Opinion: Mask Bans Won’t Make Us Safe
On July 15th, I spoke at a committee meeting of the Nassau County Legislature. Not because I’m a lawmaker: I’m a teacher at Glen Cove High School, a writer, and a member of the Jewish community. But this meeting was about a law that would concern my immediate safety, so I had to speak out.
Legislator Mazi Pilip introduced a mask ban bill to the Nassau County legislature on July 2, 2024. “Talk is cheap. What I’m asking for is action. We are going after the thugs who are terrorizing the Jewish community,” Pilip said. Unfortunately, mask bans will make Nassau County residents, including the Jewish community, less safe and infringe on our rights.
Jews for Mask Rights has authored an open letter to lawmakers opposing bans like these, garnering over 1,300 Jewish signatures in just a few weeks, including over 160 Jewish leaders and 50 clergy. Jewish people have a biblical obligation to protect our health and bodies. Masking expresses the tenet of community care that dictates much of Jewish law. Our faith prioritizes pikuach nefesh (saving a life) above almost anything.
Everyone has a right to protect themselves, their families, and their communities from viruses and pollution unconditionally. No one should be questioned by police about private health information or forced to remove their mask. High-risk community members in Nassau County have already been profiled, harassed, and physically assaulted because of mask-wearing, and sadly these attacks only increase when masks are restricted or stigmatized.
Personally, I am immunocompromised and have to wear a mask in public for my health. However, I should not have to detail my reasons for masking to the public. My medical history is private, and I do not want to be harassed about why I make the choices I do.
Additionally, my spouse masks to protect me. His health is excellent; he would not be able to get a doctor’s note. He masks to keep me safe. People deserve to protect vulnerable family members and friends regardless of their own medical status.
While legislators promise “health exemptions,” any exceptions will be impossible to enforce fairly. Exemptions from a mask ban refer only to an exemption from punishment. However, this bill will still allow law enforcement to demand that immunocompromised and high-risk individuals expose themselves to illnesses. Even a brief unmasking can put vulnerable people at risk of COVID transmission. And since 80% of disabilities are invisible, high-risk people don’t always give an indication that they “deserve” to mask.
The bill effectively criminalizes masking. It will have a chilling effect on the ability of disabled and immunocompromised individuals to exercise their First Amendment rights, and will push the most vulnerable even further out of public life. Everyone must be allowed to mask whenever they choose to. The government shouldn’t get to decide when you get to protect yourself or your family.
This bill also calls for overreach. Despite Pilip’s claims that the bill aims to remove masks at protests, it actually specifies that people can be penalized for masking in their own car.
Nassau County already has a notably low crime rate. Governor Kathy Hochul recently visited Nassau County to hold a press conference celebrating the past year's plummeting crime rates. Where is the Nassau County violent crime wave this dangerous bill is meant to address?
There is no evidence that banning masks would stop someone with criminal intentions from hiding their identity or committing a crime. As anyone who masks regularly can tell you, masks call more attention to the wearer. If the safety of Nassau County residents is the goal, mask bans are a step backwards.
There is, however, evidence that masks keep people safe. According to NY.gov’s wastewater tracking, Nassau County is currently experiencing “High” to "Very High" levels of COVID. If the goal is to keep the Jewish community safe, that must include our health, and the health of the one in five Jews with a disability.
Our county has had several peaceful protests in recent months, always in full cooperation with law enforcement. The protests that Mazi Pilip seems to refer to, take place outside of Nassau County. Creating a hypothetical problem of crimes committed by masked protestors will only punish people like me.
The legislature will vote on this bill on Monday, August 5th. If it passes, Nassau County's residents will not become safer; we will instead be guilty of endangering our most vulnerable residents.
All I want is to continue being involved in Nassau County, going to work at Glen Cove High School, teaching AP English classes, and supporting local businesses, all while protecting my health. This is not too much to ask.
