Face masks complete with gun holsters are officially a thing, and the Twittersphere is losing it.
Photos of an unidentified Donald Trump supporter sporting a red-starred face mask with a gun holstered on the side are taking social media by storm.
Lisa Hendricks, a gun violence prevention advocate, shared the photos on September 5 with her 10,000 Twitter followers, writing:
“Apparently now mask holsters are a thing. What could go wrong?!”
Apparently now mask holsters are a thing. What could go wrong?! 🙄
The tweet has since gone viral, with more than 10,000 retweets and over 84,000 likes.
Although it is unclear where and when the photos originated from, social media has had a lot to say about the new pandemic-inspired fashion trend.
Here’s what you need to know:
Many Were Quick to Point Out the Mask’s Design Flaws
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While some Twitter users responded to Hendrick’s tweet with complete and utter shock, others were quick to criticize the mask’s unsafe design.
Below are some of the responses:
@MsLisaHendricks It’s official! The Right is 🤪, the far right is 🤪🤪 and the far, faaarrr right is 💯🦇💩🤪🤪🤪!
One user commented on the design’s inability to hold the weight of a “typical handgun,” writing:
“If your typical handgun weighs between 1 to 2 pounds, a little elastic around the ear isn’t going to support it. So the gun has to support itself by having the barrel digging into your throat. #BlackPowderTracheotomy”
@MsLisaHendricks @CrayKain These masks aren’t designed to hold a lot of weight. If your typical handgun weighs between 1 to 2 pounds, a little elastic around the ear isn’t going to support it. So the gun has to support itself by having the barrel digging into your throat. #BlackPowderTracheotomy
Another user invoked a classic case of Darwinism.
@MsLisaHendricks HEADLINE: Gun Enthusiast Shot In The Chest, Foot, Neck & Face Unholstering “Sidearm” From Mask
A concerned user questioned whether the consumer knew “guns can fire on their own,” writing:
“Do they know that guns can fire on their own? There’ve been cases where guns were recalled – or not recalled because the gun lobby is too damn powerful. ‘Don’t point the gun at anyone you don’t mean to shoot’ is a basic safety rule. What does this say about their self-worth.”
@MsLisaHendricks Do they know that guns can fire on their own?
There’ve been cases where guns were recalled – or not recalled because the gun lobby is too damn powerful.
“Don’t point the gun at anyone you don’t mean to shoot” is a basic safety rule.
What does this say about their self-worth.
Trevor Noah Predicted a Similar Face Mask Design Back in June
In June, The Daily Show produced a parody video featuring “tough guys who don’t want to wear masks.”
The video pokes fun at anti-maskers, insinuating that they would only wear masks if they are also attached to a functioning gun.
Finally, a compromise for tough guys who don’t want to wear masks
The parody refers to “red-blooded Americans” and features several viral clips of anti-maskers.
Early Face Mask Policies Helped to Curb the Spread of COVID-19 in Certain Countries, According to a Recent Study
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A July study led by the Virginia Commonwealth University found that early face mask policies helped to curb the spread of the coronavirus in certain countries.
The analysis, which looked at 198 countries, claimed that “countries’ death rates per 1 million people after about three months varied based on how quickly that country adopted a policy to recommend mask-wearing,” according to a university press release.
Countries that recommended the masks within at least 30 days had “far lower” death rates from the virus compared to the countries that postponed, the study says.
“Societal norms and government policies supporting the wearing of masks by the public, as well as international travel controls, are independently associated with lower per-capita mortality from COVID-19,” researchers wrote in the study.
As of September 15, the U.S. had reported a total of 194,092 coronavirus deaths, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
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