The New York Post reports that a county in Oregon is exempting people of color from its new mandate that citizens wear masks because of fears that they might be racially profiled.

Jackie Salo reports:

With mask requirements becoming more common, activists have raised concerns that the directives could put non-white people in danger.

“For many black people, deciding whether or not to wear a bandanna in public to protect themselves and others from contracting coronavirus is a lose-lose situation that can result in life-threatening consequences either way,” ReNika Moore, director of the ACLU’s Racial Justice Program, told CNN.

Trevon Logan, who is black, said orders to wear face coverings are “basically telling people to look dangerous given racial stereotypes that are out there.”

“This is in the larger context of black men fitting the description of a suspect who has a hood on, who has a face covering on,” Logan, an economics professor at Ohio State University, told the outlet.

For what it’s worth, we’d be all for a mandate that members of Antifa not wear kerchiefs over their faces while they’re doing their rioting.

Trending

It’s … complicated.

The Post reports that county health officials have said “no person shall intimidate or harass people who do not comply,” so if you’re black and not wearing a mask in the grocery store, Karen will just have to zip it.

Related:

Share on Facebook Share on Twitter
Tags: Lincoln CountymasksNew York Postoregonpeople of colorracial profiling