No privacy in public?
I read a story recently that really disturbed me. When in public, is it illegal to attempt to enhance your privacy and protect your identity?
If I am agoraphobic and choose a hood and mask as a means to go out in public, I can be arrested? It just seems wrong.
Even if the case isn't that extreme, if you simply want to go about your day without being stared at all the time, there seems to be no alternative.
I'll give personal bonus points for anyone who can cite the state/federal code and subsection (with a URL if possible) that specifically outlaws wearing masks and hoods in public. This article is about WV, but I'm interested in hearing about other states as well (esp. PA).
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NASAdude
May 26, 10:05 PM EDT
Man Arrested for Wearing Grinch MaskWHEELING, W.Va. (AP) -- City and county attorneys are defending Wheeling police who arrested a man for wearing a Grinch mask while walking along a city street.
Norman Eugene Gray, 42, was arrested Tuesday. He was arraigned and released on a personal recognizance bond.
Officers saw Gray about 8:45 a.m. Tuesday, told him to take the mask off and not put it on again. Gray removed it and asked why he could not wear it, according to Wheeling police reports. Officers told him wearing masks in public is illegal.
Gray said he felt he had a right to wear it and said it was not illegal. He put the mask back on and was arrested. The mask was confiscated.
Wheeling City Solicitor Rosemary Humway-Warmuth and Ohio County Prosecutor Scott Smith said masks as well as dark window tinting in vehicles can pose a safety hazard to law enforcement officers and hinder efforts to identify criminal suspects.
"When we think about masks, we don't always think of Halloween," Humway-Warmuth said.
Smith said wearing a mask or hood in public is a misdemeanor under state law, punishable by a fine of up to $500 or up to a year in jail, or both. Children up to 16 years old can wear masks. Traditional Halloween masks, safety gear used in occupations, theatrical productions, civil defense or protection from bad weather also are legal.
Comments
Yeah this article is kind of disturbing in that there is nothing wrong with him wearing a mask yet culture wouldn't allow him to and forced him to take it off.
I read somewhere that culture is 'collective wisdom', the wisdom of everyone within the culture combined. One would think that culture is the highest form of wisdom for "two heads are better than one", but this is not the case for culture is made up of fools as well as wise. Combine the two and the result is a watered down wisdom where the extremely foolish as well as the extremely wise stand out.
Culture will punish and reward in order to promote conformity. The guy got arrested for wearing a mask, but cultures ways of punishing are broader, generally playing off the human need for others; scorning, rejecting, verbal abuse, are some forms that come to mind. We will only love you IF AND ONLY IF you do what we tell you to. This is Conditional love, love with a price.
I remember being most aware of culture's influence back in high school. Like most everyone, I wanted to fit in and be popular, but I was different in a lot of respects so culture tore into me. I didn't have a lot of confidence in my own way of doing things so I learned to conform. I allowed culture to shape me, but too much. In some respects, culture was right, but in other respects it wasn't. I had to (have to) reawaken some of the good parts of me that I allowed culture to bury, undo the damage that was done.
We need to take the time to understand those who are different instead of passing quick judgment. Culture is not always right. It tragic when there is wisdom behind the individual's behavior yet we still squelch it. We should learn to question cultures way of doing things, learn the spirit behind the laws. This goes for religion and other forms authority as well.
What was the guy's intention for wearing the mask? Maybe he's a weirdo, maybe not. The only way to know for sure is to talk/spend some time with him to understand his way of thinking. I understand that it was the law, but throwing him in jail, doesn't seem to be the best solution.
Posted by: Craig | May 30, 2005 10:22 PM