How Dare you accuse me of that thing I’m definitely doing.

I started this blog with the intention of giving a light-hearted, funny, sarcastic take on the news and the ways society is changing. Every week, events overtake me, and there’s something I’m angry about. But one day, I will write something positive, funny and light-hearted.

Today is not that day.

Because this week, I was basically called a Nazi.

Allow me to set the scene. A customer, let’s call her Karen, came into my shop, not wearing a mask. I asked her if she could pop on a mask for me. she said she was exempt. I asked to see her exemption badge and….

“How Dare You! This is just like Nazi Germany! You cannot ask to see my badge! It’s against the Equality Act! I could press charges and you’d be charged £9000. I will not wear a badge that discriminates against me.” She went on to say there is no pandemic or else we’d all be dead and I shouldn’t watch the news.

So much to unpack there. First, her badge entitled her to privileges not available to others; she isn’t required to wear a mask. She is not being discriminated against. She is a middle class, middle aged white woman, she has no idea what discrimination is. She also has no idea what history is; exemption badges are in no way reminiscent of Nazi Germany, And if she wasn’t meant to show the badge, she wouldn’t have been given the badge.

I’m not even going to touch her views on the pandemic and the news except to say ignorance may be bliss, but it’s also ugly when you show it publicly. It’s like your lockdown clothes; comfortable, but don’t ever show them in public.

Her reaction to being asked to show her exemption badge was extreme, but also more and more common. People who wear masks seem okay with wearing masks; even in the heat and humidity. The worst response I see is a surly grimace, not unlike a teenager being asked to clean their room. But people are getting incensed when asked to show and exemption badge.

Is everyone familiar with the concept of projection?

Exemption badges in the UK are ridiculously easy to get. You don’t need a doctor’s note to get one, you can download it off the internet. So I wonder if the people who get offended don’t actually have a medical condition that merits an exemption. It’s easier to get angry, and make the questioner back off.

It’s like the politicians who get loudly offended at being called racist, but never explain how their policies are not racist; Likewise with accusations of corruption, cronyism, sexual harassment, sexual assault.

When you can’t defend, Attack.

Epilogue: As is so often the case, it wasn’t until later that I thought of what I should have said to the Karen. “Most people show their badge out of courtesy. Or are you exempt from that, too.”

I’ll use that line next time.