Can we STOP exploiting our small towns for politics?

[shunyadragon]

This has nothing to do with my question.

Simplistic answers do not address anything. Everything to do with the questions (plural), and your failure to respond to the questions reflects your intentional ignorance.

 

[Twilight Hue]

I live in a small town, and unlike many people, I have no desire to move to a big city. During the fall, our town makes money on farmer's markets, we have fish fry days, and we have a big event called the strawberry festival (nevermind that I'm not sure we even still grow strawberries around here, this is an event that attracts pwople from miles around). During weeks where there is a BBQ, a metallic pig (it's a repurposed stove) gets rolled out from somewhere. It has a blacksmith. It has weavers. It has a lively folk art movement. It's a cute and quiet town with a wooden cutout statue of what I assume is George Washington and his wife (probably not).

You ever played the game Mother 3? Probably not, because it wasn't officially translated. It revolves around the plot of this town slowly getting subverted. At the start, they don't even use money, then after a major crisis, we see barter. Then some trader comes in with a "happy box" and we see the emergence of an economy. Gradually things get darker and darker until the town is abandoned and the remaining people have their doors all locked. Everyone moved to the city and it's just kinda gloomy and depressing.

During COVID time, some unelected goons probably from the state have taken to masking historic figures. They're also vandalizing and tearing down statues. In bigger cities, they may have posters of Adams or Lincoln wearing a mask (which already annoys me because it is completely unfactual) but here in our small town, you walk down the main street and there are cute little wooden cutouts (under normal circumstances) who are now forced to obey state edicts that didn't exist during their time (they had enough to deal with paying taxes for playing cards, tea, and other things). Awhile back I also plopped grass in Martha's mask (the idea being that she was breathing in stale moldy air but not only was it never noticed but it actually made her look like she was breathing), but after a vacation that kinda barely was (couldn't go inside shops, mainly just walked around outside except for one concert in a park), I'd had enough, and on the way back from the post office, I took off George's mask.

So here it is below. If you all wanna call the police on me for vandalism, I'm the one officer. But is it vandalism? When a statue gets BLM graffiti on it, is the person who undoes it a vandal? Probably not. Not unless our laws are now screwed up. But the making Martha breathe in moldy air, yeah that kinda was (it's not noticeable though).
I don't think this double standard of freely allowing some oafs from the state department to put a mask on something that someone else painted is okay, yet getting rid of it is not. But that's why I'm making a poll.

The thing is, I'm not sure whether I want our small town in the middle of nowhere (aside from being county seat and part ofa road to other small towns) to be a mouthpiece of policies that it doesn't necessarily agree with. This whole masking historical (or at least colonial, if they aren't in fact George and Martha Washington) figures smacks of heavy propaganda. This is a small town, but more importantly, this is OUR small town, and it's getting propagandized by its own cute wooden cutouts.

View attachment 43053

Think of it this way. Theres a transformation by which a new Republican supporter is born each and every time things like this happen.

 

[sun rise]

Do you wear a mask every time you venture out?

Is there a mask mandate where you live? Do you wear one? (Two separate and almost unrelated questions because I started wearing a mask when I went out).

 

[ImmortalFlame]

That's a bit like saying, "Is looking left, right and left again before I cross the road working"

I went on two trams today and as far as I could see there was 100% compliance, that's in Manchester, England

That's from where I am!

We appear to be really good on public transport. Then you get into Manchester centre and it's basically total chaos.

 

[sun rise]

Think of it this way. Theres a transformation by which a new Republican supporter is born each and every time things like this happen.

What "things like this"?

 

[sun rise]

What's "The ummmm grass thing"?

 

[Twilight Hue]

What "things like this"?

Its the pushy in your face behavior. Nobody that I know likes to be treated that way.

 

[Altfish]

That's from where I am!

We appear to be really good on public transport. Then you get into Manchester centre and it's basically total chaos.

Must admit, if it is crowded I leave mine on; after rush hour if the streets are clearer, I will take the mask off.
I'm off to Eastbourne by train tomorrow - that'll be interesting, using the tube for the first time!

 

[sun rise]

To the OP, "vandalism" to me implies permanent or semi-permanent defacing and destruction. Putting a mask on a cardboard cutout I create is not vandalism. Tearing off the mask is like telling me that your opinion is more important than mine.

(It's also why I'm against people tearing up Trump campaign signs on their property).

And in this case with a pandemic that is killing babies through seniors and leaving others with permanent disabilities, we're all in it together. But we're having a clash between selfish people who want to get their own way and those who believe that we're supposed to help each other.

 

[Altfish]

Its the pushy in your face behavior. Nobody that I know likes to be treated that way.

Equally, the people on the receiving end of your contaminated breath don't like to be treated that way either,

 

[sun rise]

Its the pushy in your face behavior. Nobody that I know likes to be treated that way.

Fair enough in theory.

In practice having a cutout making a statement on my property or somewhere where it's legal is not "pushy in your face" but a statement.

What I've seen are too many reports of people having BLM signs torn up and worse from opponents. That is "pushy in your face" to me because it denies BLM supporter's free speech rights and destroys their property.

 

[sun rise]

Equally, the people on the receiving end of your contaminated breath don't like to be treated that way either,

Great point. Someone who refuses to wear a mask is literally pushing possibly COVID-laden air in my face and possibly causing me to get sick and die. To me then it becomes literally a matter of life and death and when my life is threatened, I'm going to respond.

 

[Twilight Hue]

Fair enough in theory.

In practice having a cutout making a statement on my property or somewhere where it's legal is not "pushy in your face" but a statement.

What I've seen are too many reports of people having BLM signs torn up and worse from opponents. That is "pushy in your face" to me because it denies BLM supporter's free speech rights and destroys their property.

I agree. Such behaviors have a tempering effect that dosent do any good with any view or stance.

Unfortunately that is all to often ignored by all involved regardless of stance which makes conflict resolution all that much harder.

 

[Twilight Hue]

Great point. Someone who refuses to wear a mask is literally pushing possibly COVID-laden air in my face and possibly causing me to get sick and die. To me then it becomes literally a matter of life and death and when my life is threatened, I'm going to respond.

It almost sounds eerily similar with the smoker vs non smoker issues that have occurred.

 

[Altfish]

It almost sounds eerily similar with the smoker vs non smoker issues that have occurred.

Yes, as a non-smoker I used to hate inconsiderate smokers who wafted smoke in my direction.

 

[Saint Frankenstein]

I live in a small town, and unlike many people, I have no desire to move to a big city. During the fall, our town makes money on farmer's markets, we have fish fry days, and we have a big event called the strawberry festival (nevermind that I'm not sure we even still grow strawberries around here, this is an event that attracts pwople from miles around). During weeks where there is a BBQ, a metallic pig (it's a repurposed stove) gets rolled out from somewhere. It has a blacksmith. It has weavers. It has a lively folk art movement. It's a cute and quiet town with a wooden cutout statue of what I assume is George Washington and his wife (probably not).

You ever played the game Mother 3? Probably not, because it wasn't officially translated. It revolves around the plot of this town slowly getting subverted. At the start, they don't even use money, then after a major crisis, we see barter. Then some trader comes in with a "happy box" and we see the emergence of an economy. Gradually things get darker and darker until the town is abandoned and the remaining people have their doors all locked. Everyone moved to the city and it's just kinda gloomy and depressing.

During COVID time, some unelected goons probably from the state have taken to masking historic figures. They're also vandalizing and tearing down statues. In bigger cities, they may have posters of Adams or Lincoln wearing a mask (which already annoys me because it is completely unfactual) but here in our small town, you walk down the main street and there are cute little wooden cutouts (under normal circumstances) who are now forced to obey state edicts that didn't exist during their time (they had enough to deal with paying taxes for playing cards, tea, and other things). Awhile back I also plopped grass in Martha's mask (the idea being that she was breathing in stale moldy air but not only was it never noticed but it actually made her look like she was breathing), but after a vacation that kinda barely was (couldn't go inside shops, mainly just walked around outside except for one concert in a park), I'd had enough, and on the way back from the post office, I took off George's mask.

So here it is below. If you all wanna call the police on me for vandalism, I'm the one officer. But is it vandalism? When a statue gets BLM graffiti on it, is the person who undoes it a vandal? Probably not. Not unless our laws are now screwed up. But the making Martha breathe in moldy air, yeah that kinda was (it's not noticeable though).
I don't think this double standard of freely allowing some oafs from the state department to put a mask on something that someone else painted is okay, yet getting rid of it is not. But that's why I'm making a poll.

The thing is, I'm not sure whether I want our small town in the middle of nowhere (aside from being county seat and part ofa road to other small towns) to be a mouthpiece of policies that it doesn't necessarily agree with. This whole masking historical (or at least colonial, if they aren't in fact George and Martha Washington) figures smacks of heavy propaganda. This is a small town, but more importantly, this is OUR small town, and it's getting propagandized by its own cute wooden cutouts.

View attachment 43053

So some people put masks on tacky street art and you think the world is ending. Grow up and get a clue. People are dying.

 

[9-10ths_Penguin]

If I die from not being granted entry to grocery on account of lacking a mask, is it a COVID death or starvation?

They don't have curbside pickup where you are?

Neither my wife nor I have actually been inside a store since March. We haven't starved.

If they don't have this where you are, then maybe complain about that instead of complaining about masks on statues.

 

[9-10ths_Penguin]

Meanwhile, my aunt is on a respirator as a result of wearing (and reusing) dirty masks. You know what? That she was tested (negative) and in the hospital probably boosts some statistic. Actually she's got bad pneumonia.

I don't believe you.

 

[MNoBody]

 

[Twilight Hue]

The evidence is overwhelming where masks are not worn and social distancing is not observed COVID-19 rapidly spreads.

Of course. Dosent take a brain surgeon that the virus is permanently here to stay. No matter what people do. Mask or no mask.