I'd like to point out to anyone who thinks that "you do you" public health is sustainable that it's illegal to wear a mask in many public places in the US. This has only been on hold because of the emergency declaration and that's about to end.
For example, let me introduce you to my local law in Florida. Florida State statute 876.12:
Wearing mask, hood, or other device on public way.—No person or persons over 16 years of age shall, while wearing any mask, hood, or device whereby any portion of the face is so hidden, concealed, or covered as to conceal the identity of the wearer, enter upon, or be or appear upon any lane, walk, alley, street, road, highway, or other public way in this state.
This law was pointed out to my wife by a law enforcement officer who really wanted to arrest her for wearing a mask in a grocery store last year.
If you think you're going to be able to avoid COVID after the end of the emergency declaration you'd better be a full on hermit who never has to venture out.
@BE sorry to do this but this law has nothing to do with Covid masks. And it’s not new. It’s about wearing a mask to avoid being caught in criminal acts ..not trying to troll but I posted this somewhere and got dragged mightily for not knowing the law then I was forced to read it
Don't apologize. I don't expect people to read every comment and every reply, but, this has been brought up multiple times and I replied to each and every one and I 100% stand by what I said. I've broken down exactly what paragraphs I'm talking about in each section, including the applications and exemptions.
As I have stated many times, it's a 1951 anti-KKK law. It is not a law specifically about COVID, nor the type of mask you think of when you think about this topic.
It is, however, a law that has been used *prior* to the pandemic to arrest people who wore the type of mask you and I are thinking about for allergies or chemical sensitivities.
Anyone who says it won't be used for that could be correct, but, they're ignoring the actual history of it. I will put near certainty on it that police somewhere will use it for exactly this purpose after the end of the emergency declaration.
I mean, personally, the police already told my wife exactly that. Why would I doubt them?
I couldn't agree more, and as people have questioned what the laws are, how they've been used, etc. and I've dug further into it you see somewhere like Virginia, who has virtually the identical law on the books, specifically stating that to wear a mask for your health that you have to have a physician's note on you whenever you're in public stating what the mask looks like and how long you'll need it. Then you begin to realize what you're saying has obviously crossed the minds of the people making the law. They don't want there to be freedom to cover your face eternally.
Honestly, again, no apologies, I appreciate when people question something I said because if I can't defend it then I shouldn't have said it. I'm always wary of living in an echo chamber.
@BE and thank you for your thoughtful reply
@BE I think it’s even more relevant when we talk about being able to circumvent the surveillance state. At least that was my reply to conspiracy theorists 😁