When it comes to government overreach, there are plenty of reasons why Americans are fearful.
First and foremost, this is in our DNA. We founded this nation by overthrowing a government that decided they wanted us to pay more taxes on tea than we used to, so, of course, we’re going to be a little antsy when the feds try to tell us how to live our lives.
This has never been truer than when we’ve talked about face masks used to prevent the spread of COVID, and the glut of Americans who don’t believe that the government should have the authority to force us to wear them.
Now, after months of debate on the subject, a ridiculous example of the government’s nonsensical approach to safety is rearing its ugly head.
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) announced Tuesday that it had fined a passenger $10,500 for refusing to wear a face mask during a February flight.
In a press release, the agency said that a passenger had taken an Allegiant Air flight on Feb. 27 going from Provo, Utah, to Mesa, Ariz., and allegedly refused to wear the mask properly over both his nose and mouth.
Here’s the explanation for the obscene fine.
“Flight attendants instructed him seven separate times to wear his facemask properly, and each time he moved it off of his nose after the flight attendant walked away,” the release said.
“When told that he needed to cooperate and provide information to fill out a passenger disturbance report, he argued with the flight attendant, refused to provide his identification, said he would continue to pull his facemask down, and claimed that it was fine just over his mouth,” the release continued.
The FAA has noted that 2021 has seen at least 2,400 instances of passengers acting out on flights due to the mask policy.
