Unmask Lowcountry - Who really should decide?
Jennifer Trudeau's created a 'No Mask Legal Fund' here to combat a recent situation she reports involved a few City of Charleston employees, and her two young children, while she was shopping at the West Ashley Target.
"My children and I were accosted by the Charleston Livability department, while shopping as we normally do inside Target. Target's policy allows me to shop mask free, given my medical condition, and Charleston's policy also allows me to be exempt from their ordinance. That did not stop these unsworn city employees from threatening us in front of everyone inside Target. I explained multiple times that I was exempt, per their own ordinance that they were attempting to enforce. And these aggressive men threatened us as if we were common criminals, and said they would "See us outside with the cops", to me and my traumatized children. The manager at Target explained to me that these men just showed up. No one called them from the store. The incident was so troubling for my daughter that she still asks me if "The man in the black masks knows where we are going to be", and will he come take us to jail? Recently I had a very nice encounter with a county sheriff, and my poor child thought he was going to take us away. The officer couldn't have been nicer to us, but she cannot let it go.
It seems that the ADA and HIPAA laws are no longer applicable in this country, and people can harass and discriminate against others at will. Charleston's own city ordinance makes exception for people with medical conditions preventing them from wearing coverings on their face, and the city isn't following it's own provisions. The only recourse left is to lawyer up. Every dollar donated to this fund will go to fight this tyranny. My team is very passionate about the issue and very serious about representing this case to win. And it will not be cheap. It will be an uphill battle, and my neck is stuck right out on the public chopping block.
If they will come for me, they will come for you, and in front of your terrified children."
She's speaking among other's at Saturday's rally/march that's promised to be family friendly and peaceful.
"I’m not a Karen, I'm the TARGET of the Karen. I don’t speak to the manager, I mind my business. I would never presume to tell others what to do or how to be. I’m just a regular mom, trying to raise nice kids, and certainly never intended to end up in this scenario. I just want to see us all, and our kids, be able to get back to the lives we were all working hard to have."
Jennifer is also an administrator of the private Facebook group 'Unmask The Lowcountry' You'll have to answer a question or two before gaining access, but once you get in, you'll find stories like Tracy's:
"Went to Big Lots in N. Chuck and when we went up to checkout, the cashier asked if we had masks. I told her no. She said “then you have to wait for somebody else. “. Then another person came up and rang us up instead. I couldn’t believe it!"
Rally organizer, JT Bessinger of The Overton Group says:
"From 'Two Weeks To Flatten The Curve' to the One Year Anniversary of the Charleston Mask Mandate, City Council has lied, manipulated, deceived, taxed, gentrified, and swindled its way through the COVID pandemic. Forcing businesses to close, causing families to lose their homes, and crippled the economy of the Holy City."
Take a listen, on demand now, to an in-depth preview of event speakers:
EVENT PLAN: 'Charleston Unmasked' Peaceful Rally Against Mask Mandates, Sat. March 20th
12PM: Attendees will gather in front of the US CUSTOM HOUSE at the corners of EAST BAY ST and MARKET ST.
12:30pm: The group will march from the US Custom House to CHARLESTON CITY HALL
1PM: Speakers will address the group from in front of City Hall and Masks will be delivered to City Council.
Organizers remind you 'Don't Forget To Bring A Mask For City Council'