Shaming people who refuse to wear face masks isn ’t a good look | Arwa Mahdawi

Yes, they are selfish. Yes, they are putting lives in danger. But do they deserve to be vilified? NoCostco Karen; Walmart Karen; Starbucks Karen; Target Karen. Name a US retail establishment and there ’s probably a viral video of a “Karen” (internet slang for an angry white woman) fuming about face masks in it or getting chased out of the store forrefusing to wear one. “Mask meltdown”videos have become a feature of the pandemic, part of a larger trend of mask-shaming. Sneering at people who refuse to wear face coverings has become a particularly viral form of virtue signalling.Britain is a few months behind parts of the US in terms of masks. In New York, where I live, they ’ve been compulsory in most public places since April. But with face coverings becomingmandatory for English shoppers this week (and already compulsory in Scotland) I ’m sure it won’t be long before mask-shaming is as rampant in the UK as it is over here.Continue reading...
Source: Guardian Unlimited Science - Category: Science Authors: Tags: Coronavirus outbreak Infectious diseases Medical research Science Microbiology World news Source Type: news