Passions are running strong on both sides of the issue concerning the masking of children. But now anti-maskers are being accosted for their views?
From 10:30 am-2 pm on Wednesday, drivers along Johns Road in South Anchorage may have seen Lucas Smith standing in front of Oceanview Elementary School holding a big yellow sign. He was on a solitary mission to state his views on masking of children in the public schools.
Drivers may have also seen the operator of a gray-and-pink ice cream truck stop in traffic, yell at Smith, get out of his vehicle and menace him, attempt to provoke him to swing at him, and eventually grab his sign, which read: Muzzles are 4 dogs not kids.”
Smith is opposed to masking children at school.
“And not just for children, mask mandates in general I disagree with,” said Smith, who has a child attending Oceanview Elementary School. Per the superintendent’s orders, all people going inside the school district buildings must wear face masks over their nose and mouths, and that includes his six-year-old.
“It should be up to the individual to decide if they want to wear a mask. iIf you feel safe with a mask, go ahead and wear one. If you don’t feel safe wearing one, don’t.”
Smith said a few people swore from their car windows or flipped him off, but 95 percent of drivers were giving him a thumbs-up.
But then came the gray-and-pink ice cream van.
“The individual stopped his ice cream truck in the middle of the traffic lane. This caused numerous vehicles to stop in both directions. His van was small, colored grey with pink lettering and with pink eye lashes on the headlights. I believe the name on his vehicle was ‘Eddy’s Ice Cream.’ He hopped out, got right in my face Antifa style, and asked me if I liked to suck d***. He said, ‘is that why you don’t want to wear a mask?’ Then he said, ‘Do you want to take a swing at me?’ He repeated himself a few times within about a foot of my face,” Smith recounted.
Smith tried to get an arms-length of separation from the man, who then took his sign and started off for his ice cream van.
“He took the sign out of my hands. As I chased down my sign a very nice individual in the lane nearest to me said ‘Hey man, freedom of speech!’ I noticed this nice individual had a Puerto Rico flag hanging from his rear view mirror. That meant a lot in that instant. So a big thank you to him,” Smith said.
Smith recalled that during the man’s rant he referred to “you Republicans,” which amused Smith, since he is a registered Libertarian.
“This all happened around 12:30 this afternoon in full view of the ASD security cameras if, in fact, they point fully out into the street and not just on property,” Smith said.
Read When is a mask not a mask? Man with shirt on head makes point at school board meeting
