TUCSON, Ariz. — A viral video is fueling the heated debate about face coverings and whether or not they should be mandated across the country.
The dad seen in the clip can be heard screaming at a customer who's wearing a mask. The clip has more than four million views and is full of violent threats and bad language, all over one customer who is wearing a face mask.
The incident happened at a Tucson Sprouts Farmers Market. The man can be seen screaming at a customer inside the store using profanity and getting up next to the customer who had a face covering on.
The captions and comments associated with the post say the guy's son had to pick him up, as you see in the video, to get him out of the store.
Multiple stores including Sprouts, Target and Costco have mandates in place for patrons.
Communications Expert and Author of the "Cure For Stupidity: Using Brain Science to Explain Irrational Behavior" Eric Bailey, explains part of the pushback.
"One thing that we see very often is claiming that it goes against my right, my freedom, it's restricting my freedom, which is the same argument from 1960's when there were federal seatbelt mandates," Bailey said.
He added that pent up pandemic stress surfaces in these types of situations.
"When we get to that level of heightened emotion we can't really expect rational behavior, rational thought, we need to calm down first and then re-engage the conversation," he added.
Plus, in order to protect employees, stiff penalties are now in place for violence against store staff in Illinois.
"Looking at the folks standing at the door asking people to wear a mask, I guarantee you would not want work that job," Bailey said.
Gov. Doug Ducey allowed cities to issued their own mask mandates back in June in an effort to slow the spread of COVID-19, but even a mandate won't mean everyone is on board.
Health officials encourage people to wear a face-covering to keep yourself and others from spreading germs especially when social distancing isn't possible.
