Even here in rural, conservative central Illinois I am still seeing a lot of masks at most places like grocery stores.

Me? I'm enjoying not wearing it and I only ever did in the first place because  of how committed to kicking people out with no masks on the stores were.

No door Nazis checking for papers at least.

Well, any vaccine is not 100% effective.   Others may have serious medical issues with themselves or loved ones at home and are immuno suppressed so for those I see why masks are common and will continue to be so

Media has scared a lot of people.
When I see someone driving alone, wearing a mask, I think man,
what a dunce.

I thinks it’s great that things are going back to a place resembling normal. I wouldn’t ever judge someone for wearing a mask or for getting vaccinated, and I’d hope to receive the same respect, since I have no intention of getting vaccinated, or continuing to wear a mask.

Slowly people are going to drop them as they gain confidence. After the spanish flu, it took about 2 years for people to completely drop masks. Its not really a political thing for some people, its just mistrust in gov. Cdc flip flopping and what not. I see people using them in the winter though. I didn’t get sick at this winter. People are just disgusting and cough and sneeze all over the place.

I went ahead and got vaccinated  because I thought that was best for me. The only place I was really wearing a mask was at my job. The various stores I went to like Walmart and Meijer weren`t being a**holes about it so I would take a mask and not wear them unless someone working for the store insisted. There were those morons who wanted to be self appointed mask police and try to bully others into wearing masks. I pretty much told them to f**k off . I was in a Walmart one day when there was a fight over masks. That was a case of somebody needing to mind their own damn business. During this entire time I do not know anybody who has had this disease or died from it.  

If the CDC said that the he virus floats 5 feet or higher only, there would be a lot of dumbasses crawling on all 4s.

Masks are a bigger issue than virus.   99.99% will survive with newest treatments.  

  This is right on the money JoseyWales!
 
Yesterday the World Health Organization recommended that even if you have been vaccinated you should still wear a mask due to the new strain of Covid.
 
  I do not think this nation/world will ever go back to 'normal' and will only continue to live in fear. They will continue to let the propagandists tell them how they should live their lives. The majority of citizens in this country are just that because they have lost their American exceptionalism. I refuse to call those useful idiots, Americans.
  My wife and I cross the river occasionally to Illinois because we have family there. And yes, there is some improvement in the city we visit but even now we see some Illinoisians even driving around in their cars wearing masks. They have become programmed sheep. And I am still overcome with wonder as how quickly people are willing to tell others whether they have been vaccinated or not...it is no one's business.
  The hospital in this same city still does not let ANY public into the building unless you are visiting and then you have to hand over either the keys to your vehicle or hand over your drivers license or government id. You get those back when you leave.
  Unless conservatives take over the House and Senate in 2022 and the Oval Office in 2024 and fire bureaucrats like Fauci and such, you better roll up your sleeves and be ready to fight.