Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham, who claims to be a supporter of the poor and downtrodden, commanded in her latest edict that “essential workers” must wear masks or face coverings.
According to her edict, “All employees must wear their face coverings in the workplace at all times when in the presence of others.” She made sure to add a condescending statement belittling New Mexicans, many are people of color, saying, “If New Mexicans don’t behave safely, we won’t be able to reopen more than we have. Every single one of us has to do their part.”
The requirement adopted by her and many Democrat governors may disproportionately affect people of color and the poor, who cannot afford face masks. Business owners, many of them owning small businesses, cannot afford to buy face masks, which have become a hot commodity amid the pandemic. It’s difficult to find any at reasonable prices, with some being sold for as much as $20 apiece.
So, who will provide these face masks required by Lujan Grisham’s edict? Small business owners and workers, that’s who. But price gouging is causing low-income individuals to not be able to afford masks. One report states the gouging has caused such a difficult market, allowing “only the more affluent can afford masks.” According to the latest statistics, people working in the restaurant industry were the most common group of low-income workers, 7.76% of the workforce, a group specifically singled out in the Governor’s edict., Also, over half of all jobs (49,249, or 53.0 percent) were held by ethnic minorities.
But regarding a different issue, Voter ID laws that secure American elections, Lujan Grisham claimed that having an ID to vote is “burdensome.” She also said such laws “disproportionately impact poor, elderly, disabled & Americans of color.”
The same tired argument can be made for requiring face masks, and we actually have a case, since a face mask can only be bought from select vendors, they are in low supply, and a burden to obtain. Getting an ID, which is required for everything from checking into a hotel to cashing a check, is not an undue burden.
Lujan Grisham’s discriminatory face mask order not only undermines her credibility as a leader, it hurts small businesses and working families who will have to go out of their ways to obtain face masks. The only people who will be hurt by Lujan Grisham’s requirement are the poor, who she seems to not give two thoughts about.
I just came across an individual today who was in tears because she ‘couldn’t’ wear a mask. Her history includes episodes with an abusive husband who would repeatedly try to kill her by suffocating and choking her. When she has tried to wear a mask she immediately suffers an anxiety attack. She is ‘required’ to wear a mask at work and has been yelled at by her supervisor because she can’t – she fears losing her job, she is a single mom of three. She has ‘no contact’ with customers – she works housekeeping. What is she to do? I know she isn’t the only one in this situation. She does not shop – her oldest child (16) goes for her and she waits in the car.
She needs to claim American Disabilities Act
How can we deaf or hard of hearing or hearing loss read their lips if they are wearing masks. We feel the oppress in double!!
Now MLG wants to have a mask contest called Mask Madness. For those that are poor or have lost their jobs and can afford only the basic paper masks how would they ever compete. This contest is purely for the left elites that can afford to pay the high prices for fancy masks or can afford to pay someone that can make them a fancy unique mask. Talk about deplorable.