Mask bans and revocation of medical exemptions have been all over social media this week - and anti-maskers are reacting with glee. They are celebrating disabled people losing a tool for protection.
Does this mean healthcare professionals can’t wear masks when in surgery or doing a sterile procedure?
This whole thing is surreal. We have “stand your ground laws” because we inherently have the right to defend ourselves & our property that authorizes us to use a deadly weapon against offenders, but wearing a mask to protect ourselves that doesn’t effect anyone else is a crime? This is a priority to put into law above others? I have no words.
Trying this again! There is apparently an exemption for healthcare workers but the problem is the bill (as written right now) would technically make it illegal for a patient to enter a hospital wearing a mask.
I listened to the Senate hearings and they said they would rely on law enforcement to use common sense - but as you can imagine having a law making masking in hospitals illegal is scary no matter how they try to justify it.
I sincerely hope there’s enough outcry and pushback to get this changed - otherwise it feels like very dark times ahead.
They’re claiming it’s to deter crime. But that’s a red herring because there’s already a section in the bill that gives harsher sentences to people wearing masks while committing a crime.
Best explanation I’ve heard is that the republicans are playing to their anti-mask base who want to see masks criminalized. The alternative is full on eugenics and I really want to believe that’s not where we are.
The irony of the party who stands for "freedom" and "smaller government" constantly telling people what they can and cannot do. If only it were funny. Sorry you're having to deal with this stress. I still mask. Can't make me take mine off. And with another pandemic looming, don't see how this would make any sense. But this is what happens when dumb takes the wheel. Hang in there. We're working to vote dumb out. xo
It’s incredibly ironic. I posted a thread on X about an infuriating conversation I had with a right wing “friend” who tried to tell me the difference between the left and the right is the left tell people how to live while the right are busy simply living. It was hard not to laugh!
I try and keep things light but these last few weeks have been deeply distressing as a high risk individual. I’m so grateful to have found like minded people here!
Please put down the X and move over to Threads where the policy is to block early and often. And I no longer have "friends" on the right because there is no balance or sanity there. I love them from afar, but they are no longer in my feed or IRL aside from a HBD text and a prayer that one day they see their are in a cult and get out. Hang in there. There's plenty of us who want to stay healthy and will fight with you. xo
I’ve had a terrible time with threads - they really don’t let you talk about Covid or the pandemic. Is there a good disability community there? I’m on Mastodon as well and found a lovely group of folks there!
It's still growing and I think they are easing up on COVID/pandemic stuff. I'm pretty vocal about it and follow masktogetheramerica (and there's a COVID-19 hashtag they use) and sars_cov.2_covid_19. I'm not sure about the disability community there, as most of my friends in it are more Facebook/Instagrammers than they were Twitterers; I'm trying to pull them over, though. I use the "For You" feed, and it pretty much gives me what I want to see (smart, funny, feminist, positive political), and you can swap between that and the "Following" feed. Just like everything, it's a slow build. But there are more folks from my Smart/Funny Twitter feed that I got on Mastodon (that had more of my F1 folks). I'm glad you found a good group there. It's lovely, just not easy (IMO). xo
I warned people a long time ago that the screaming about lockdowns and mandates was all Accusation in a Mirror. Watch -whatever they complain about, they're planning. "Every accusation is a confession" and so on.
That’s an excellent point. I’ve had a number of social media accounts demanding I apologize for mandates. That if I don’t apologize they will support mask bans. I’ve clearly stated I can’t and won’t apologize for something I didn’t do but that I know was done for the greater good. Mandates were meant to help people - and they did slow the spread. This idea that people who had to mask but didn’t want to are the injured party - instead of those who lost their lives, their health or their loved ones - really bothers me.
As long as those ideas are still out there and gaining in popularity- people will continue to be maimed and killed. And so many don’t see it….
It doesn’t. It makes them angry because it reminds them of mandates and covid and they don’t want to be reminded. Someone wearing a mask is arguably the safest person in a space!
I think they believe we did enjoy it. They act like those of us who were already disabled were out in the streets enforcing mandates and “ruining their fun”. Meanwhile many of us were shielding and trying not to get sick and possibly die. Sigh.
Not that it makes the ban ok - it’s still absurd and mean - but at least it’s not as onerous as the original proposed bill.
This is why we need better legislators at all levels in NC, not just in the governor’s office. Voting in November is so important for many reasons, and this is one.
If you read my latest article - it actually includes a copy of the NC bill. It has the original medical exemption (which they removed) and the new one in its place. The new one is incredibly problematic and most disability advocates have said it’s not sufficient. It almost feels like a bait and switch where they’ve given us nothing but they can tell the media “oh hey we put a medical exemption in!”
I’m against it for many reasons - first of which is that it assumes only those already sick should need to mask. When everyone deserves the right to protect themselves from COVID.
But the language is also problematic. Instead of saying people can mask for medical reasons - it says they can mask to prevent spreading a contagious disease. So do you have to already have COVID to mask? If you can’t produce proof you’re contagious will you be arrested? What if you need to mask for smoke or pollen? These are all serious issues which haven’t been addressed by the legislators.
Oh wow, thank you for clarifying that. That sounds like they implemented the smallest possible thing they could still call a 'medical exemption'. I really don't get why they restricted it so much. Who benefits? It just seems cruel. 😞
I can’t help but wonder if it was strategic - if they didn’t want to allow any medical exemption and figured by taking it away and then “putting it back” when there was outcry … people would think they “won”. Sadly it seems to have worked with many people assuming there’s a proper medical exemption in place.
I sincerely hope they weren’t that duplicitous - but nothing surprises me anymore! I suspect we won’t know how the law works until someone is charged and fights it in court - and by then their life will be completely upended. It is cruel 😞
Does this mean healthcare professionals can’t wear masks when in surgery or doing a sterile procedure?
This whole thing is surreal. We have “stand your ground laws” because we inherently have the right to defend ourselves & our property that authorizes us to use a deadly weapon against offenders, but wearing a mask to protect ourselves that doesn’t effect anyone else is a crime? This is a priority to put into law above others? I have no words.
I replied with a lengthy response and received a 404 error… just testing to see if this works!
Trying this again! There is apparently an exemption for healthcare workers but the problem is the bill (as written right now) would technically make it illegal for a patient to enter a hospital wearing a mask.
I listened to the Senate hearings and they said they would rely on law enforcement to use common sense - but as you can imagine having a law making masking in hospitals illegal is scary no matter how they try to justify it.
I sincerely hope there’s enough outcry and pushback to get this changed - otherwise it feels like very dark times ahead.
Thank you! What is the rationale for why the law is needed?
They’re claiming it’s to deter crime. But that’s a red herring because there’s already a section in the bill that gives harsher sentences to people wearing masks while committing a crime.
Best explanation I’ve heard is that the republicans are playing to their anti-mask base who want to see masks criminalized. The alternative is full on eugenics and I really want to believe that’s not where we are.
The irony of the party who stands for "freedom" and "smaller government" constantly telling people what they can and cannot do. If only it were funny. Sorry you're having to deal with this stress. I still mask. Can't make me take mine off. And with another pandemic looming, don't see how this would make any sense. But this is what happens when dumb takes the wheel. Hang in there. We're working to vote dumb out. xo
It’s incredibly ironic. I posted a thread on X about an infuriating conversation I had with a right wing “friend” who tried to tell me the difference between the left and the right is the left tell people how to live while the right are busy simply living. It was hard not to laugh!
I try and keep things light but these last few weeks have been deeply distressing as a high risk individual. I’m so grateful to have found like minded people here!
Please put down the X and move over to Threads where the policy is to block early and often. And I no longer have "friends" on the right because there is no balance or sanity there. I love them from afar, but they are no longer in my feed or IRL aside from a HBD text and a prayer that one day they see their are in a cult and get out. Hang in there. There's plenty of us who want to stay healthy and will fight with you. xo
I’ve had a terrible time with threads - they really don’t let you talk about Covid or the pandemic. Is there a good disability community there? I’m on Mastodon as well and found a lovely group of folks there!
It's still growing and I think they are easing up on COVID/pandemic stuff. I'm pretty vocal about it and follow masktogetheramerica (and there's a COVID-19 hashtag they use) and sars_cov.2_covid_19. I'm not sure about the disability community there, as most of my friends in it are more Facebook/Instagrammers than they were Twitterers; I'm trying to pull them over, though. I use the "For You" feed, and it pretty much gives me what I want to see (smart, funny, feminist, positive political), and you can swap between that and the "Following" feed. Just like everything, it's a slow build. But there are more folks from my Smart/Funny Twitter feed that I got on Mastodon (that had more of my F1 folks). I'm glad you found a good group there. It's lovely, just not easy (IMO). xo
I warned people a long time ago that the screaming about lockdowns and mandates was all Accusation in a Mirror. Watch -whatever they complain about, they're planning. "Every accusation is a confession" and so on.
That’s a great way to look at it - it’s definitely what I’m witnessing.
“We need to start healing and I don’t know how to make that happen”
We can’t heal while the maiming and killing is still ongoing. The trauma is still happening.
That’s an excellent point. I’ve had a number of social media accounts demanding I apologize for mandates. That if I don’t apologize they will support mask bans. I’ve clearly stated I can’t and won’t apologize for something I didn’t do but that I know was done for the greater good. Mandates were meant to help people - and they did slow the spread. This idea that people who had to mask but didn’t want to are the injured party - instead of those who lost their lives, their health or their loved ones - really bothers me.
As long as those ideas are still out there and gaining in popularity- people will continue to be maimed and killed. And so many don’t see it….
How does other people wearing masks hurt them? Well, i guess gays marrying and other people having abortions hurts them so …
It doesn’t. It makes them angry because it reminds them of mandates and covid and they don’t want to be reminded. Someone wearing a mask is arguably the safest person in a space!
Poor sweet babies. None of us enjoyed it.
But they deserve special reparations because their feelings were hurt and rights were violated more than anyone else? Gawd.
I think they believe we did enjoy it. They act like those of us who were already disabled were out in the streets enforcing mandates and “ruining their fun”. Meanwhile many of us were shielding and trying not to get sick and possibly die. Sigh.
Always projection. The explanation that never fails
According to this article, the final bill (which overrode our governor’s veto) did include a medical exemption: https://apnews.com/article/masks-ban-north-carolina-campus-protests-128a6aa32a4c832faa83befb2e7dd77e
Not that it makes the ban ok - it’s still absurd and mean - but at least it’s not as onerous as the original proposed bill.
This is why we need better legislators at all levels in NC, not just in the governor’s office. Voting in November is so important for many reasons, and this is one.
If you read my latest article - it actually includes a copy of the NC bill. It has the original medical exemption (which they removed) and the new one in its place. The new one is incredibly problematic and most disability advocates have said it’s not sufficient. It almost feels like a bait and switch where they’ve given us nothing but they can tell the media “oh hey we put a medical exemption in!”
I’m against it for many reasons - first of which is that it assumes only those already sick should need to mask. When everyone deserves the right to protect themselves from COVID.
But the language is also problematic. Instead of saying people can mask for medical reasons - it says they can mask to prevent spreading a contagious disease. So do you have to already have COVID to mask? If you can’t produce proof you’re contagious will you be arrested? What if you need to mask for smoke or pollen? These are all serious issues which haven’t been addressed by the legislators.
I will go find your latest article now. I came to this one through a Note someone posted that pointed to it :)
Oh wow, thank you for clarifying that. That sounds like they implemented the smallest possible thing they could still call a 'medical exemption'. I really don't get why they restricted it so much. Who benefits? It just seems cruel. 😞
I can’t help but wonder if it was strategic - if they didn’t want to allow any medical exemption and figured by taking it away and then “putting it back” when there was outcry … people would think they “won”. Sadly it seems to have worked with many people assuming there’s a proper medical exemption in place.
I sincerely hope they weren’t that duplicitous - but nothing surprises me anymore! I suspect we won’t know how the law works until someone is charged and fights it in court - and by then their life will be completely upended. It is cruel 😞
Agree 100%. Thank you for a great article. I wish everyone would read it and feel the same!
I wish the same thing! Far too many people are either apathetic or convinced this ONLY applies to people committing crimes
When the senators themselves have confirmed that technically the bill makes masking in public illegal. I really hope people read and push back!