This discriminatory and ableist bill puts lives at risk and further isolates vulnerable people from society. It's pandering to anti-maskers who seek to punish disabled and high risk individuals.
I’m so tired too. I always knew the mask ban was going to be bad news but I NEVER thought they would go as far as making it legal for anyone in public to demand we remove our mask (and illegal if we don’t comply).
People are celebrating this & saying we “deserve it” because of mask mandates and stay at home orders during the height of COVID. As though those were our doing. Disabled people have suffered so much through the pandemic - it’s hard for me to believe people think we deserve further punishment. Yet here we are.
That's too bad they take away freedom of individual choice and that it would be okay for others to demand people remove their masks. Somehow this seems like it's not logical at all, but more about power and control.
It definitely doesn’t seem logical - deputizing the public is unlikely to end well. Still hoping they revise or overturn the bill because I’m genuinely worried that it will cost people their lives.
I agree. It’s likely to result in some conflicts. I worked in counseling. Any time something is done simply in reaction to another thing, the logic can get sketchy. Victoria’s link to that article was insightful.
I’ve been so upset ever since it was first brought up - and then this week New York said they want to put a similar ban in place!
I wish people would realize that this YOLO approach to COVID has made the world far less safe for immune compromised individuals - which means we NEED masks more than before. Making them illegal feels needlessly cruel (because it is).
I think it's a typical MAGA flex move. It's purpose is to aggressively push people who need masks into the margins. It's an updated version of the "ugly laws."
Completely agree. The politicians are pandering to their base which is anti-maskers who want to see disabled people “punished” because they fault us for mask mandates. It’s gross and is absolutely a return to ugly laws.
I live in NC. There is an interesting history to the bill. There was an anti masking bill passed 70 years ago- 1954 - to unmask the KKK. Over the years different exceptions were made such as masking for Halloween, motorcycle helmets and in 2020 people an amendment was added for masking to protect the wearer and others from disease. The new bill started with the title : Unmasking Mobs and Criminals - with the aim of ramping up charges -or enhanced penalties for people “committing crimes” while masking, blocking roads, etc. For example if you were charged with misdemeanor trespassing in a demonstration and you were masked— it would move to a felony.
It passed the NC House And when it went to the NC Senate, a senator proposed removing the exemption for masking added at the beginning of COVID pandemic. Arguments from the right- it was never a problem before 2020, and throwbacks to masks don’t really work anyway. The NC Senate passed the bill without the exemption for masking by those of us who mask to protect ourselves or others. There was massive reaction from many groups - including the ACLU. When it got to the NC House the bill failed.
The Republicans have a supermajority in the NC Legislature. So if they are all present, they can pass any bill. Following the bill’s defeat in the House it went to a conference committee with all Republican members. Their meeting is permitted to be secret.
When the revised bill emerged - it had a new name: Various Criminal and Election Law Changes.
It inserted the terribly vague language about “Any person wearing a medical or surgical grade mask for the purpose of preventing the spread of contagious disease.” And the law enforcement and anyone can ask you to remove your mask clause.
BUT it also added a whole new section that permits dark anonymous money to fund elections. Here are links you can an opinion piece and a great cartoon.
The bill is now with the Democratic Governor. I’m guessing he will veto it and then it will return to the General Assembly where they will be able to pass it. NC is a tops up state in presidential election and we have a despicable Republican candidate running for Governor: a few of his positions: gays are “filth”, all abortions should be illegal, “if women could keep their skirts down” there wouldn’t be a need for them, Holocaust denier, …I could go on, but the thought is rich people and corporations etc can now buy this election and we’d never know who they are.
…now on to New York and I guarantee more anti mask bills will be popping up. Soon we’ll have maps of states where it’s illegal to mask.
I feel a deep sense of disappointment about the decision in North Carolina. Wearing a mask has become a way for many of us to protect ourselves and others, especially those who are vulnerable. It's a small act of kindness and care that shouldn't be taken away.
For people with health concerns, masks provide a layer of safety and security. Taking that away creates a real sense of anxiety and could discourage them from going out and participating in life. It feels like a step backwards, especially when there's still so much uncertainty about the future course of the pandemic.
I hope there can be a way to revisit this decision. Public health should be a top priority, and masks have proven to be a valuable tool in keeping everyone safe.
Exactly this! It’s a small act of kindness - we shouldn’t make kindness and community care illegal. It sends a dangerous message to people who dislike those who mask - that it’s legally OK to harass and bother them. We should be better than this.
the Governor can veto (and we hope he will) but with the Republican supermajority it can still pass. I assume it will be revisited in the courts when someone is inevitably harassed and arrested for doing absolutely nothing wrong. They may very well win - but their life could be destroyed in the process.
Happy I live in California. Still, I got the side-eye yesterday from a GenZer in my office building when I came out the elevator wearing my mask. I gave him a glare right back. I wear my mask anywhere public/a shared space. I'll have dinner (on a patio) with friends and put my mask on when I get in the car with them. I will walk around the office without my mask (reluctantly, though, if I'm honest, in our office of 7), but will put it on to get into the elevator with a coworker...or without. Security doesn't know what I look like without my mask, but they know my name. The folks in the cafe don't know what I look like, but Crystal and I are besties, and she knows my coffee order as well. The fact that this is coming from the party who wants less government shows how effing dumb and hypocritical they are. Whether or not the governor signs it, the ACLU will sue and win. But the fight is ours, too. We need to educate the stoopid. And vote better. This is like the diabetic who hated Obama Care and thought it should be abolished, but loved the Affordable Care Act, because it enabled him to see his doctor and afford his medicine. He literally burst into tears when it was explained they were the same thing. These fools think they are harming a specific set, but it's themselves who will pay as well. Gawd, I just hope we survive this November. Thanks for this, TDG. xo
Thanks Sandra - and thank you for masking! It’s truly ridiculous that this is from the party that always yells about freedom and bodily autonomy (and don’t even get me started on women’s rights).
The ACLU have been surprisingly quiet on this issue - I’m worried it’s going to take someone being arrested and charged before it’s fought in the courts. I have to believe they will win and hopefully get the law overturned - but many lives will be impacted before we get to that point. Whoever ends up being the test case will face a long traumatic (and expensive) legal battle as well. I really wish they would re-think this disastrous bill.
I think there's so many fires to put out right now that the ACLU can't speak on everything. (Bigger Q: Where is the AMA on this?) But if/when it's signed into law, then the fight will pick up, a court order will hold it off and the lawsuit(s) will go. Because this is so utterly dumb! What about Asian tourists who come here and get the sniffles and mask up because that's what's polite/expected in their culture? How's that gonna fly (not that I see a huge Asian tourism drive to the South, but...)? There's too many factors that make this law legally flawed that, unless it's a Sh!tler appointed judge, the courts will kibosh it. And the governor may veto it for that reason, bunting it back to have it rewritten and voted on again (biding more time until the next election). Because what this seems to allow for is physical violence. Gawd help you if you reach for my mask. But, say that happens, and there's contact to the face (how can there not be considering how masks work?). Now that demasker has committed battery. They are going to jail. That law solves nothing and only causes more problems. But, that's how the GOP likes to govern. Sigh. People have got to start voting better. Or voting at all. Too many Americans never bothered. Now look what we've got. xo
“Or voting at all”. That line hit me so hard. It’s incredible how many people are apathetic with respect to voting when it’s such an important thing to do!
I agree the fight will likely end up happening in the courts - but that also makes me sad because there will be some lives ruined & even more disrupted. It’s traumatizing to be arrested & charged with a crime even IF you win. What a mess.
I really hope/don't think it will go that far (to arrests). There's no upside to this law. The GOP performed their theatre, and now it can be swept under the rug by a veto. Meanwhile, here in CA, we are dealing with an uptick of FLiRT. So much fun. Pickup up a friend for dinner tonight. We'll be wearing masks in my car and dining on the patio with fingers crossed. xo
Obviously masks should not be banned. Secondly they come in handy for shoplifting which is probably the real reason they wanna ban em.
With that being said, there were also immune compromised people who couldn’t wear masks, or for some other valid reason such as autism and so on found them to be difficult sensory-wise.
The reason why this is important, though, is that you were obviously the type of person who went out of your way to harass anyone who wasn’t wearing one and quickly and viciously jump to conclusions about it. Like I have no doubt you were insanely agressive and weaponized the masks to go out of your way to be a really shitty person and make someone’s day just a little bit worse, and that’s not okay. At that point it’s no longer about other peoples safety, it’s about control and getting off on it.
I still wear a mask sometimes and if someone didnt have one I’d usually offer one of mine, I would never go out of my way to start shit with people and doing so makes you no better than them.
This is really strange legislation to me. I kind of scratch my head and try to understand what prompted anyone to set out to ban the use of medical masks. My husband works for a hospital system and I know that some research has been done as the efficacy of masks, and in what situations they actually do any good. But I wonder if people are just rebelling against what they felt was misuse of power and control? I worked in counseling so I often try to understand the thought processes behind things. But it makes no sense to me to create a law like this. People are quick to give up the freedom of others to do what they feel is right for them. I think it should be an individual choice in general. I'll never forget how difficult it was in the heat of summer for us to do our grocery shopping wearing masks during the pandemic. With MS I felt so overheated and it really was difficult. But we did it with the hope that it made some difference, and protected others and us as well, besides it being mandated. I'll always remember how tired I got of not seeing people's faces. You sort of looked into people's eyes hoping to see warmth and a glimmer of a smile rather than some painful expression or an anxious look. One time at a very large warehouse store, when masks were still required, one woman and her son refused to wear them. I was kind of struck at how free and even nice looking their relaxed faces appeared. I envied them because I found masks so hot and uncomfortable for long periods. However passing legislation like this doesn't really make sense to me.
Thank you for sharing your perspective. I agree that I can’t find any logical reason for passing this type of a law. I’m sad to say it may simply come down to it being an election year and the majority of Republican voters being very “anti mask” right now. They may be playing to their base? That’s all I can come up with. Maskers are in the minority and many of us did it before Covid (due to compromised immune systems or severe asthma/allergies) and no one cared until they became political. Hopefully we can get this overturned somehow so people don’t feel even less safe than they already do.
Also if it’s a rebellion over perceived misuse of power & control - then it seems silly to exert MORE power and control. A mask ban that actually assigns a misdemeanour criminal charge to masking is even more controlling than the mask mandates (which were at least temporary and didn’t come with a criminal charge). It feels like an odd way to rebel against that. Is it simply payback? Is that where we’re at? I sincerely hope not.
In my opinion, it looks like the NY governor is using a mask ban as a 'tool', a way to call out antisemitic attacks/hate crimes and make it 'easier' to identify these people - but she has NOT stated any 'medical' exemptions to the ban, and none of the news I've seen defends the rights of those needing to protect themselves/others medically
FYI I've seen some news from civil liberties groups, but the focus is on privacy not medical needs
The main issue in NYC is that they’ve said there will be an exception for medical reasons only during declared public health emergencies (which for COVID is now over). So the exemption leaves out caregivers AND high risk patients. This issue is becoming very messy very quickly unfortunately.
Exactly! It’s not considering the needs of anyone really. You can’t limit masking to public health emergencies only. People have masked on the NYC subways for years. It just makes good sense in a crowded and poorly ventilated space!
Wow, thanks for this link Victoria. So tragic that the menacing behavior like that is even going on. This all makes me think of the facial recognition software used in Asia and the social credit scores. And also the term “to lose face” and it’s origins. What a messy world we live in. But evil people on subways shouldn’t cause those with medical issues to lose their rights.
Oh, I wondered if someone was concerned about people hiding their identity and face behind masks for nefarious reasons. My husband is highly trained from his time in special forces and he mentioned several times during the pandemic that it looked like a few bad actors were hiding behind masks (or gators) and we needed to leave that store because he thought something dangerous might be about to go down. So that is an interesting possibility for motives. Thanks for the link and info. When people rob a bank, they cover their faces. So I understand the situation but of course medical purposes should not be banned.
I agree that asserting more power and control doesn’t make sense. And I lived in Asia earlier in life and recognize many people use masks for various health reasons. When we do woodworking, I use a mask because of the dust. Some farm activities were safer with a mask. It is strange.
Ugh...I'm so tired of not mattering to the world. Why are some people such asshats? Thank you for sharing the links to contact the NC governor too.
I’m so tired too. I always knew the mask ban was going to be bad news but I NEVER thought they would go as far as making it legal for anyone in public to demand we remove our mask (and illegal if we don’t comply).
People are celebrating this & saying we “deserve it” because of mask mandates and stay at home orders during the height of COVID. As though those were our doing. Disabled people have suffered so much through the pandemic - it’s hard for me to believe people think we deserve further punishment. Yet here we are.
That's too bad they take away freedom of individual choice and that it would be okay for others to demand people remove their masks. Somehow this seems like it's not logical at all, but more about power and control.
It definitely doesn’t seem logical - deputizing the public is unlikely to end well. Still hoping they revise or overturn the bill because I’m genuinely worried that it will cost people their lives.
I agree. It’s likely to result in some conflicts. I worked in counseling. Any time something is done simply in reaction to another thing, the logic can get sketchy. Victoria’s link to that article was insightful.
I am incredulous, mind-blown and speechless - so I'm restacking.
Yet again, immunocompromised/at-risk people and their loved ones/carers are expected to be out of sight and out of mind AND are put at more risk.
I’ve been so upset ever since it was first brought up - and then this week New York said they want to put a similar ban in place!
I wish people would realize that this YOLO approach to COVID has made the world far less safe for immune compromised individuals - which means we NEED masks more than before. Making them illegal feels needlessly cruel (because it is).
It's a strange law, and I find it confusing why they felt the need to pass something like this.
I think it's a typical MAGA flex move. It's purpose is to aggressively push people who need masks into the margins. It's an updated version of the "ugly laws."
Completely agree. The politicians are pandering to their base which is anti-maskers who want to see disabled people “punished” because they fault us for mask mandates. It’s gross and is absolutely a return to ugly laws.
I live in NC. There is an interesting history to the bill. There was an anti masking bill passed 70 years ago- 1954 - to unmask the KKK. Over the years different exceptions were made such as masking for Halloween, motorcycle helmets and in 2020 people an amendment was added for masking to protect the wearer and others from disease. The new bill started with the title : Unmasking Mobs and Criminals - with the aim of ramping up charges -or enhanced penalties for people “committing crimes” while masking, blocking roads, etc. For example if you were charged with misdemeanor trespassing in a demonstration and you were masked— it would move to a felony.
It passed the NC House And when it went to the NC Senate, a senator proposed removing the exemption for masking added at the beginning of COVID pandemic. Arguments from the right- it was never a problem before 2020, and throwbacks to masks don’t really work anyway. The NC Senate passed the bill without the exemption for masking by those of us who mask to protect ourselves or others. There was massive reaction from many groups - including the ACLU. When it got to the NC House the bill failed.
The Republicans have a supermajority in the NC Legislature. So if they are all present, they can pass any bill. Following the bill’s defeat in the House it went to a conference committee with all Republican members. Their meeting is permitted to be secret.
When the revised bill emerged - it had a new name: Various Criminal and Election Law Changes.
https://drive.google.com/file/d/16uZ9V3BG7K3wTPJHp_2mHSblvw8g5I-i/view?usp=drivesdk
It inserted the terribly vague language about “Any person wearing a medical or surgical grade mask for the purpose of preventing the spread of contagious disease.” And the law enforcement and anyone can ask you to remove your mask clause.
BUT it also added a whole new section that permits dark anonymous money to fund elections. Here are links you can an opinion piece and a great cartoon.
https://eedition2.charlotteobserver.com/popovers/dynamic_article_popover.aspx?artguid=657a0223-b50f-4e6a-b0e6-c95717c2c9df&appcode=CHARLO&eguid=4d8acdfb-4b9e-4011-a5fe-d9988c0dc1e2&pnum=26#?deviceId=50B7FF91-81AE-432C-B1F5-64627F5D7A0D&tempKey=value
https://ncnewsline.com/2024/06/10/masking-in-north-carolina/
The bill is now with the Democratic Governor. I’m guessing he will veto it and then it will return to the General Assembly where they will be able to pass it. NC is a tops up state in presidential election and we have a despicable Republican candidate running for Governor: a few of his positions: gays are “filth”, all abortions should be illegal, “if women could keep their skirts down” there wouldn’t be a need for them, Holocaust denier, …I could go on, but the thought is rich people and corporations etc can now buy this election and we’d never know who they are.
…now on to New York and I guarantee more anti mask bills will be popping up. Soon we’ll have maps of states where it’s illegal to mask.
And the day after the bill passed this:…
https://wr.al/1S7di
I feel a deep sense of disappointment about the decision in North Carolina. Wearing a mask has become a way for many of us to protect ourselves and others, especially those who are vulnerable. It's a small act of kindness and care that shouldn't be taken away.
For people with health concerns, masks provide a layer of safety and security. Taking that away creates a real sense of anxiety and could discourage them from going out and participating in life. It feels like a step backwards, especially when there's still so much uncertainty about the future course of the pandemic.
I hope there can be a way to revisit this decision. Public health should be a top priority, and masks have proven to be a valuable tool in keeping everyone safe.
Exactly this! It’s a small act of kindness - we shouldn’t make kindness and community care illegal. It sends a dangerous message to people who dislike those who mask - that it’s legally OK to harass and bother them. We should be better than this.
the Governor can veto (and we hope he will) but with the Republican supermajority it can still pass. I assume it will be revisited in the courts when someone is inevitably harassed and arrested for doing absolutely nothing wrong. They may very well win - but their life could be destroyed in the process.
Happy I live in California. Still, I got the side-eye yesterday from a GenZer in my office building when I came out the elevator wearing my mask. I gave him a glare right back. I wear my mask anywhere public/a shared space. I'll have dinner (on a patio) with friends and put my mask on when I get in the car with them. I will walk around the office without my mask (reluctantly, though, if I'm honest, in our office of 7), but will put it on to get into the elevator with a coworker...or without. Security doesn't know what I look like without my mask, but they know my name. The folks in the cafe don't know what I look like, but Crystal and I are besties, and she knows my coffee order as well. The fact that this is coming from the party who wants less government shows how effing dumb and hypocritical they are. Whether or not the governor signs it, the ACLU will sue and win. But the fight is ours, too. We need to educate the stoopid. And vote better. This is like the diabetic who hated Obama Care and thought it should be abolished, but loved the Affordable Care Act, because it enabled him to see his doctor and afford his medicine. He literally burst into tears when it was explained they were the same thing. These fools think they are harming a specific set, but it's themselves who will pay as well. Gawd, I just hope we survive this November. Thanks for this, TDG. xo
Thanks Sandra - and thank you for masking! It’s truly ridiculous that this is from the party that always yells about freedom and bodily autonomy (and don’t even get me started on women’s rights).
The ACLU have been surprisingly quiet on this issue - I’m worried it’s going to take someone being arrested and charged before it’s fought in the courts. I have to believe they will win and hopefully get the law overturned - but many lives will be impacted before we get to that point. Whoever ends up being the test case will face a long traumatic (and expensive) legal battle as well. I really wish they would re-think this disastrous bill.
I think there's so many fires to put out right now that the ACLU can't speak on everything. (Bigger Q: Where is the AMA on this?) But if/when it's signed into law, then the fight will pick up, a court order will hold it off and the lawsuit(s) will go. Because this is so utterly dumb! What about Asian tourists who come here and get the sniffles and mask up because that's what's polite/expected in their culture? How's that gonna fly (not that I see a huge Asian tourism drive to the South, but...)? There's too many factors that make this law legally flawed that, unless it's a Sh!tler appointed judge, the courts will kibosh it. And the governor may veto it for that reason, bunting it back to have it rewritten and voted on again (biding more time until the next election). Because what this seems to allow for is physical violence. Gawd help you if you reach for my mask. But, say that happens, and there's contact to the face (how can there not be considering how masks work?). Now that demasker has committed battery. They are going to jail. That law solves nothing and only causes more problems. But, that's how the GOP likes to govern. Sigh. People have got to start voting better. Or voting at all. Too many Americans never bothered. Now look what we've got. xo
“Or voting at all”. That line hit me so hard. It’s incredible how many people are apathetic with respect to voting when it’s such an important thing to do!
I agree the fight will likely end up happening in the courts - but that also makes me sad because there will be some lives ruined & even more disrupted. It’s traumatizing to be arrested & charged with a crime even IF you win. What a mess.
I really hope/don't think it will go that far (to arrests). There's no upside to this law. The GOP performed their theatre, and now it can be swept under the rug by a veto. Meanwhile, here in CA, we are dealing with an uptick of FLiRT. So much fun. Pickup up a friend for dinner tonight. We'll be wearing masks in my car and dining on the patio with fingers crossed. xo
"Discriminatory" and "ableist" are polite words for what's going on here. Your restraint shows no bounds.
I have mixed feelings about your article…..
Obviously masks should not be banned. Secondly they come in handy for shoplifting which is probably the real reason they wanna ban em.
With that being said, there were also immune compromised people who couldn’t wear masks, or for some other valid reason such as autism and so on found them to be difficult sensory-wise.
The reason why this is important, though, is that you were obviously the type of person who went out of your way to harass anyone who wasn’t wearing one and quickly and viciously jump to conclusions about it. Like I have no doubt you were insanely agressive and weaponized the masks to go out of your way to be a really shitty person and make someone’s day just a little bit worse, and that’s not okay. At that point it’s no longer about other peoples safety, it’s about control and getting off on it.
I still wear a mask sometimes and if someone didnt have one I’d usually offer one of mine, I would never go out of my way to start shit with people and doing so makes you no better than them.
This is really strange legislation to me. I kind of scratch my head and try to understand what prompted anyone to set out to ban the use of medical masks. My husband works for a hospital system and I know that some research has been done as the efficacy of masks, and in what situations they actually do any good. But I wonder if people are just rebelling against what they felt was misuse of power and control? I worked in counseling so I often try to understand the thought processes behind things. But it makes no sense to me to create a law like this. People are quick to give up the freedom of others to do what they feel is right for them. I think it should be an individual choice in general. I'll never forget how difficult it was in the heat of summer for us to do our grocery shopping wearing masks during the pandemic. With MS I felt so overheated and it really was difficult. But we did it with the hope that it made some difference, and protected others and us as well, besides it being mandated. I'll always remember how tired I got of not seeing people's faces. You sort of looked into people's eyes hoping to see warmth and a glimmer of a smile rather than some painful expression or an anxious look. One time at a very large warehouse store, when masks were still required, one woman and her son refused to wear them. I was kind of struck at how free and even nice looking their relaxed faces appeared. I envied them because I found masks so hot and uncomfortable for long periods. However passing legislation like this doesn't really make sense to me.
Thank you for sharing your perspective. I agree that I can’t find any logical reason for passing this type of a law. I’m sad to say it may simply come down to it being an election year and the majority of Republican voters being very “anti mask” right now. They may be playing to their base? That’s all I can come up with. Maskers are in the minority and many of us did it before Covid (due to compromised immune systems or severe asthma/allergies) and no one cared until they became political. Hopefully we can get this overturned somehow so people don’t feel even less safe than they already do.
Also if it’s a rebellion over perceived misuse of power & control - then it seems silly to exert MORE power and control. A mask ban that actually assigns a misdemeanour criminal charge to masking is even more controlling than the mask mandates (which were at least temporary and didn’t come with a criminal charge). It feels like an odd way to rebel against that. Is it simply payback? Is that where we’re at? I sincerely hope not.
Sending some hugs. I hear you. I agree.
In my opinion, it looks like the NY governor is using a mask ban as a 'tool', a way to call out antisemitic attacks/hate crimes and make it 'easier' to identify these people - but she has NOT stated any 'medical' exemptions to the ban, and none of the news I've seen defends the rights of those needing to protect themselves/others medically
FYI I've seen some news from civil liberties groups, but the focus is on privacy not medical needs
https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/hochul-subway-new-york-mask-b2562660.html
The main issue in NYC is that they’ve said there will be an exception for medical reasons only during declared public health emergencies (which for COVID is now over). So the exemption leaves out caregivers AND high risk patients. This issue is becoming very messy very quickly unfortunately.
Thanks for that clarification. VERY messy and NOT considering the needs of the most vulnerable.
Exactly! It’s not considering the needs of anyone really. You can’t limit masking to public health emergencies only. People have masked on the NYC subways for years. It just makes good sense in a crowded and poorly ventilated space!
Wow, thanks for this link Victoria. So tragic that the menacing behavior like that is even going on. This all makes me think of the facial recognition software used in Asia and the social credit scores. And also the term “to lose face” and it’s origins. What a messy world we live in. But evil people on subways shouldn’t cause those with medical issues to lose their rights.
Oh, I wondered if someone was concerned about people hiding their identity and face behind masks for nefarious reasons. My husband is highly trained from his time in special forces and he mentioned several times during the pandemic that it looked like a few bad actors were hiding behind masks (or gators) and we needed to leave that store because he thought something dangerous might be about to go down. So that is an interesting possibility for motives. Thanks for the link and info. When people rob a bank, they cover their faces. So I understand the situation but of course medical purposes should not be banned.
I agree that asserting more power and control doesn’t make sense. And I lived in Asia earlier in life and recognize many people use masks for various health reasons. When we do woodworking, I use a mask because of the dust. Some farm activities were safer with a mask. It is strange.
Hi Susan - see my response to broadwaybabyto
Thanks.