James O’Brien is baffled that people are more threatened by masks than Covid – and he’s not alone
Today is the first day of the renewed mask mandate in shops and on public transport in England – as well as in communal areas of secondary schools.
Face masks will be compulsory in shops and on public transport in England from Tuesday, health secretary says https://t.co/ifzyMRpxzj
— BBC News (UK) (@BBCNews) November 28, 2021
The move is in response to the threat from the Omicron variant of Covid-19, which is known to be more transmissible than previous variants, but has angered some people, who have been calling for defiance of the mandate.
Those pushing #DoNotComply have failed. pic.twitter.com/jGWntHSl2E
— Paul Baron (@Paul_Baro) November 27, 2021
The amount of fuss over being asked to do a small thing to protect other people remains baffling to the majority.
If you are under the impression that having to wear a small piece of fabric over your face to ensure the safety of others is the greatest tyranny you have ever experienced maybe you're life is actually pretty good and you're just desperate to have something to moan about.
— TechnicallyRon (@TechnicallyRon) November 29, 2021
The mega whine-athon triggered by telling people to wear masks in shops and on public transport… is exactly why this country is in such a pitiful mess. Infantile foot-stamping at not being able to just be supremely, cluelessly selfish…
— sarah murphy (@13sarahmurphy) November 28, 2021
Yet again I am being forced by weather to wear a scarf, this is tyranny
— James Felton (@JimMFelton) November 29, 2021
Masks:
1. Keep your face warm
2. Mean you can laugh/lipsynch/practise lines while alone in public and nobody thinks "loony alert!"
3. Come in very cool designs
4. Prevent the spread of COVIDIf you're angry about wearing a mask you're a bit too easily offended imho.
— Sooz "26 Days Til Xmas" Kempner (@SoozUK) November 27, 2021
LBC presenter and best-selling author, James O’Brien, has become very adept at condensing an issue into digestible chunks, as well as asking the questions that go to the heart of the matter.
In this set-up for a phone-in, he addressed the stance of the #DoNotComply brigade, and it’s well worth the four minutes and 38 seconds it takes to give it a listen.
James O'Brien: The notion you're more threatened by wearing a mask than by coronavirus baffles me.@mrjamesob pic.twitter.com/rEt6TrEzve
— LBC (@LBC) November 29, 2021
‘It’s killed 150,000 people, and yet you’re more threatened by an order to wear a mask than you are by the threat posed by the virus.’
Some responses came from the very people he was addressing.
It's not about masks. They are irrelevant & are a pretext for authorities to introduce controls & see how far they can push masses into following rules without causing public unrest.
A simple but effective way to measure of how easy it will be to introduce further full controls. https://t.co/6SstkSbw8j— Toxic Lemon (@ToxicLemon99) November 29, 2021
Look what your endless vaccine promoting stance has created. Complete and total control by governments. Hungry with this power they are now quick to want to announce measures without even knowing the seriousness of the new variant. Well done James it’s people like you this is on
— Ash (@a_sharma99) November 29, 2021
But far more were on the same page as James, and this is how they reacted.
Hard to disagree with any of this from @mrjamesob …some will though. https://t.co/qEQheTOzRl
— Gary Lineker 💙 (@GaryLineker) November 29, 2021
Goes beyond this for me. Yes, you might be fit and well and think if you get it it’ll be not too bad. It’s who you give it to that’s the issue. https://t.co/VPH0UFGxd4
— Emma Kennedy💙 (@EmmaKennedy) November 29, 2021
true that. anti maskers. so whiney. put a mask on. easy. saves lives. https://t.co/GcqD8R8zB4
— Captain SKA (@CaptainSKA) November 29, 2021
You can't argue with just the words on the blurb below.
You can't.
You want to. But that's cuz you believe Mike the YouTube "doctor" whom you've done no due diligence onIt's a mask
You wore one on Halloween (and we know YOU definitely did) so boom… Halloween til the new year! https://t.co/xNCrRedWv0— ⚫ Why Always You ⚪ (@pls_do_better) November 29, 2021
Such a brilliant take on the flawed thought process of anti-maskers https://t.co/P4YGbjtNDq
— Michael Gillett | #WIMVP (@MichaelGillett) November 29, 2021
— Mike a Christian West Ham fan (@WHUChristian) November 29, 2021
James posted this update, now that the mandate is in place.
99% masked on the District line this morning. After yesterday’s show, I’d compare the ‘anti-mask’ position to a belief that laws to stop us driving at 100mph in 30mph zones are a sinister government bid to ‘control’ the population. The ‘donotcomply’ hashtag fits this analysis. https://t.co/tvA2yJZ4ED
— James Oh Brien (@mrjamesob) November 30, 2021
To give credit where it’s due, here’s that joke.
This is not how I wanted to learn the Greek alphabet
— Isla McKetta, MFA | #DreamBigFightHard (@islaisreading) November 26, 2021
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Source LBC Image Screengrab, Screengrab