Firearms Owners Against Crime
Institute for Legal, Legislative and Educational Action
Institute for Legal, Legislative and Educational Action
Philadelphia has banned masks on its Center City SEPTA public transportation system in the hope of curtailing gun violence incidents.
CBS News reported an individual in a mask shot and killed a high school student on a SEPTA bus last week and on Memorial Day, another gunman in a mask shot a 19-year-old on a bus.
The 19-year-old survived his injuries.
SEPTA police chief Charles Lawson announced masks will no longer be allowed, saying, “Those face masks are prohibited on SEPTA property. You come on SEPTA property wearing your shiesty, you will be engaged by police. … You got two choices, remove it, or we escort you off the property.”
Philadelphia Magazine responded to the ban by claiming it will not reduce crime. Moreover, the magazine claimed the ban “isn’t just a reactive attempt to confront crime; it’s a dated, anti-Black stunt that scapegoats hip-hop culture.”
But the Philadelphia Tribune quoted chief Lawson saying, ““These full head coverings are a major issue because we’re seeing it routinely being worn in 80-degree weather or above, and there is no legitimate reason, pandemic withstanding, no legitimate reason to wear a full head covering in public.”