Arnold Schwarzenegger doubled down on his pro-mask message Friday, urging Americans not to be schmucks just days after countering anti-mask rhetoric by declaring, “Screw your freedom.”
The former California governor wrote in the Atlantic that “we all need a civics lesson” and admitted his statement earlier this week was kind of harsh.
“I’ll admit, calling people schmucks and saying ‘Screw your freedom’ was a little much, even if I stand by the sentiment. But there is nothing that I’m more passionate about than keeping America great, and it’s the only subject that can make me lose my temper,” the actor said.
He explained that people have the freedom to refuse to wear a mask, “but if you exercise that freedom, you’re a schmuck—because you’re supposed to protect your fellow Americans.”
Schwarzenegger said in his op-ed he knows he’ll be called a RINO — or “Republican in Name Only” — but he doesn’t care. He joked that rhinos are beautiful and powerful, so he’ll embrace the “compliment.”
“That’s when I realized we all need a civics lesson. I can’t help but wonder how much better off we’d be if Americans took a step back from politics and spent a minute thinking about how lucky we are to call this country home. Instead of tweeting, we could think about what we owe to the patriots who came before us and those who will follow us,” he concluded.
Read the whole thing here.