Items

• 
  2020-06-25

  Strange crossover between anti mask protests and George Floyd BLM protests

  Scottsdale councilman Guy Phillips made national headlines today due to his comments at an anti mask rally in Scottsdale. Phillips parroted the popular BLM phrase and George Floyds dying words "I Can't Breathe" in relation to his feelings on being forced to wear a mask. A portion of Americans around the country and here in Arizona have been expressing disdain for new mandates requiring masks in public to prevent further spread of the virus through protests and gatherings. These new mask mandates come as Covid cases spike here in Arizona and across the nation. I found this tweet and the actions of Phillips here to be especially noteworthy due to the complete misunderstanding of not only the public health recommendations regarding masks but also the core message of BLM protestors. This elected official seems to disregard the dying words of Floyd by mimicking them to express his unwillingness to wear a mask, which, to me, seemed absurd. A big part of this stage of Covid in America is both the "giving up" of trying to flatten the curve by many people and government officials and the "anti health mandates" portion of the public and government officials who have turned the virus into some sort of political debate. Phillips exemplifies the latter, and I felt it necessary to include this example as I felt this is a rather uniquely American phenomenon or thought process.