First the bad. In Miami and Miami Beach, not wearing a mask in public will result in a $50 fine. In Miami, this rises to $500 for a third offense.
And now the good. Residents of Palm Beach County have sued the county in Florida state court, alleging that the county mask policy “infringes on the plaintiffs’ constitutionally protected rights by forcing them to wear ‘harmful medical devices like masks’ and asks the court to issue an injunction blocking its enforcement.”
Here is good and bad. Florida Governor Ron DeSantis has effectively closed all the bars, again, by ordering them to stop serving alcohol. However, he recently said that Florida is “not going back” on reopening. And I have pointed out previously that he said he will not issue a state-wide mask order. He is still a fascist, but is just not as bad as other governors.
And here is good. I relate this to help my readers avoid wearing masks if they possibly can. I had to go and renew my Florida driver’s license today. I brought a mask with me (with a slit cut in it) just in case I would be forced to wear one. I wasn’t. When I walked in without a mask at my appointed time, I was immediately challenged by some rent-a-cops. I pulled out my copy of our county mayor’s mask decree and showed the rent-a-cops where people with health conditions are exempt from wearing a mask. They did not know what to do. One of them took the decree to his supervisor and then came back and told me that I could enter the building as long as I “kept my face away from people.” He didn’t even ask me what my health condition was. I was questioned about my lack of mask by the clerk at my window and told her that her supervisor allowed me to enter. She checked with someone to verify my story and then did not say another word about a mask.
If you live in a state with a state, county, or city mask decree, I recommend that you print out a copy of the decree and highlight the exceptions. There will always be some exceptions. Bring the decree with you whenever you enter a store or restaurant and it may help you to get out of wearing a mask without causing a big commotion. Then again, it may not, but it is worth a try.
6:39 pm on July 1, 2020
