I truly believe this is a combination of leftists simultaneously virtue signaling and hoping that their snitching puts them on a sort of "harvest their organs last" list. Thinning the opposition is also a collateral benefit.
If faced with this situation, I'm reminded of the wisdom imparted by Charlie Daniels in Uneasy Rider.
***You have to wonder, what kind of darkness resides in a man’s heart, where he would call the govt to report a “mask violation” or some nonsense like that.***
I have a “friend” in my neighborhood that turns in other neighbors to the HOA for things she thinks are violations. One of them was my next door neighbor, who I have zero problems with.
I have recently decided, after other issues have come up, that this “friend” is now someone I wish to avoid seeing socially. Who needs these people in their lives? She indeed has a dark heart.
However, if I don’t see her socially anymore, in a way, she’s won. I need to be around her once a month just to show her she can’t have her way over me.
We’ve been faced with it. Frequently.
We made like Sgt. Schultz.
Every single time.
Easy calls all. Nothing difficult about it.
As for visiting NYS, I think all our welcome signage to the state ought to come with this warning: Abandon all hope ye who enter here.
‘You have to wonder, what kind of darkness resides in a man’s heart, where he would call the govt to report a “mask violation” or some nonsense like that.’
well, not to put too fine a point on it, but on this very website there have been at least two individuals who have openly stated they’ve turned people in for covid misdeeds; and one of these has brazenly bragged about it...
I agree, it is shameful that people in a "free" society would even consider turning in neighbors for this kind of BS. I'd add a few possible motivations (recapping your list too):
Fear. Fear that if they don't, someone else will report their neighbors "violations" and that these people obviously knew about it, making them an accomplice. The left has completely cowed these people into obedience.
Virtue signalling. Wanting to belong, wanting to be a part of the side the leftists and their MSM lapdogs have so thoroughly (but erroneously) portrayed as the good guys.
Brainwashed. They may have so completely bought into the BS that they believe they are doing the right thing. These are truly dangerous useful idiots. These are the people that turned over neighbors to the SS, Stasi, etc. with a clear conscious, believing they were doing the right thing for the greater good.
Dickheads. Some people simply like being mean to others. They are small, petty people who need to do things like that to give themselves an artificial sense of power. They are timid and weak, and hide that by reporting mask violations, or neighbors washing cars or watering lawns or other HOA level BS.
They think that reporting the selfish haters is a GOOD thing. You’re protecting the people by identifying the threats to society.
“what kind of darkness resides in a man’s heart”
Some people who think that they have power, will use that power, because they can.
I credit the major stimulus for the Civil War, being: the news media (selling a lot of newspapers)
The major stimulus for the Spanish Civil War (1930’s), being: the telephone circuits built up after WW-I (until then, Spain did not have a national network of telephone communications - but upon its buildup, the polyglot of different communities that has been slowly learning to get along, began to divide as the “like-minded” found each other on the phone).
The present major stimulus, being: the Internet and mobile communications
For example, your kids were “mostly peaceful” and safe in the station wagon parked near the grocery store (while Mom went inside to get food) . . . until people with mobile phones made a ruckus, *because people with mobile phones can.*