The term "personal responsibility" is a loaded one. Everyone claims to possess this virtuous attribute, but it's often weaponized against people who apparently lack it. It seems many folks believe that if everyone took a little personal responsibility in their lives, there would be no addiction, poverty or societal injustices across this great land.

Of course, it's not that simple and by no means that easy. That reality has been made abundantly clear during this never-ending pandemic.

You don't need to look far to discover the dearth of personal responsibility that has taken hold here in Iowa. It starts at the Statehouse and trickles outward to every community in the Hawkeye State. It's reflected in our high COVID-19 infection rates, which are through the roof here in northwest Iowa. O'Brien County ranked No. 1 in the state Friday with a 23.4 percent COVID-19 positivity rate over the last two weeks. That's not something to be proud of and we must strive to do better.

All it would take to reduce infections is a little personal responsibility. Wearing face coverings, social distancing and avoiding large gatherings outside of your inner circle are all proven ways to reduce risk and slow the spread. Yet, we whine about not being able to do what we want and then do it anyway without a mask on. It's no wonder we're facing our third surge of infections in eight months.

Iowans aren't going to reduce the spread by being stubborn. We all need to take a little personal responsibility during this pandemic and do the bare minimum. Our governor claims more than 70 percent of people in Iowa wear a mask when they're in public, but a quick trip to the grocery store around these parts proves that to be a brazen lie. How hard is it to simply mask up when you're out and about? Why is this even an argument? Wearing a mask doesn't mean you're accepting some tyrannical form of government oppression – it simply means you're heeding the advice of public health experts by taking personal responsibility and using common sense to protect your family, friends and community.

We all know somebody who has contracted COVID-19 at this point. Some have had a worse go of it than others, but it's fair to assume nobody enjoyed it. This virus is going to be here for the long haul but we can all do our part by following CDC guidelines to reduce the number of infections and protect others. Everyone wants life to return to normal, and taking personal responsibility is the first step towards making that happen.

Stay safe, stay healthy and take care of yourselves.