Gov. Gregg Abbott, R-Texas, decided it’s time for his state’s residents to breathe free again.
Next Wednesday, March 10, Abbott is cutting the strings on his mask mandate.
Instead of looking like a state filled with bank robbers and the infirm, Texas will be a state where people can actually live their lives again.
At a news conference, covered by Fox, Abbott announced, "To be clear, COVID has not suddenly disappeared. COVID still exists in Texas, the United States and across the globe, but it is clear from the recoveries, the vaccinations, from the reduced hospitalizations and from the safe practices Texans are using that state mandates are no longer needed."
Texans will now be treated like adults and take responsibility for their own health.
Thus, residents can follow whatever "expert" guidance if they choose.
What’s more, they will no longer be required to remove their hats when the ubiquitous Dr. Anthony Fauci appears on their television screens.
While the vast majority of Texans are overjoyed the face burka is gone, others are wondering what took Abbott so long?
It’s been almost a year since the rule took effect and in that time it has long been obvious that wearing a mask is just so much pandemic theater, designed to persuade the neurotic their government is doing something about the virus.
The invaluable Babylon Bee speculated the governor made the decision to unveil Texas faces so as to scare off all the invading Californians.
Others pointed to the recent presidential straw poll at the CPAC conference in Florida.
There Gov. Ron DeSantis — who removed the Florida face diaper mandate months ago and banned local officials from penalizing the maskless — was far ahead of all other contenders after Trump’s name was taken out of the mix.
Texas joins the aforementioned Florida in freeing the face along with Alaska, Arizona, Georgia, Idaho, Iowa, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, North Dakota, Oklahoma, South Carolina, South Dakota, and Tennessee.
In keeping with the general spirit of trusting residents to act in their own best interest,
Abbott says individual businesses are free to require masks in their stores and hysterical neighbors are also welcome to wear one, two, or three masks if it makes them feel better.
Just don’t pass out on the sidewalk.
UPS, for example, is still requiring its employees to wear masks while on the job.
Billy Bob’s Texas — Fort Worth’s huge country music concert hall, featuring an indoor rodeo and all the mechanical bulls a chiropractor could wish for — it’s telling its customers, "It’s Your Choice."
In what appears to be an effort to avoid the tender mercies of Texas’ parasitic trial lawyers, Billy Bob’s will continue to operate at limited capacity and does "recommend" masks, but those are the extent of the rules.
Naturally, California Gov. Gavin Newsom had to weigh in on the decision.
He took time from fretting about the recall campaign his coronavirus incompetence produced in his state, to tweet, "Absolutely reckless."
Which only served to remind California residents of how much harder they need to work to remove Newsom from office.
Michael Reagan, the eldest son of President Reagan, is a Newsmax TV analyst. A syndicated columnist and author, he chairs The Reagan Legacy Foundation. Michael is an in-demand speaker with Premiere speaker’s bureau. Read Michael Reagan's Reports — More Here.
Michael R. Shannon is a commentator, researcher for the League of American Voters, and an award-winning political and advertising consultant with nationwide and international experience. He is author of "Conservative Christian’s Guidebook for Living in Secular Times (Now with addedhumor!)" Read Michael Shannon's Reports — More Here.