Norman Issues Mandatory Mask Order In Public

If you haven't heard the cries yet, the City of Norman city council and mayor has issued a mask mandate for those venturing out into certain public areas within their city limits, and the masses are split about 50/50 on this issue.

It was the late hours of Tuesday night when the vote happened, it passed, and now if you're planning on visiting to socialize in public, shop, etc in Norman, Oklahoma, you'll need to wear a mask. It's not a complete lockdown requiring masks to be worn everywhere inside city limits, but in bars and businesses where social distancing is a hard thing to achieve, it's now the law of the land.

Since America has decided to make masks a political hot topic, people are split on whether the city council and mayors office is overstepping their bounds, and I'm sure any Lawton resident can be considered an expert on overstepping elected officials after the April we experienced full of odd and ever-changing rules and mandates. It really was a debacle worthy of total recall, but that's a story for another time.

Let me just say this first and foremost... Requiring you to wear a mask in any public space is not a violation of your rights. As much as the mainstream media tells you to feel this way, it's just not, and I'm happy to endure your angry email replies in order to inform you why.

If your rights were being infringed, you wouldn't have a choice in the matter. In this instance, you do have choices. You have the choice to not visit a place that requires wearing a mask. It is literally that simple. It's not forced upon you. You are in control of your destiny to visit a place that has a requirement like this, in which case you'll be expected to comply. Your compliance isn't accepting tyranny because, in this case, you would be making a choice to visit such a place complete with their laws... and before you say it, I'm way ahead of you on this.

"But what if you live there?"

As a citizen of a city that passes a mask mandate, you still have the choice to not go into the public spaces that require you to wear a mask. You can stay home on your own volition. You will not and cannot be forced to wear a mask on/in the confines of your own private property. If they could, that would by a clear case of tyranny and worthy of calling up your boogaloo buddies to storm the Bastille... but it's not required that you wear a mask on your own property. Even the most overzealous official knows that scenario will absolutely not fly.

Before you mention is, yes, your vehicle is an extension of your home in terms of private property. You cannot be forced to wear a mask while traveling in your vehicle.

"But what if my employer requires it?"

Well, your employer is subject to a little oversight here. The city it resides in issues a license for that business, and to ensure they can continue to operate that business, they may enforce the cities mask mandate. That is still not violating your rights. You have the choice to either call in sick, take vacation, or just choose not to work. If might cost you your job, but you'll have the rights you might believe are being infringed upon. Again, they're not being infringed as you have complete control over whether you'll adhere to it or not.

This entire situation will be experienced differently for everyone. You're not alone. Most will wear a mask and go on living as normally as possible. Others will have to make an unnecessarily hard choice between their principals and their will to live life as normal as possible like the rest of us. It's the choice we all must make, but because it is a choice, it is not a violation of your rights. You are still in control of your life, how big or small it will become is totally up to you.