Fed up with anti-maskers, mask advocates are demanding mandates, fines ? and common courtesy.

Three-quarters of Americans favor requiring people to wear face coverings in public to stop the spread of the novel coronavirus, including 89 percent of Democrats and 58 percent of Republicans, according to an Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research poll in July.Now, with the nation reeling from more than 5 million infections and nearly 170,000 virus-related deaths, a rising sense of outrage is leading this silent majority to push back against the smaller but louder anti-mask contingent.Coronavirus in the U.S.: Tracking deaths and confirmed cases by stateInstead of flashy protests and confrontations, however, mask supporters are expressing their exasperation in quieter ways, writing letters to local newspapers, posting on social media, patronizing businesses identified as mask-enforcers on dedicated Facebook groups and urging state and local officials to mandate mask-wearing in public.So far, 34 states and the District have adopted mask requirements. Until then, Biden put the onus on the nation’s governors, calling on them last week to require mask-wearing in public for at least the next three months.North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper (D), who issued a mask order in June, has said “the refusal to wear a mask is selfish” and defies “basic decency and common sense.” He added, “Either wear one or don’t go in the store.”And Virginia congresswoman Jennifer Wexton (D) tweeted, “Wear a damn mask,” after mask-skeptic Rep. Louie Gohmert (R-Texas) last month tested positive for the virus. But “I couldn’t wait to get out of there,” he said.Back home in Buffalo, DeRiso’s union is taking action, filing a grievance against a local supermarket chain that gives out free masks to customers along with leaflets explaining New York’s order to cover faces. The site offers businesses a “Covid-Free” certificate to post in their windows if they agree to require masks and take other precautions.When a manager at his local Home Depot told him they request that people wear masks, but do not require it, Hargett said, “That’s not good enough.” He filed a complaint with the Better Business Bureau. A couple of weeks later, Home Depot announced it would require all customers to wear masks in its stores.“Most people want to avoid confrontation, and the ones not wearing masks are the people who want a confrontation,” Hargett said.