The Governor of Maryland has said there is no constitutional right to walk around without a mask.
Gov. Larry Hogan made the comments during an announcement on Monday that the state will be ramping up enforcement of coronavirus restrictions ahead of Thanksgiving holiday.
Sporting a face mask featuring the words “Wear The Damn Mask”, the governor said:
“It’s sort of like saying, I have a Constitutional right to drive drunk. I have a Constitutional right to not wear a seatbelt. Or to yell ‘fire’ in a crowded movie theatre. Or to not follow the speed limits. We’re talking about a quarter of a million people dying already. You know, more than the Korean War, the Gulf War and the Vietnam War added together.
“Which part don’t you understand? You wear the mask. There’s no Constitutional right to walk around without a mask,” Hogan added.
Gov. Hogan (R-MD) on resistance to mask requirement: “It’s sort of like saying, ‘I have a constitutional right to drive drunk’ … There is no constitutional right to walk around without a mask.” pic.twitter.com/TiONn5BG8c
— The Recount (@therecount) November 23, 2020
Trump lawyer Jenna Ellis soon after responded to the governor’s announcement on Twitter, calling the remarks “dangerously stupid.”
“It’s government’s burden to show that a specific driver is drunk in a specific instance of driving. Just because SOME drivers are drunk doesn’t mean the government can force ALL DRIVERS to stop driving until all accidents are prevented.”
“This is so dangerously stupid,” Ellis added.
