I tried to go shopping this morning.
I wanted to go to some small local shops to help them a little bit. The first store had a sign saying that masking was required. I went in, one other customer came in unmasked, the owner asked them to please wear a mask. The guy lost his mind, began screaming about it not being legal in America to require it, he said he was going to call the cops.
I could not hold my tongue, I told him it was a free country, he could go find a disease friendly shop to shop in. He glared at me screamed "damn liberal we should shoot every one of you". I picked up my phone to call 911, told him what I was doing, he almost fell down running out of the store. I asked the owner if she wanted to call the police, she declined. She told me it was common occurrence.
These people talk a good game but they know they are wrong, they know they could get arrested, the flee like little chickens when you stand up to them. We have to start calling them out, they are clearly dangerous.
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they constitute a real and present danger to our democracy.
However, absolutely no to challenging "clearly dangerous" people. Someone who's "lost his mind" and "screaming" is likely to react dangerously to accelerant.
Responding calmly, reasonably and firmly to a raised, resentful voice would be quite different of course.
How was the shop owner responding to what reporteldy is a common occurrence?
Btw, only one person has ever called me liberal (to my face of course) in a way that was clearly meant as less than complimentary, but it was in civil company. I mumbled something on whatever the subject was but by then recovered enough to smile and admit being pleased that the "liberal" showed.
Imo, it's a fine compliment, including from those who have no idea what liberalism is but are very sure I'm not one of them. Double compliment.
porton of the violent incidents across the entire nation.
It can make it hard to keep perspective, but the chance that your son will be attacked by a customer is extremely small, and seriously injured microscopic. I've always worried more about our kids on the roads, but I wouldn't say so because I know it'd just irritate them and make them discuss how long until they have to take over my care.
i wear that badge of honor proudly. and snowflake and others too also.
As an adolescent in the '60s I felt so pityingly superior to unfortunates like that that the worse someone was the more impossible to offend me. It'd actually be very useful to recapture some of my delusional teen self. I'm so comparatively easily offended now that I'd have been embarrassed for my future self.
whether people are conservative or liberal just by grooming style. Conservatives overall put more effort into looking good, and conservative women's styles tend to be more feminine than liberals. Maybe that's your "problem." 
(Remembering Hillary hair, and my own straight graying bob, about now.)
It won't hurt for them to hear it. Just don't expect any kind of, what do you call it? Oh yes, comprehension.
there is a small percentage of these fools who won't flee when confronted and some of them can be dangerous.
The behavior of these people is alarming. Would they have a meltdown if a store told them they had to wear a shirt or shoes? Do they consider that illegal? The past few years have made me realize how fragile and insubstantial civility is in a society. It takes so little for a lot of people to fall apart when the order and structure of their world starts to weaken. If our institutions do not hold, we will be living in a dystopian world in a short period of time.
That said, I love how you handled it!
I cooked/managed/bar tended/bounced for a year or so at my local neighborhood dive bar in 2017/18.
I had two or three occasions where a drunk woman - known trumpers all 3 - took off their heels/shoes and walked around in bare or stocking feet...had to tell them to put them back on or they had to leave - owner was strict about that policy due to Health Dept regulations and fines.
In all cases to a lesser or greater extent they threw loud whiny tantrums. 2018 versions of RW Karen.
One would take them off as soon as I left the game room, not knowing I could watch her do it live on the bar security cameras...I had fun toying with her, always seeming to appear almost as soon as she took them off again. The last time I got tired of playing the game and finally threw her and her party out - they were simply way too loud, obnoxious, and trashed and bothering other customers.
and I must admit that in my much younger days, I sometimes took off my shoes to dance, BUT I always kept my shirt on!
Of course, if anyone told me to put my shoes back on, I would have done so without a hassle.
Looking back, having worked in restaurants, stores, and bars, there were always a few who resisted the rules, but nothing like we see today with mask requirements. The bizarre resistance seems to be infectious.
I love that he almost fell down running to get out....
I know it's not easy, but we need to call them out whenever we see it.
