Are masks worth outlawing? Check the dictionary.
I find that when spin doctors try to muddy an issue, it’s often a good idea to begin at the beginning and turn to a dictionary. For example, look up the word “mask,” and you get several definitions. As a noun, it means “a covering for all or part of the face, worn as a disguise, or to amuse or terrify other people.” As a verb, it means “to conceal (something) from view.”
Given the heated debate taking place in New York state right now, I found these meanings very telling, but allow me to share some background.
Recently I stood with Nassau County Legislator Mazi Pilip as County Executive Bruce Blakeman signed her Mask Transparency Act into law. The legislation made it a misdemeanor for anyone to wear a facial covering to hide their identity in public.
Those who break the law could be sentenced to up to a year in jail and a $1,000 fine, although it provides exemptions for health or religious reasons.
Now, some of you recognize that as plain common sense. In fact, many people are astonished that this isn’t already the law. Truth is, New York state did have this on the books for 175 of the last 178 years. That precedent targeted groups like the Ku Klux Klan, which terrorized African-Americans and Catholics. It was only repealed during Covid. The curious thing is that it was completely repealed, not temporarily suspended. Most states continue to have anti-mask laws on the books.
It’s common sense. For 175 years this was the law in New York. No one was disenfranchised, and no one seriously considered repealing it. And any time the law was challenged, the challenges were struck down by the courts, which cited public safety. In fact, when the New York repeal bill was proposed in 2020, it was opposed by both Republicans and Democrats. In the end, only my colleagues across the aisle voted for it. And they put New Yorkers at risk, because when someone is mugged or attacked, they should be able to identify their assailant.
What’s happened since the repeal needs no documentation. At hundreds of protests throughout the state and around the country, people — on both sides — have made masks and face coverings part of the protest uniform. Consequently, protests have grown increasingly violent, with boundless destruction of private property, and all without repercussion, because law enforcement cannot identify perpetrators.
This has grown particularly ugly this past year at anti-Israel protests in New York. Perhaps you’ve had the misfortune of witnessing one of them yourself. Or maybe you’ve watched the countless hours of video on social media. Sadly, it has become far too common for masked bullies to attack Jewish people, force them off subways, terrorize Jewish students on college campuses, and worse still, physically attack them.
And let’s not forget the endless stream of antisemitic hate speech that for some reason gets protected by prosecutors like New York City’s Alvin Bragg. The result? The New York City Police Department reports that antisemitic hate crimes skyrocketed by 45 percent in 2024 alone.
That’s why Nassau County passed this mask legislation. If someone wants to be an antisemite, a bigot, a racist or just a plain old jerk, it’s their right to be. But they won’t be able to hide their identity anymore. If someone commits a crime, they will be identified, and they are going to jail. It’s called accountability.
As always, there is a small but vocal group fighting common sense. They say that making “anonymous protest illegal chills political action,” and that not allowing them to hide their identities “puts their health and well-being in danger.” Never mind the health and well-being of those they’re intimidating. These people are arguing that if you commit a crime, you should be able to do so anonymously. By their measure, those who commit assault, spew hate speech, block traffic and destroy private property are now the victims, unless you let them do so freely and without consequence.
Remember “The Bizarro Jerry,” the episode of Seinfeld in which everything was the opposite? That’s what we have here. That’s why I’m cosponsoring a bill in the State Senate to make wearing a mask to hide your identity illegal throughout New York. You know, the same law that served us well for 175 years. And if anybody asks me why, I’ll just point them toward a dictionary.
Jack Martins represents the 7th Senate District.
