They're Coming for Your Mask: A Survey on Discrimination
The fears are real.
It's already happening.
When the state of North Carolina first proposed a mask ban this year, advocates from across the country warned lawmakers that it would embolden anti-maskers and lead to a surge in harassment and assault. Days after it passed, a woman with stage 4 cancer was assaulted by a man for wearing a mask. He told her wearing a mask was illegal. When she tried to explain her medical condition, he cussed her out and then started coughing on her.
He told her he hoped she died.
More recently, Nassau County in New York passed an even more draconian mask ban, threatening anyone with a $1,000 fine and up to one year in jail. Like the NC ban, this bill makes a blanket declaration, giving law enforcement broad discretion and putting the burden of proof on individuals. Under these types of bills, it's entirely possible for police officers or even ordinary citizens to abuse the laws, forcing people to unmask even if they're just trying to avoid infectio…