Hello, all.
I've been here pretty much since TheDonald moved from Reddit (spit) and was ChristianSoldier. I didn't migrate over here until now.
I have not been wearing a mask. I've been asked to leave a few stores, and did so quietly and without making a fuss. That apparently ended today.
Anyway, I needed new glasses, and got a prescription. A few weeks later, I went to an optician to get fitted for glasses, and walked in without a mask. No one said anything about it. One optician came to help me, but she left and the head optician came out and picked up where she left off. The whole 45 minutes or so I was there, no one ever mentioned masks. He told me they'd be ready in two weeks and he'd call.
Last week, the head optician called and said the glasses were ready. So, we drove the 50 or so miles into town today to get them. When I walked in the door, the receptionist insisted I wear a mask and said I couldn't stay without one. So, I left and immediately called and asked to speak to the optician. No answer.
A moment or two later he called back and asked what he could do for me. I calmly explained what had happened and said that there was no way for me to buy the glasses since the receptionist wouldn't let me in the shop. He offered to come out and fit them for me on the sidewalk. I told him that I am not a second class citizen and that if they didn't serve people without masks they should have told me when I first came in and I would have gladly taken my business somewhere else. I told him what he had done was very probably illegal and that I would have to figure out my options.
Legal advice. It seems pretty clear I was discriminated against just because they did not inform me the first visit or when they called me that masks were required for service. The first visit it was clear I wasn't wearing a mask, and when they called, they had prior knowledge that I didn't wear one. They had multiple opportunities to warn me and failed to do so nor did they ask me if I had any medical conditions that prevented me from wearing one. Does one have to sue for a certain type of discrimination or can a business just deny service for any reason as long as it's not race/religion/ etc.?
I don't want to sue them, but this is too far. Do I have grounds to sue the health department for giving bad requirements to businesses? Our sheriff, God bless him, has already said he will not enforce mask requirements. Our two elected commissioners who sit on the county/city health board both voted against requiring face masks. The rest of the board (all appointees) voted to continue it.
What is my legal recourse from here? I'd appreciate any thoughts even from non-lawyers.
Christian advice: Would this be pleasing to the Lord to fight this fight? My own church (tiny church) wouldn't support me on this, and so I have no local human support on this besides my husband. I want to do the righteous thing here. Thoughts? And prayers!
Anyway, thanks for listening.
Thanks. I have been asked to leave numerous places, and I do it without a fuss, so I understand your point and agree. Had this business told me the day I first walked in that they couldn't accommodate me, that would have been the end of it.
I also understand that the business folk are trying to figure everything out as we go, and so I try to extend some grace. However, it has been a year now. Surely, they should have put some policies in place to handle folks like me? And then the question becomes, when do we stop accommodating them on their discrimination? When is discrimination okay?
In my state, the governor has removed the mask mandate, and so the county boards are requiring masking, although they have no legal standing They have put the businesses as a front man for their terrible rulings. And I really think they count on our compassion to keep us from stopping this, because we will hurt "innocent business owners". Yet, that business owner was also guilty of discriminating against me and for what reason? Certainly not because I don't wear a mask, otherwise they would have stopped me from coming in that first day.
Anyway, as you can see, I'm a bit frustrated. Thanks for listening.
I agree with you. The government is using the businesses as the lever to force their illegal edicts. It is indeed frustrating and demoralizing seeing so many willingly giving up their freedoms and actively trying to force others to comply with something that has no medical/scientific basis. It's a religion as this point. How you want to to pursue it is up to you, but I wouldn't go tilting at windmills to achieve it. It's going to take many people refusing to have their rights trampled to stop this insanity and becoming a (financial) martyr is in no one's interest at this point, in my opinion. As I said, I would see if the optometrist was amenable to seeing you without anyone else there if he is sympathetic to your beliefs and in fear of fines. I would calmly explain that you would have gone to a different business, had you known they were enforcing illegal edicts by government employees and that you feel very strongly about this matter. Perhaps he is more sympathetic to you than you know and has a mask nazi receptionist he's dealing with. If he is unsympathetic and blows you off, then go somewhere else and you can sleep easy knowing you tried to give him the benefit of the doubt and be a reasonable person. Just my $.02.
That is just what I decided last night. Thanks for that confirmation. And thanks for taking the time to reply. I truly appreciate it.
You're welcome. It's always nice to chat with someone who gives thoughtful and insightful comments, so thanks to you too. Have a great day!