Friend calls just now: "You have the patience of Job." Well, no.
Before I move on from this to the Casey Kasem crapfest from this week in 1977, I will explain (once more) why I'm being hard-assed here. (Playing now: "It's Almost Like A Song." *shudder*) /1

If the new rule in DC is "any gathering is okay as long as you all look to be wearing masks," then the city should scrap *all* gathering restrictions, so long as those requirements are met. Personally, I wouldn't, but you can't have two sets of rules. /2

Science isn't cause-dependent. Either big gatherings are dangerous or they're not. If they're not, then institute a "we took a screenshot and you're all masked up, so it's okay" rule and apply it evenly. Again, I think that's crazy, but it would be consistent. /3

Likewise, there is no Constitutional exception for "you must obey the law unless I like your cause." That's how Trumpists think. If big protests are okay, then they have to be okay for *anyone with exercising their 1A rights, even if you don't like them.* /4

If 10,000 abortion opponents gather right now in DC, wearing masks and handing out Purell, you're going to have to be okay with it, because to them, their cause is no less existential than BLM. The Constitution doesn't take those sides; it's not your special friend on that. /5

For that matter, if 10,000 Stalinists or Nazis wanted to rally in DC right now, and they were all masked up, there is as of this moment no medical or legal reason you'd be able to say no to them. Because you've established that it's okay. /6

Recently I said of Trump that his motto is "For my friends, everything. For my enemies, the law." This the position many of you, whether you admit it not, have on the DC protests.
And if you think *you're* the special exception, you're no better than Trump. /7x