can cause harm to said person.
To me, driving is a good example of this.
I don't feel that seatbelts should be mandatory, with the exception of children under an age where they can't make informed decisions. Mainly because we should be able to determine for ourselves if we want to take the risks involved (however I also feel insurances/governments shouldn't have to cover the expense of someone getting into an accident without a seatbelt, as now you are putting a financial burden in the form of taxes and/or higher insurance premiums for your own carelessness).
I do, however, feel that blowing a stop sign or red light should be illegal. Because when you're doing those activities, you are actively endangering others even if 99 times out of 100 you're not causing damage, and the potential result of that damage is death of another human being.
Masks are much more similar to the second example. You're not likely to cause anyone else's death by not wearing one, but you are actively taking that risk with someone else's life, and therefore a law can be made about it. And even if you somehow convince me that A) a mask is not helpful in spreading the disease, and B) You having a contagious disease does not increase the chance others will get the same contagious disease, then the first example would still apply. In which case, not wearing a mask should be grounds for having to pay for all the treatment out of pocket, rather than impact other people's insurance premiums and/or taxes. Is that something you're willing to pay out of pocket for, personally?
