Governor Cuomo Signs Executive Order on Virus Masks, Codifying Longstanding Reality

There seems to be a bit of a selfishness issue when it comes to the vitriol that we see online today, and it may be coming from a place of pure opposition as opposed to common sense.

This could be uncomfortable to hear, but business owners have always had the right to refuse service to anyone, at any time, for any reason.  No shirt or shoes?  No service.  Get too drunk at the bar? Get asked to leave.  Start a fight at a nightclub?  Get thrown out on your face.

There are even dress codes at certain private establishments.  Some restaurants require long pants or no hats.  Golf courses often require collared shirts.

Now, in the age of coronavirus, some businesses will require masks, and that is their right.  This is their dress code.

One northeastern governor has now codified the idea.

New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D) said Thursday he will sign an executive order allowing private businesses to deny entry to customers who are not wearing face coverings.

“We made them mandatory in public settings, public transportation etc., but when we’re talking about reopening stores and places of business, we’re giving the store owners the right to say, ‘If you’re not wearing a mask, you can’t come in,’” Cuomo said during his daily press briefing.

Store owners have a right to protect themselves and other patrons, he said.

“You don’t want to wear a mask? Fine, but you don’t have a right to then go into that store if that store owner doesn’t want you to,” the governor added.

And while we may not agree with everything that Cuomo has done over the course of the last few weeks, one would be hypocritical to suggest that this is somehow different than wearing a polo shirt to the golf course, or shoes in a  convenience store.

If you find yourself annoyed or enraged at the issue, it is not with the government but with the business owner, and the best revenge for this nuisance is by not giving them your business in the first place.