Some Berrien County residents continue to be mad about the K-12 mask mandate issued by the Berrien County Health Department. For the second straight week, they lined up for public comment at the Board of Commissioners meeting Thursday.
“Please stop saying you’re powerless in all of this. Be creative and courageous in solving this problem involving the civil liberties of Berrien County residents,” said one woman. A man also called it “games” and said they are “tired of the games. We don’t want to play the political theater anymore. We are not asking. We are demanding our rights.”
Another person said kids are not at risk of contracting long-term effects if they get COVID-19, while another said the mandate is about power and control, and motivated by money. The Board of Commissioners says they have no authority over the health department’s mandatory mask order and do not have the ability to fire interim health officer Courtney Davis. The commission also says they cannot interfere with the implementation of the order, and cannot pull Health Department funding. If they do that, the state can take control of the department.
