Bacon's Rebellion

Democracy Thrives in Sunlight

Ski Masks in April? Enforce the Anti-Mask Law!

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by

James A. Bacon
in

by Kerry Dougherty

On Saturday evening at about 6:30 three people were shot at Norfolk’s once-upscale MacArthur Center.

One man, 33-year-old Roosevelt A. McKinney, was killed. Two others were taken to the hospital with gunshot wounds.

The Norfolk police would like your help in identifying the suspected shooter. They’ve even provided security cam stills:

Helpful, no?

Anyone recognize the suspect? You know, the guy wearing what appears to be a ski mask?

Although you wouldn’t know it from visiting your local supermarket, bank or mall these days, Virginia actually has a law on the books that bans masks in public for anyone over the age of 16.

§ 18.2-422. Prohibition of wearing of masks in certain places; exceptions.

It shall be unlawful for any person over 16 years of age to, with the intent to conceal his identity, wear any mask, hood or other device whereby a substantial portion of the face is hidden or covered so as to conceal the identity of the wearer.

As best I can tell, when it was passed, the law was aimed primarily at members of the KKK who were fond of marauding in hoods.

During the pandemic the law was effectively suspended. Now that the COVID emergency orders have been lifted, it’s time law enforcement started once again enforcing the mask ban.

No, I’m not talking about the people who continue to wear surgical masks. But surely the police can stop anyone wearing a SKI MASK indoors in April.

In fact, the mere presence of someone in such get-up at a mall ought to serve as probable cause for a pat down.

Let’s hope that eventually even those paralyzed by fear of COVID will stop wearing masks. Cloth masks are virtually useless, anyway.

It’s worth noting that the Virginia Department of Health website on Monday reported just four cases of COVID in the city of Norfolk.

Four. In a city of 239,125.

You have a better chance of catching gonorrhea in Norfolk than COVID at this point.

But go ahead, keep wearing your masks if it makes you feel safe. But keep in mind that facial coverings are a gift to the city’s hairballs and make us all less safe.

This column has been republished with permission from Kerry: Unemployed & Unedited.

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Comments

14 responses to “Ski Masks in April? Enforce the Anti-Mask Law!”

  1. VaNavVet Avatar
    VaNavVet

    You knew that somehow Kerry (the Angel of Death) as she has been named, would get around to claiming that wearing a surgical mask was making everyone less safe. Her personal freedom to not wear a mask during Covid peaks was just fine but not the freedom for others to continue wearing their masks if so desired. Talk about a hypocrite!

    1. Eric the half a troll Avatar
      Eric the half a troll

      Her thirst is never sated…

  2. James McCarthy Avatar
    James McCarthy

    “Paralyzed by fear:” surgical mask wearing is a “gift to hairballs.” The law cited requires an “intent to deceive.” This piece is, in itself, an intent to deceive or shame some folks who wish to continue to take precautions. Would the author believe and promote the same were she one of the 4 recently infected? We can all take a precaution and cease reading these diatribes.

  3. Nancy Naive Avatar
    Nancy Naive

    Screeeeech!

  4. Lefty665 Avatar
    Lefty665

    Yeah , but…. I’m at very high risk, although not paralyzed, and still wearing a kn-95 when around people. Over the weekend that apparently helped avoid an infection from someone who was asymptomatic then. No positive test so far.

    Like yours, our response was WTF, with Covid cases down so hugely, why now? The answer is statistics, low order events do happen.

    When even infrequent outcomes are dire and mitigation simple low order risk is worth avoiding. If I was young and healthy my opinion would likely be different.

    Out of an abundance of patriotism, perhaps we should rename it Covid Roulette.

    1. kls Avatar
      kls

      Not to worry, we’ll soon have 18,000 new unvaxed people a day running around our country spreading the ‘C’

      1. Lefty665 Avatar
        Lefty665

        Once they recover the survivors will have better protection than those of us who are vaxxed and boosted. Irony lives.

        Dispersing them by plane seems designed to maximize the nation’s exposure. It’s sort of the reverse of requiring everyone to be vaxed to work or for any citizen to re enter the country. Go figure.

  5. Lefty665 Avatar
    Lefty665

    “Let’s hope that eventually even those paralyzed by fear of COVID will
    stop wearing masks. Cloth masks are virtually useless, anyway.”

    Hummm trying to devalue a protective measure that has some value (n-95 masks) by conflating it with something that has no value (cloth masks) is at best a cheap debating tactic, or at worst displays utter ignorance of the issues.

    “You have a better chance of catching gonorrhea in Norfolk than COVID at this point.”

    Tawdry or ignorant, sounds like a good candidate to contract gonorrhea. Perhaps experience informs the authors estimation of the odds.

  6. walter smith Avatar
    walter smith

    Wow, you Maskopalians are pretty sensitive about your faith. I believe the article says wear your medical mask if you want, that cloth masks are theater, and that a ski mask in April in a public mall should set off warning signals. What is wrong with any of those assertions? Do you need her to swear fealty to the mask to make yourself feel better?
    I don’t think a surgical mask provides any appreciable protection. I know cloth ones don’t. So do you want all people to wear a surgical mask at all times to make you feel better? And I think your writings indicate you do. Meanwhile, even those masks, are not and will not be worn properly all the time by all the people, so, even if you got everyone to wear the 95 for your benefit, they will not prevent a virus from virusing.
    Back to the main point – a ski mask in a mall in April could be a pretty good indicator of bad intent. And Virginia should start enforcing the mask law with respect to Antifa. Sorry if that offends you Lefties. People in black masks in the summer holding clothes rods are kind of easy to spot. Just make them take the masks off and commit their crimes openly.

    1. Lefty665 Avatar
      Lefty665

      Perhaps if you understood masks better you would be less grumpy. Let me see if I can help.

      Surgical masks are not appreciably better than cloth or ski masks at preventing the spread of disease, but they do keep the surgeon from drooling in your incision. No masks help prevent large particle (30 grains or more) lead poisoning. (k)n-95 masks however, do have some effectiveness against the spread of disease down to small calibers like covid at .75 microns due to their electrostatic charge that attracts and traps particles smaller than their 1.5 micron mesh.

      I have been talking about me wearing a mask to prevent me catching covid. I have not here, or anywhere, advocated that everyone should be required to wear masks at all times.

      You and I agree that a ski mask in April is an ominous sign. I’d go so far as to call it probable cause, and if after a search it turns out to be benign it is likely a call for the guys with butterfly nets and a visit to the happy farm. I felt the OPs segue from criminal ski masks to ranting against masking for disease control was somewhat less than brilliant.

      You and I agree that enforcing the no mask law would be a start to protecting against antifa. I think shipping them to Bucha and letting the Nazis with the Azov Battalion deal with them would likely be a more permanent solution.

      Our opinions vary in that I would prefer fewer people perpetrating fewer crimes rather than more unmasked people committing more crimes as you advocate. I guess we just have different views of how we would like our society to operate.

      It is gray and damp here this morning. Hope it’s sunny and dry where you are.

      1. walter smith Avatar
        walter smith

        So we are in agreement on some points and you have a mischaracterization of one of my opinions, which could be based on my hyperbolic statement that Lefties want to make everyone wear masks. I think many of you do. I am totally fine with anyone wearing the surgical or the stupid cloth if you want to. It is your choice. I think it is a near religious virtue signal as to the cloth masks. They don’t work that way and the costs are far greater than any (supposed) benefit. K95? Color me skeptical, but I am not you and if you think they help, go ahead. And the Antifa people should not be sent to concentration camps. They should be prosecuted under the law and Commonwealth Attorneys should prosecute as fully as the law allows to make it clear that their type of political “speech” – violence and intimidation – is not welcome.

        1. Lefty665 Avatar
          Lefty665

          I was not trying to put words in your mouth. There was no need to, you did well enough on your own. I thought you said pretty much what you meant.

          I am profoundly left handed and politically independent although I am fond of FDR and the New Deal. Your mischaracterization of me as a mindless modern politically lefty offsets any I may have made of you. Guess we’re even.

          We certainly agree on cloth masks, they are absolutely useless as anything beyond a virtue signal.

          What I said about n-95 masks was fact. I encourage you to learn something about them to dispel your lack of information based skepticism. A 1.5 micron mesh combined with an electrostatic charge can provide protection against most larger and some smaller aerosol borne infectious particles. It is pretty simple, not rocket science and not absolute.

          The Azov Nazi boys appear to prefer liquidation to concentration camps. They would have to feed people in concentration camps. They would not likely take kindly to communists and anarchists like antifa.

          You and I agree that antifa has not been addressed adequately under the laws of our country. By definition “speech” is not “violence”. The former is protected and the latter prohibited, at least in our dreams.

          FWIW the unmasked Gridiron Dinner was a super spreader event. They did require vaccinations (more virtue signaling). That is a good argument for masking (n95) at indoor events. Quite a few of our politicians and media are currently discovering that first hand.

          1. walter smith Avatar
            walter smith

            Lefty – I am left handed as well. But it has not caused me to be a “Lefty.” And I remain a skeptic of your mask science. Wear it if you want.

          2. Lefty665 Avatar
            Lefty665

            Hey, we are in our right minds brother!

            I do prefer my full handle Lefty665 (across the street from you know who – all the chemicals keep his lawn nice and green).

            Again, I encourage you to become informed. It is not my “mask science”, it is n95 mask specifications and technology. There is a big difference and I do not think you embrace ignorance.

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