June 01, 2005

I'm sure some of their faces just LOOK like masks. Apparently, wearing a Grinch mask in Wheeling is just plain illegal. It might interfere with law enforcement agents' investigation re. Who Stole Christmas.
posted by tennenho 19 years ago
  • I imagine that the law may have originated in response to some Klan activity that West Virginia wanted to distance itself from. This is an obviously unconstitutional law, and I expect that the ACLU will jump all over this one.
  • I would hope that the ACLU is busy with more pressing matters.
  • I think that they like to take the occassional case that they will actually win.
  • What bernockle said. Given the location, I'd be willing to bet that this law was dreamed up as a reaction to cross burnings and other classy hate-crimes. You pull over a station wagon full of guys with pillow cases on their heads and a bunch of lumber and gasoline in the back, you have to have some solid crime to arrest them for.
  • I would hope the ACLU is not busy with more pressing matters.
  • Am I the only one who thinks stopping people wearing masks in public in anything other than a parade or halloween is a *good* thing?
  • It's also illegal to wear masks in public in Texas, I think. It was passed in the 30s to combat Klan activity, and is only enforced, as far as I know, against Klan members and people who commit robberies wearing masks. The cops who arrested the Grinch were obviously dicks. These types of laws are meant to be on the books but used in specific ways.
  • I brought this up in my politics class today. The first reaction of everyone was shock and outrage. The second was "Why was he wearing a grinch mask?"
  • There's obviously more to the story than the liberal media is telling us. I bet he was wearing the mask on the way to the abortion clinic, or some other destination as sinisterly liberal. This is just spin to make him look like a victim.