the bistro off broadway

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Along Life’s Way
Masks and Unmasking
By Lois E. Wilson
 
Most of us became aware of masks in our childhood when we put one on for our first Halloween event. They were to conceal our identity and add to the effect of the character or animal we were portraying through our costume. We realized that by wearing a bandana tied around the lower part of our faces we could pretend to be an outlaw. We knew they hid their faces so others would not know who they were.  We also learned that cowboys wore bandana masks to lessen the amount of dust they inhaled while doing their work on the range
 
Early tribal cultures in Africa and on our continent created masks which are prized today for their workmanship and artistic value. They are of humanoid and animal forms and were worn in ceremonial rites for hunting to please the spirits. Some were hung where people lived to keep evil spirits away. In the Old World there were elaborate masquerade events. The half mask (domino) often attached to a stick was held to the face and served as a flirting device. Masks were also used during carnival seasons and in drama productions such as the Noh of Japan.
 
There are protective masks worn in occupations such as firemen and welders. Gas masks are equipment for the military. Masks worn in sports events are to protect the wearer. Some examples are those for fencers, catchers, and goalies.
 
The masks we are hearing so much about during the COVID-19 pandemic are to protect those in healthcare facilities caring for patients and others from acquiring the disease, or to prevent the virus spreading from infected people. The mask has been suggested as proper wear when going out, but has not been a required item in all situations. Many protesters wear masks which are political and impede identification.
 
There has been much news lately about the government “unmasking” the names of political rivals, their family members and staff during and after the 2016 presidential campaign. By law, U.S. citizens’ names incidentally gathered during government investigations of foreign agents are masked to protect the U.S. citizens from invasion of privacy.
 
If the foreign target is speaking about a U.S. citizen or with one, and the information gained has no intelligence value, it is purged from government databases and the person’s name redacted. In the second type of incidental collection where the person is actually involved in the conversation, nothing the U.S. citizen says can be disseminated without following the requirements of the law of minimization.
 
After following the necessary procedures, when unmasking occurs there must be a valid reason. The name is to be given only to the person requesting it. The name is to be masked when the intel is distributed further. This may not have happened in the current unmasking being investigated.
 
We should be consoled that, at least, we still have the choice of whether we wear health masks or not. I am for choosing and using all the protection possible. I’ll unmask on my terms—while I still can.


 
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