OHIO COUNTY CREATES HOTLINE FOR NEIGHBORS TO REPORT NON-MASK WEARERS
BY LUIS MIGUEL
republished below in full unedited for informational, educational & research purposes:
Cuyahoga County, Ohio, has rolled out a hotline for residents to snitch on those of their neighbors who do not wear masks, in line with an executive order by Governor Mike DeWine, a Republican, mandating masks in public when “social distancing” is not possible.
County Executive Armond Budish made the announcement, telling the people of Cuyahoga that individuals who witness others not wearing a mask in public spaces should make complaints to the new hotline or file on a website titled “Mask Experience.”
Once a complaint has been filed, county workers contact the subject of the complaint, whether it’s an individual or business, to let them know. The complaints are also forwarded to the Board of Health and the relevant village or city. “This is not intended to be going out and finding people not wearing masks. We want people to wear their masks…. We want people to do it voluntarily,” Budish said.
Yet the warnings about non-compliance coming from leaders make it sound anything but voluntary. Repeated complaints or cases of “non-compliance” could bring an investigation or even charges by authorities.
Budish maintained that while police may enforce the order, “There’s not enough people in law enforcement throughout the county to track down people, chase them around and figure out who we can go after for not wearing a mask.” Nevertheless, Budish held that municipalities and police departments could use proactive policing to enforce the order if they want to.
While residents can make their complaints about neighbors to the Board of Health or their local governments directly, Budish said the hotline will better allow the Board of Health to focus on contact tracing and testing instead of mask enforcement.
The Board of Health has the authority to have local authorities reach out if businesses repeatedly ignore the mask order. Violation of the order is a second-degree misdemeanor, punishable by up to 90 days in jail and a $750 fine.
DeWine signed the mask order on July 8. It applies to Cuyahoga, Butler, Franklin, Hamilton, Huron, Montgomery, and Trumbull counties. The governor pointed to a high level of coronavirus spread as justification for the decision. “We’re not looking to see a lot of people arrested. That’s not the idea at all. The idea is this is the norm. This is what is needed for Ohioans to stay safe,” DeWine said.
According to the order, residents of the targeted counties must wear “face coverings” when:
(a) In any indoor location that is not a residence
(b) Outdoors and unable to consistently maintain a distance of six feet or more from individuals who are not members of their households; or
(c) Waiting for, riding, driving, or operating public transportation, a taxi, a private care service, or a ride sharing vehicle.
The order does come with some exceptions, such as when a person is seated and actively consuming food or beverage in a restaurant or bar (as though a virus knows to stop spreading just because a person is eating) or when someone is talking to a hearing-impaired person who must see the other person’s mouth to understand them.
The narrative from the establishment has been to have everyone wear masks anywhere in public. Everyone from Joe Biden to Goldman Sachs to Hollywood celebrities is advocating for mask-wearing, mocking and shaming anyone who refuses to conform.
In states, such as Florida, that have not yet imposed statewide mask mandates, counties have taken it upon themselves to do so. Even First Lady Melania Trump has urged Americans to cover their faces.
All this despite the fact that studies have failed to prove that masks stop the spread of infectious diseases. Moreover, research has shown that mask-wearing helps spread disease because people often contaminate their hands through frequent face touching when wearing masks.
Already, there is a movement to make masks a permanent fixture of life. An article at Fast Company, which looks at the possibilities of “high-tech” masks in the future declares, “Masks are probably here to stay. But they’ll need to evolve.”
An article at the Washington Post is titled “Masks Are Here to Stay, Even After Covid Goes Away.” Another WAPO article says “Masks are here to stay and they’re quickly becoming a way to express ourselves.”
The website Newsleaders proclaims, “Masks are here to stay; get used to it.”
Mask-wearing isn’t about health. It’s about the elites seeing who they can get to submit.