I refuse to wear a mask

sparkyv

Member
The self-proclaimed socialist County Judge in Harris County late last week mandated the wearing of a face covering while in public effective yesterday. Failure to comply could result in a $1,000 fine or up to 180 days in jail. Yes, 180 days in jail! At the 11th hour, the jail time portion of the penalty was rescinded, but many nonsensical exceptions remained. Like if you're 10 or younger, or if you feel claustrophobic, or if you're out waking your dog, unless of course your walming your dog in a park, well then in that case you must mask up. Oh yeah, the judge wanted us to wear bandanas or scarves, but not N95 masks as those are for medical professionals only not for us plebs. I kid you not! What moronic nonsense aimed not at our protection, but rather aimed at continuing the fear so she can keep destroying our economy, our state, our country!

No way I was going to comply. I warned my wife that I might go to jail, and I asked my boss if he would be so kind as to bail me out; he understands my position. HPD indicated that they would not enforce this Draconian mandate as they considered it an overreach of her authority, which is what it is indeed. Harris Co. Sheriff, also a socialist, said that his department was spread too thin to be able to enforce this mandate. I left the house yesterday morning without a face covering. By mid afternoon, thankfully the Governor stated that the judge has no such authority...took him long enough. So in the end, no fine, no jail time.

Of course private businesses can require masks or face coverings, but if they do, I won't be a customer anymore. Again, this is not about safety, it's about instilling fear! What say you?
 
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climbnjump

Active member
I also hate wearing masks. But I need to fly to Alaska as soon as they lift their "mandatory 14 day quarantine" for travelers arriving from out of state. At the moment, that won't be lifted until May 19. But it looks like I won't have any choice about wearing a mask on the plane. At least one airline has made it manditory so far, and most of the others will probably follow suit.
 

George P

Well-known member
It's about controlling the rate of spread of a virus that kills people. Pretty simple, pretty straight forward.
For those of us in the higher risk categories, I will wear one when I am around other people, especially those idiots who work in in Walmart or similar; walking my dog? Not happening; driving in my vehicle, not happening;m going to Sam's/Walmart/Costco - yep but then I don't waste time meandering like I normally would - it's get on, get the stuff and get out.
 

WrongHanded

Well-known member
For those of us in the higher risk categories, I will wear one when I am around other people,

This is the thing about the "face coverings" as apposed to tight fitting N95 disposable respirators: A bandana or a buff or a homemade mask won't protect the wearer very much. But it will protect everyone else from the wearer spraying them with lung moisture containing the virus they don't know they have.

A bandana over your face won't stop air getting around it when you breath in. But it's much harder to blow out a candle with one over your face.

So if everyone wears something to diffuse their outward breathing, it helps to stop anyone who is contagious from spreading it into the surround environment. That reduces the chances of people who don't yet have it from catching it, which keeps the case numbers manageable in medical facilities.

ETA: I'm not in a high risk group, but I wear something anyway. Which is in part because I don't want to spread it if I have it (and don't know).
 

sparkyv

Member
You keep telling yourself that. Nevermind that the corona is no worse than influenza. It's about fear, friend.
It's about controlling the rate of spread of a virus that kills people. Pretty simple, pretty straight forward.


If a business says they want me to wear one, then as a consumer I will decide if I will comply or take my business elsewhere. When the government rams it down my throat in defiance of my constitutional rights and leaves me no option other than a fine or jailtime, well that's a horse of a different color.
I also hate wearing masks. But I need to fly to Alaska as soon as they lift their "mandatory 14 day quarantine" for travelers arriving from out of state. At the moment, that won't be lifted until May 19. But it looks like I won't have any choice about wearing a mask on the plane. At least one airline has made it manditory so far, and most of the others will probably follow suit.
 

Magnum

Well-known member
This shouldn't and can't really be mandated, the point is to protect other people from you. If it's not a fitted and tight mask with no airgaps it is only intended to keep your fluid droplets from leaving your personal space. Anyone who claims a bandana, painters mask or otherwise will do anything to protect you is uninformed. It's nonsense for folks to think they're safe with a paper mask on.

That being said, I think the people who are at risk should take steps to protect themselves. There will always be some new illness going around. I'm young and healthy, I'm confident if I was/am/become infected with the kung flu little to nothing would happen to me. I have 2 babies at home though and I worry about them. My boss' wife is in poor health and is very susceptible so I worry for her too.

My wife works in the ICU of a busy hospital so the chances of me getting the funk is real, I wouldn't want to know I passed something on to someone who died.

I mask up but it's out of courtesy for others. Not for protection. But at some point people need to do for themselves, this has gone on too long already.
 

Justin T.

Member
Maybe, but the ordnance was a reminder that some in government want to wield power over you just because they can.

the day I heard about that ordnance and the day I read the city of houston, the police officers union, and the harris county deputy’s association stated they wouldn’t actively enforce it, I knew the ordnance was a BS deal that I refused to comply with. Enough is enough. We’ve got to get busy living.

sparkyv, we should go shooting sometime. I’m northside, near the woodlands.
 

Taliv

Moderator
Staff member
gov shouldn't be able to mandate it, especially at the federal level. but i wear one when i'm in a store or something because it's the right thing to do.

tbh, i wish everyone wore them, not just because it would be healthier, but because it would defeat all the big brother facial recognition cameras out there.

think about the privacy implications of mask wearing being commonly accepted, and even encouraged. it's almost all positive
 

Magnum

Well-known member
A couple months ago you couldn't go into a bank or many stores with a mask, now you're supposed to wear one. Weird, you'd think the criminals would be loving this.
 

v35

Member
I don't wear a mask either. My peripheral vision got obstructed which I didn't even notice until I cut my shin on a metal box lying on the floor of the supermarket.

The owner of small grocery store I liked to frequent for years admonished me for not wearing a mask. I told her I won't be back. Sadly she probably won't be in business much longer anyway.
 

jack b.

New member
I see lots of people wearing masks. If you watch them for any length of time 99% of them aren't wearing or behaving correctly with them. Lots of websites out there and directions on purchased masks that tell you how to wear them correctly. Seems very few are paying attention. It's more of a fad to many than a real way to control a virus. IMO.
 

Taliv

Moderator
Staff member
I'd say there's a continuum of effectiveness. wearing a mask wrong is still helpful. wearing an n95 mask properly fitted and sealed is still not a 100% guarantee of keeping out the virus. I'm glad people are wearing masks, but I agree, they could put a little more effort into it
 

WrongHanded

Well-known member
I saw a guy at Wal-Mart wearing rubber gloves, when it was time to pay he removed the glove and held it in his mouth while he got his wallet out. The ignorance is scary.

So very true.


I heard something funny on the radio today countering the "The government can't just make a rule about wearing a mask and expect me to follow it!"

The counter was "Well, they say you have to wear pants in public. And you do that." I couldn't help but laugh.
 
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