As our nation seems to be experiencing a resurgence of the novel coronavirus, and so seeing much higher positive test results, many states and jurisdictions have once again begun putting things on lockdown or, at the very least, requiring the use of facemasks when outside of the home or inside businesses.
For the most part, cities and states that have done this require anyone who enters an indoor business of any kind to wear the proper personal protection equipment. But some companies, such as Walmart, Target, and the home improvement store Menards, have also made such requirements. Essentially, it’s a ‘no mask, no entry or service’ rule.
Now, for people everywhere, these mandates seem to be quite controversial. On one side, you have people that will simply follow orders no matter how much sense they don’t really make. These tend to also be the people who believe every drop of drama they hear on mainstream media.
On the other hand, we have individuals who understand that masks, while having their benefits, are not a cure-all for this disease or a guaranteed way to prevent it. These people know that the government suddenly requiring what you can and cannot wear is a direct violation of our personal freedoms.
But the issue of the legality of the mandates is not the only one causing a divide in the American people.
You see, as with just about everything, governments both at the state level and locally have had to make a few exceptions. And these exceptions are causing an altogether different conundrum.
For most areas, children under a certain age, typically anywhere from 10 to six, fall into one of these exceptions, as they are the age that is least likely to become infected. Another limitation is found for those with medical conditions that might prevent them from mask-wearing as a health precaution.
But as one business in Arkansas points out, in a rather comical way, there seems to be some irony, if not complete lunacy, about the mandates and their exceptions.
Ford’s Guns & More is located in the town of Batesville, Arkansas, were rules about wearing masks within city limits and indoors was just voted on by the City Council.
According to White River Now, a local news outlet, on Tuesday, the Council passed a resolution that citizens should wear masks when out and about. However, as it is a resolution only and not an ordinance, this is merely a strong suggestion. The people of Batesville still have a choice to make, albeit a heavily influenced one.
And so, as most local businesses have, the “small, country type, Friendly, down to earth gun shop,” as its Facebook account describes it, put up a notice reminding its customers of the recently decided upon resolution.
However, it’s not exactly what you would expect. Instead of telling its patrons that they should be wearing masks, it reminds them of their choice, as well as what a controversial issue this is.
It begins, “THOSE IN OUR LOVELY GOVERNMENT HAVE RESOLVED THAT ALL PERSONS ENTERING INDOOR FACILITIES SHOULD WEAR A MASK.”
However, here is where it gets a bit interesting, to say the least.
“IF YOU HAVE A MEDICAL CONDITION THAT PREVENTS YOU FROM WEARING A MASK, YOU ARE EXEMPT FROM THIS. DUE TO HIPAA AND THE 4TH AMENDMENT, WE CANNOT LEGALLY ASK YOU ABOUT YOUR MEDICAL CONDITION.”
And it continues, “THEREFORE, IF WE SEE YOU WITHOUT A MASK, WE WILL ASSUME YOU HAVE A MEDICAL CONDITION AND WE WILL WELCOME YOU INSIDE TO SUPPORT OUR BUSINESS.”
The establishment certainly has a point.
In the US, it is against the law to ask about medical conditions in regards to business, and certainly to discriminate on such a basis. However, these new government enforced mandates essentially say that only those with unmentionable medical conditions are allowed to not wear masks.
So what the government has done here, and quite successfully, is create a loophole of sorts. And the Ford Guns & More is wisely taking full advantage of it.
And I’m willing to bet this isn’t the only company or small business that has noticed this.
