The Summit Board of County Commissioners should learn
from Yoda.
Yoda said, “Do or do not. There is no try.” The board
does not get this.
In the wake of the new public health order requiring
wearing of masks in public building, I was dismayed, but not surprised, to hear
May 1 on KYSL radio about confrontations at Target between people wearing and
people not wearing masks. I was also dismayed, but not even remotely surprised,
to hear nothing about a law enforcement presence.
Making something mandatory without providing
enforcement is not doing something. It is barely even trying, and as such it
earns a failing grade. It creates not only a risk to public health, but also a
risk to the personal safety of store employees and shoppers.
The board chose to make masks mandatory. The board
must also choose to require law enforcement involvement when people do not obey
the order. The staff of stores has neither the training nor the responsibility
to enforce a county order. The sheriff’s office and the police departments do.
There should be an officer on call, if not actually
present, to address violators of the order. They should be prepared to write
citations or even make arrests as the situation warrants. There should also be
information outside the store on making masks, unless a supply of masks can be
on-site to facilitate compliance, and information about making orders for
curbside delivery at that store.
It is clear from actions in the community and words in letters and comments to the Summit Daily that there is a difference of opinion on wearing masks. This letter is not about that. This letter is about the board stepping up to enforce its orders, or just stepping the rest of the way down and abdicating entirely.