Is this is in piss poor taste or AIBU?

[Nothavingfunrightnow]

I saw a woman wearing a mask at Sainsbury's and written on the mask was: "I can't breathe".

I think this is in very poor taste, or am I being overly dramatic?

@HollyBollyBooBoo

It's a political statement, nothing offensive about it.

There isn't. However I am surprised at someone only having one mask.

@Honeybobbin it’s not ironic. I am home now and done for the day and having a bit of downtime commenting on threads here.

Slightly different to seeing some of Hong so innocuous whilst out as part of my hectic day and being so enraged by it that it registered, I remembered it, thought more about it, and then was so disgusted that I started a thread about it.

@Nothavingfunrightnow

I saw a woman wearing a mask at Sainsbury's and written on the mask was: "I can't breathe".

I think this is in very poor taste, or am I being overly dramatic?

It would only be offensive to a racist. Are you a racist?

It may be a BLM slogan, it is also a common complaint of severe Covid.

@MaskingForIt Why would you assume that OP is a racist? She probably didn't realise it was anything to do with BLM and thought it was in poor taste due to people being unable to breathe when dying of COVID. I would have thought it was a COVID related statement myself as I've never heard or seen this phrase in relation to BLM

@Lottieis44 Even if it were a reference to Covid, I'd see that as an example of someone supporting mask wearing? E.g. I'm wearing a mask because I want to avoid painful symptoms?

Fuck, even if it was from an anti-masker, I'd still be happy they were doing it for the good of others even if they didn't believe in it.

Actually, thinking about it, I do remember reading about George Floyd saying this when he was killed, I didn't realise it was in widespread use as a slogan for the movement though

I cant breathe slogan has been around since 2014 I believe? Eric garner was killed and in the video was saying I cant breathe. The phrase has been said many times by black people being unlawfully killed. That is protesters use it and have used it on face coverings, long before covid was a thing.

There isn't. However I am surprised at someone only having one mask.

Why are you assuming she only has one mask? I've got several,but I only wear one at a time.

In what way did it offend you?

I can understand what you mean, on the surface kinda flippant, but equally I think it's clever as it draws attention to the message. You took notice and shared this. A tote bag wouldn't have been so impactful.

[quote polkadotpixie]@MaskingForIt Why would you assume that OP is a racist? She probably didn't realise it was anything to do with BLM and thought it was in poor taste due to people being unable to breathe when dying of COVID. I would have thought it was a COVID related statement myself as I've never heard or seen this phrase in relation to BLM[/quote]
I’d have thought anyone who hadn’t been living under a rock would have heard it in relation to BLM.

I agree with previous posters, it's a BLM protest thing.

If the reminder makes people uncomfortable, good. We shouldn't forget what happened to George Floyd, Eric Garner and others.

wouldn't even raise a smile with me, i don't make a thing of looking at other people with or without masks.

I didn't know the relevance to BLM

so to me seeing it it was offensive

She's an idiot with poor taste. Not funny. You're not over reacting. She's an attention seeker.

I can top that. I was at the supermarket and a man had a t shirt on that said “keep quiet dear let’s not change this rape into a murder”. I was much younger and didn’t say anything but the women in front gave him a right telling off. Who sells these things?

I do find the idea of having that particular slogan on a mask odd; to me it would seem like the person wearing it was deliberately trying to be ambiguous as to whether they were protesting masks or making a statement in support of the BLM movement. This would also logically feel to me like they were making light of the latter. If they wore the same slogan on a t shirt then I'd take it at face value as an expression of BLM support (and I would approve of this, to be clear).

@Letsrunabath

I can top that. I was at the supermarket and a man had a t shirt on that said “keep quiet dear let’s not change this rape into a murder”. I was much younger and didn’t say anything but the women in front gave him a right telling off. Who sells these things?

Well yes because the t-shirt is vile and the mask had a BLM statement on it?

Political or offensive. Its true. I can’t breathe in one neither.

In th3 context of COVID, incredibly poor taste and not appropriate at all.

I was going to say not offensive at all.. until I read it was a BLM mask