No Forced Masking; No Forced De-Masking

Back in August 2021 the 18 month-old COVID pandemic was over.

Governor Andrew Cuomo had lifted nearly all restrictions - including ending all forced masking laws.  The “miracle” vaccines were out for nine months. Then Cuomo resigned and Kathy Hochul became Governor.

Eager to please the powerful teachers’ unions, Hochul immediately decreed that children must again be forcibly masked in school - and slapped forced masking back on adults in many public areas. Never mind the damage to kids or the lack of any science.

Most people bowed their heads and meekly complied. Some openly defied the Governor - and many were arrested.

Now Hochul is proposing to make mask wearing illegal - because some criminals wear masks; and because some antisemites and pro-Palestinian protestors say or do horrible things from behind a mask.

Hochul is wrong in both instances.

In a free country, your body is not some doll or mannequin to poke and mark and dress-up.  A free person should not be “dressed” or “undressed” by some government bureaucrat.

Criminals have used masks since the beginning  of human history.  That’s  not new.

But political masking - political anonymity - has a long and rich history:

“Publius” was the name used by Alexander Hamilton, John Jay and James Madison to publish the Federalist. 

Halloween - and Guy Fawkes Day - feature masking of children and adults.

Purim is an ancient Jewish rite of masking and silliness.

If a criminal uses masking to commit a crime - make it a sentencing enhancement.

Don’t make criminals out of people who want to speak politically - and peacefully - but want preserve their anonymity behind a mask.