I was recently in Laredo at the J where there was a snotload of cargo vans. Not one of them actually arrived on a snot. Across the street at the TA was a boatload of vans. Not a boat in sight.
Concealing one's face in public isn't going to fly well in the United States. It is a habit outside our culture which rouses suspicion.
That's because people are naturally wary of anything different, and are are afraid of what they don't understand. Still, three-quarters of Americans do not favor banning of burqas (or hijabs).
There is no legitimate reason to cover one's face in any public venue in the US, except perhaps for donning a motorcycle helmet while riding or the use of any emergency gas mask,etc.
The "etc." leaves a really lot of room for exceptions to that, doesn't it? Skiing down a public ski slope, at Lambeau Field in December, wearing a surgical mask on the streets of LA during a smoggy day or anywhere else if you are a germophobe, Mardi Gras masks, it's a long list. Every state (except one) or municipality with a law prohibiting the covering of the face is only applicable to those who cover their face while committing a crime or to evade capture or prosecution for a crime. The one exception is North Carolina who enacted the law in the 50s to deal with the KKK, but has also enforced the law against construction workers wearing dust masks, and college students wearing team mascot masks.
This desire to wear the burqa goes back to assimilation. When devout Muslims migrate to the US, they need to understand ours is a secular society insofaras public activity is concerned. The United States is not a western outpost of Mecca or Medina. Conform to local custom.
America also has a long tradition of respect for different cultural communities and religions under the broad umbrella of universal freedoms, as well as a firm First Amendment protection of freedom of speech from government interference that explicitly includes clothing items (
Tinker Test), not to mention the same Amendment's guarantee of freedom of religion. If you can ban a burqa then you can ban a kippah, or a necklace bearing a cross, or a star of David.
As far as forcing people to alter their religion to facilitate assimilation, I would think that if you copied this thread to your Alma Mater you could get a refund of some sort. Hey, it's worth a shot!
