Broadwaybabyto on Nostr: North Carolina proposed a bill that would turn people wearing medical masks into ...

North Carolina proposed a bill that would turn people wearing medical masks into criminals.
The disability community are rightfully angered & protesting against it.... But non-disabled people should be equally outraged.

Everyone needs the right to protect their health.

The proposed bill would make wearing a medical mask in public a class 1 misdemeanour - and they are trying to remove the exemption to wear one if you’re vulnerable or high risk.

When I first heard about this I said I was worried they were specifically targeting the medical exemption as a way of passing a hugely problematic bill with a built in “gimme" for the disability community. They would eventually leave medical exemption in place to "placate" us.

It's a psychological tool meant to distract or scare you so that you end up thinking they've done you a huge favour. Similar to how people are often overcharged with more severe crimes to pressure them into taking a lesser plea.

By targeting the medical exemption they've created an environment where people MAY see it as a "win" if they agree to leave the exemption in place. The problem is that the world has changed since Covid and this will no longer be a win.

Medical exemptions are highly problematic.
They require a doctors note when not everyone has a doctor who's willing to write one, not everyone can afford one, not everyone has insurance that will cover one.
Also vulnerable people don't exist in a vacuum.

We have family & friends, caregivers and other people who are in our lives and represent a potential point of infection.
Under a medical exemption policy people who share a household with a vulnerable person would not be permitted to mask.

Lastly - we need to acknowledge there's value in being proactive with your health.
Masking to avoid repeated covid infections, exposure to wildfire smoke or pollen is a smart thing to do. Many non vulnerable people simply want to remain that way.
They don't WANT to get sick

This law would turn them into criminals. Just because they're smart enough to recognize that health is our greatest asset and something that should be protected at all costs.

So while I agree we can absolutely celebrate the fact that some Republicans are saying they're committed to keeping the medical exemption in place - let's NOT lose sight of all the people that policy will leave behind.

Let's not lose sight of the fact this could very well have been a strategy the entire time so the disability community would back down & take this draconian and cruel mask ban as a "win"

Also let's be realistic about what it'll look like for a vulnerable person out in public in a mask WITH a medical exemption. Law enforcement stops them & asks to see it. Do you really think they will let them keep their mask on while they assess its legitimacy?

There's an excellent chance the high risk individual will be forced to unmask and risk infection. Marginalized & POC will be stopped & harassed far more often. Situations will escalate & at some point it's inevitably going to cost someone their life.

Keep pushing back. Make noise. Tell politicians that medical masks should never be criminalized. They're a personal protective tool that ALL people deserve access to. If you're not masking - now is the time to start. Normalizing masking makes these bills harder to pass.

#CovidIsAirborne #CovidIsNotOver #CovidCautious #sarscov2 #maskup #WearAMask #CleanAir #Pandemic #Disability #accessibility #DisabilityRights #ableism #Eugenics #MaskBans