Intrepid librarian stands firm against anti-masker indifferent to the laws of physics

Not all superheroes wear capes, as the saying goes. Some of them are diminutive librarians in sensible shoes, enforcing the laws of physics.

A recent example of this at an unnamed Illinois library was posted by Patriot Takes, an organization that monitors right-wing high jinks.

A man filmed himself trying to make a point — but all he made was a scene.

The woman, sporting a double mask — perhaps because she is older and thus more susceptible to severe illness — calmly stands her ground, denying a man entry to the library unless he dons a mask.

Public Library (Shutterstock/)

“I just want to take a video and ask why you won’t let me sign up,” the man said. “This is your choice to do. This is serious. I am here, with my daughter, we just want to use the library that we have a right to use. You guys won’t let us do this because I am not putting a mask on.”

He had the facts correct, but not quite the reasons behind them. The woman can be heard saying in a very soft voice that she is merely carrying out library policy, after which the man tells her she also has a “personal choice to say it is not a big deal.”

He agreed to leave, but not before trying to browbeat her into saying that she is the one choosing to enforce the policy, despite her assertion that she is duty-bound to do so.

“You are making the choice,” he said. “Just acknowledge that. I will leave here, but just acknowledge that you are making the choice.”

The man mistook her respect for the transmissibility and potential lethality of the pathogen unleashed nearly two years ago as blind obedience, saying that “just following orders” was the problem.

Rather than following orders for orders’ sake, the librarian was actually complying with Illinois Department of Health protocolst.

Absent from the discussion was mention of the choices that his decision would have forced others to make — specifically, their choice to breathe air untainted by the highly transmissible virus.

While this library was not identified, the St. Charles Public Library, also in Illinois, has been forced to close due to threats received, the library announced last week, as reported by the Kane County Chronicle.

Other public institutions are facing mask blowback as well. The Denver Children’s Museum announced it would close through Feb. 4

“We know the stress of the last two years has taken a toll on everyone in our community, but regrettably, some guests who object to the Museum’s mask policy have been inappropriately directing their anger toward our staff,” the museum said in a statement. “Therefore, we have made the decision to close our doors to the public January 26 through February 4 so that we can support our staff and bolster our policies with the hope of preventing this type of behavior in the future.”