> And in 2020, several American cities did exactly the same.
Did they? In 1918, people were arrested for leaving their homes without masks on, regardless of whether they were known to be infected. In 1918 San Francisco, people were shot for leaving their homes without masks. A few people being arrested in 2020 for much more serious behavior — breaking quarantine while knowingly infected with COVID — is a pretty far cry from that.
That's not to say nothing happened; obviously there were lockdowns, and private businesses were forced to close or reduce occupancy for varying amounts of time depending on the state governments. But individual private citizens were extremely lightly policed in comparison.
People were not shot for leaving their homes without masks.
People were shot (innocent bystanders, in one case) during brawls that ensued after being confronted for not wearing masks.
I don't know if anyone died from those altercations in 1918, but at least one similar event unfolded in 2020 where a 73 year old man was shot and killed by police;
Your example seems quite different from 1918. In 1918, people were shot when police started a confrontation over their refusal to wear masks. In your example, a man who refused to wear a mask also started assaulting people at a store (because he was angry that they wouldn't service him without a mask), and the police were called only once the assaults started. Then he was shot — because he was assaulting people, not because he refused to wear a mask.
Did they? In 1918, people were arrested for leaving their homes without masks on, regardless of whether they were known to be infected. In 1918 San Francisco, people were shot for leaving their homes without masks. A few people being arrested in 2020 for much more serious behavior — breaking quarantine while knowingly infected with COVID — is a pretty far cry from that.
That's not to say nothing happened; obviously there were lockdowns, and private businesses were forced to close or reduce occupancy for varying amounts of time depending on the state governments. But individual private citizens were extremely lightly policed in comparison.