A while ago I wrote a diary Ban the Veil in which I proposed that all public mask wearing--not just the veil-- should be banned. The diary got alot of comments and discussion--and my poll showed a surprisingly sizeable minority (44%) at Dkos favored the idea. I don't want to go thru all the arguments for banning the veil--but they can be summarized as:
1. it's misognynistic
2. it presents a security threat
3. it goes against my concept of a civil society
Here is a link to that diary.
http://www.dailykos.com/...
Now we have the UK riots where many of the looters are wearing bandanas and ski masks.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/...
We all know why they are doing this: to hide their faces. In London today, as in many other UK cities, there are innumerable CATV cameras recording away, not to mention all the video and photo cameras folks now carry on their cell phones. The looters and robbers are thinking something like this:
I think the police are hesitant or afraid to stop us even by using water cannon, tear gas, or rubber bullets, but perhaps, after the riots are over (or even sooner), I don't want anyone to see my face on tape and arrest me for rioting or looting. If I'm not arrested now, a video of me stealing and vandalizing may be circulated--thru new media--and it may get me arrested later or otherwise prove embarrassing and cause problems for me the future.
So the "mask wearing" part of my original diary (emphasizing security concerns) may be more important than I thought.
Should we ban public mask wearing to discourage criminal activity such as we now see in the UK?
