A woman at the library check-out, on Monday, Feb. 15th (President's Day), treated me like I was a leper for not wearing my mask over both my mouth AND nose. I informed her that I DO have a medical condition that prevents me from wearing a mask! However, to avoid any confrontations in businesses, until now, that is, I wear the mask over my mouth, as this is where the majority of bacteria & germs & viruses are spread from if a person is sick. Because of my health condition I NEED more oxygen, not less! And wearing a mask over my nose prevents my body from inhaling this much needed life-giving element to its fullness! Plus, a mask re-circulates some of the bacteria, germs & waste back into your lungs that your lungs are trying to expel.
Anyway, when I tried reasoning with the woman, even showing her legal information from the A.D.A. (Americans with Disabilities Act), she refused to serve me, even though she was wearing a mask & was behind Plexiglas! Then she went into the other room & the Asst. Library Administrator (Ruth) came out & I repeated my concerns and showing her my mask exempt document backed by the A.D.A. & D.O.J. Ruth kept re-iterating the Library's policy. A policy does NOT trump Federal Law! Ruth then said she would get back to me.
One hour later, Ruth called me and essentially told me that the person she talked to at the A.D.A. said the library could maintain their policy, etc,. etc. I decided I would just let it go & ended the conversation. Several minutes went by before I realized it was a federal holiday & all federal offices were closed. So I called Ruth back and asked her if she had indeed talked to someone at the A.D.A. Ruth said, yes. So, I informed her that was impossible since all federal offices were closed that day due to it being a federal holiday. Some moments of silence & then Ruth said she was transferred to someone in another department. Again, I told Ruth all federal offices were closed! (I know because I double checked for myself). I told Ruth that I could no longer trust anything she had told me previously because she deliberately lied to me! Ruth continued to say the name of who she talked to was "somewhere here" on her desk. She lied! And she knew I caught her lying but she refused to admit it!
I am a person with a true medical condition. I tried explaining that to Ruth & the service desk woman. They refused to compromise with me & afford me reasonable accommodation . But what is worse, Ruth bald faced lied to me! She just wanted to impose her will & library policy on me regardless of my medical condition & it didn't matter to her if she lied about it all to me! What self righteous, condescending arrogance! I wonder what the A.D. A. will think of someone misrepresenting them, twisting Federal law & using the A.D.A. to speak lies about their agency & the Federal Law that protects citizens with medical conditions? I'll bet if a person in a wheelchair had come in that day with a mask over just their mouth, if they would have received the same ill treatment I had? But, then again, I'm just an old person. And who cares about discriminating against senior citizens? Apparently, the Oshkosh Public Library certainly doesn't! Apparently, they think "their policy" trumps the A.D.A. & federal law, including A.D.A. tax payers who fund the library.
I was fine, until Ruth outright lied to me...not once, but three times & refused to admit it! I don't like being lied to! When a person lies to you, they are essentially saying that they are smarter than you & they are trying to make a fool out of you, at your expense. No respect. Just arrogance on their part!
A. Barry Hess read more
