Kirk Cameron Goes Maskless, Sings Carols, Has Intelligence Questioned

Not that I've really given #KirkCameron much thought since I was a preteen, but I am wondering what, exactly, he is thinking.

Like many girls my age in the mid-80s, I thought Kirk Cameron was appealing. He had a broad grin, his television persona was goofy, and he seemed like the kind of guy I'd definitely like to get to know back then. Of course, we all grow up, and while Cameron doesn't really look much different than he appeared 28 to 35 years ago, it would appear that he's definitely got some unique ideas - particularly when it comes to how to deal with the COVID-19 crisis that has gripped the world.

Cameron has recently been part of at least two anti-mask protests where people have come together and sung carols while certainly not acknowledging the suggested social distancing guidelines. It would appear that Cameron has aligned his efforts with those of SingItLouderUSA, an organization which appears to encourage those interested to peacefully assemble in order to sing Christmas carols, and presumably without a mask.

"We are going to be celebrating our God-given liberties, our constitutionally protected rights at this time at Christmas to sing Christmas songs to gather, to assemble, and to sing about the birth of our savior," Cameron said, per an Instagram post dated December 11, 2020.

The assemblies that Cameron has been involved in have been in California, which right now is in the midst of a COVID-19 spike that has strained ICU capacity significantly.

The Oaks mall in Thousand Oaks, California, whose parking lot was used by Cameron and the other protesters who joined him, decried the event as "irresponsible." The mall's Twitter feed, however, acknowledged that the peaceful protest was, in fact, constitutionally protected.

"We do not condone this irresponsible - yet constitutionally protected - peaceful protest event planned," The Oaks' Twitter feed said. "We share your concern and have notified the Sheriff’s office. As well, we have reached out to the event planner to ask that they do not use The Oaks as their venue."

While Cameron should be commended for his stalwart faith, there is a time and place for everything. Right now, we are in the midst of a global pandemic where the United States currently leads the pack in both number of cases and number of deaths from COVID-19. According to Worldometers, the United States has 18,917,152 cases and 334,218 people have died from COVID-19. I do understand Cameron's desire to protest - wearing a mask is certainly no fun, and neither is waiting outside in the cold to go into a store whose capacity is restricted due to #COVID - but the fact of the matter is, the greater good should be considered. Assembling in large groups and not wearing a mask is not something to do for the greater good.

Cameron's television sister, Tracey Gold, also denounced Cameron's decision to participate in the protest via Twitter.

"Checking in with my dear brother Mike," she tweeted, referencing Cameron's alter ego Mike Seaver from their sitcom Growing Pains. Gold played Carol, Mike's sister. "@KirkCameron As your more intelligent sister I want you to know that I disapprove. I’m worried about you brother AND your family. Wear a mask. Stay home. Sing later. ❤️ 😷"

Certainly, Cameron has the right - given to him and other Americans by the Constitution - to peaceful assembly. However, the risks should outweigh the desire to assemble in order to keep a greater number of individuals safe. It's a temporary measure, not a permanent one, and it would seem to make the most sense to worry about peaceful assembly to keep everyone safer.

It's not about religion. It's about humanity.