The argument often put forward by those who support mandatory masks in shops is that it may protect others and we should all be willing to make that simple sacrifice. They see it as a simple case of putting a mask on to protect others and they view anyone who doesn't want to comply as being awkward just for the sake of being awkward. They don't see anything sinister in this new rule and don't realise that it could lead to other freedoms being eroded further down the line. Hence they think that we are just being silly.
Those of us who oppose mandatory masks do so on the grounds that it erodes our freedoms. We realise that this is very likely to be a stepping stone to greater and greater erosion of freedoms. So I think this is the key point in the debate. We need to explain that our main concern about this new rule is not the masks in shops per say, but rather where it will lead. In fact, if we had a cast iron guarantee that this wasn't going to lead to further loss of freedoms (eg compulsory masks every time we leave the house or mandatory vaccinations), then we would not really be that bothered by this new legislation. Those on the other side of the argument have no understanding that this could possibly lead to anything more sinister and hence they embrace it with open arms and think we are just being awkward and dragging our heels for no good reason.
So if we just say that we don't want masks in shops because it erodes our freedoms, they cannot see what we are on about, because they don't see the potential for other freedoms being eroded further down the line. So if we are to win people over to our view, I think we need to explain clearly where we think it could lead to and a percentage of those who have embraced it might re - consider. Some of those who oppose our view might never have considered where this might lead and may be willing to take this point on board if we explain it to them.
Hello Patrick,
Thank you for clarifying that. We‘re definitely on the same page with regard to where all this is leading. Obviously it’s about control and, as you said, it’s really about finding a way of conveying this to people who are oblivious to what is going on and of the real motives of those driving the agenda.
I’ve just watched the John Waters’ video. As well as bringing in a bit of humour to a grim situation, he highlights brilliantly the way in which the wearing of masks denies the expression of our unique human individuality and leads to suspicion and distance between people. He also raises the question of “Why now?” and makes the point that it helps create visible evidence of terror. Many thanks for providing this link. I think we all need to stand together and not let up on our fight against this tyranny.
Hi Sheena, thanks for your comments. I agree when you say that "mask wearing is dehumanising and is an affront to human dignity". You will see in the video I linked to in a previous message, where Irish journalist John Waters gives a very strong description of how awful masks are. So I didn't mean to trivialise the repulsion we feel at being compelled to wear a mask in a shop. If they had left the mandatory masks for just public transport, I didn't feel too aggrieved by that as we are in quite close contact with a lot of new people on a bus or train. But making them mandatory in shops is not on.
The point I meant to make is that the chief concern we have here is where is all this going? I think that is the question we need to get out there because those in society who happily accept mandatory masks are not asking themselves where is this going. Therefore they can't understand our concern. But if we get this question out there, the penny might drop with more people, particularly if more new rules are introduced.
Hello Patrick,
You are spot on regarding this just being one more step in the erosion of our freedom to live a normal life. I think you‘re right that it’s so important to get this point across to those who are compliant and cannot understand why it is such a big deal. Probably a lot of these people are well meaning and believe they’re acting responsibly to protect themselves and others, without even being aware that there is compelling evidence that such masks are not likely to be effective anyway and that they may lead to respiratory and other problems if worn over a prolonged period. The one point you make that I disagree with is that we might not be that bothered by the legislation, if we did not suspect that it might lead to the imposition of other more nefarious mandates. I believe that across the board mask wearing is dehumanising and is an affront to human dignity. Here in Scotland we’ve had this law for nearly two weeks now and I’ve refrained from going to the shops except for one occasion. On that occasion I tied a scarf around my face more to see what it felt like than anything else, though it’s true that I didn’t want to be refused entry or issued with a fine. Although I was only in the shop for 5 minutes or so, it felt as if I was gagged. I hated it and won’t be doing it again. For me, having a choice is such a key element in all of this.