This is pretending to be an article about gas masks but its actually about the rising tide of fascism in America. I fear the same awaits us here in a few short years.
Apparently its very painful, but you get used to it. Long term physiological consequences, abnormal periods and the like.
this article also explores questions like: why did tear gas exist? it makes people angrier. it doesn’t kill or neutralise, it just hurts and enrages. why is it useful? how do we know things are protests and not riots. well, you can look and tell, can’t you? but the race rioters last year thought they were protesting, but id say they were rioting. they were out in anger to cause terror amongst the non-occupying force (ie, the good people of southport rather than the police). maybe (the author posits) riots are domestic conflicts where the police aren’t the beligerents. tear gas can make the two sides disperse, then. hmm. i don’t know if i agree with this framing.
Mira make the best masks money can buy, and it takes a lot of money. And even more to buy the filters. Time to make a YNAB item…
Tips:
- walk out of it briskly but not too briskly that you lose control of your breath
- if you can, cover it with a traffic cone and douse it with water
- practice putting your mask on quickly and smoothly, on the move, one handed
- build solidarity, get to know your neighbours. we keep each other safe.