There’s no accounting for taste. One man’s meat is another man’s poison, one man’s trash another man’s treasure, and so on.
Take masks, for instance. One man’s life-saving, essential, and sensible protective face covering is another man’s unhealthy, unnecessary, rights-violating nuisance. That difference of opinion might not matter if the masker didn’t insist that everyone else follow his example.
Masks seem to be meat and treasure for Harris County Attorney Vince Ryan. He’s so eager to see everyone wear one that he even asked Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton for an official opinion on whether or not the face mask mandate can be enforced in county buildings such as courthouses – and by what measures.
Ryan was delighted with Paxton’s response, even though it didn’t go as far as he would have liked: arrest and imprisonment of the non-masker.
“We are pleased the attorney general agrees that local officials have the authority to require persons who enter county buildings [to] wear face coverings to protect the health of all,” Ryan exulted.
Paxton affirmed that “public officials may require facial coverings for those entering the courthouse or other county buildings and may deny entry to those individuals refusing to wear a facial covering inside those premises.”
Paxton said Executive Order GA-29 authorizes fines but not jail time. “Thus, local officials may impose a fine, consistent with Executive Order GA-29, and may remove or deny entry to individuals refusing to wear a facial covering inside those premises.”
What recourse does the determined non masker have? He can secure the services of State Rep. Briscoe Cain, who has publicly promised to defend anyone fined for not wearing a mask – and to do so at no charge.
“It’s OK to support choosing to wear a mask to protect others from your respiratory system while at the same time opposing government force making people wear a mask,” Cain tweeted last month.
If masks are poison and trash to you and you get fined for standing up for your rights, you know who to call.