The ineptitude in dealing with COVID-19 is rolling downhill faster than Sisyphus’ boulder. The mythological Sisyphus was punished for his self-aggrandizing craftiness and deceitfulness. He was forced for all eternity to repeatedly push a large boulder up a hill, only for it to roll back down as he neared the top (Albert Camus).

Trump demonstrates daily his inept national response to COVID-19 through his many outright lies and self-aggrandizing statements. He uses his public pulpit to deceive by sending mixed messages and showing doughty about the seriousness of the virus. “The outbreak is temporary,” “It’s going to do away without a vaccine” and “Pharmaceutical companies are going to have a vaccine relatively soon.”

He touts his own “magical thinking,” insisting that those he passed the buck to, our country’s governors, agree with him. His attacks on so-called “poorly run Democrat states” are well documented. Trump told Vice President Mike Pence, “Mike, don’t call the governor of Washington, you’re wasting your time” and “Don’t call the woman from Michigan if they don’t treat you right.” Unfortunately for us, Iowa’s governor took this shaming to heart.

Iowa’s governor refuses a mask mandate. Dr. Deborah Birx of the National Coronavirus Task Force recently recommended “Iowa officials mandate mask wearing and close down bars” until the virus is contained because of the spread in regions designated “red or yellow zones.”

Yes, this includes Ames.

Trump perverts this pandemic to his own advantage. Our governor panders to the president by refusing to issue a mask mandate. It’s up to us at the bottom of the hill to protect ourselves. Ames has the constitutional legal right in Iowa to issue a mask mandate.

We must not fear having a community mask mandate. We must fear those who abdicated their responsibility to protect us with one.

Judith Lemish is an ISU alumna.