For 4 years, I've steadfastly avoided politics on this page. If I am annoying some of you by starting in on #maskmandates today, I am truly sorry. But this is bigger than the #masks vs. no masks or lockdown vs. no lockdown questions. This is about WHO GETS TO DECIDE. /1 #COVID19

Will "We the People" govern ourselves? Or do we now live in a world where one person can declare an emergency that gives the same individual authority over every last aspect of our lives for an indefinite period of time? /2 #COVID19

Will "We the People" hold honest debates through our state legislatures, allowing us to hear BOTH sides of any given issue? Or does one person get to choose the expert that we are "allowed" to believe? /3 #COVID19

Will "We the People" be in charge of a transparent government that gives us full information? Or must we comply w/mandates exerted through a claim of emergency power, even when we wonder about reporting irregularities? /4 #COVID19

Respectfully, I wonder if @GregAbbott_TX has focused on the fact that he issued his #maskmandate on the anniversary of an important day in American #history. On this day in 1776, the Continental Congress voted for independence for the very first time. /5 #COVID19

John Adams thought that TODAY would be our #IndependenceDay. He thought TODAY would be the day that Americans would celebrate for centuries to come. The #maskmandate flies in the face of everything that Adams was celebrating. /6 #COVID19

Americans are good, kind people who want to help our fellow citizens. That's why, when we were told we needed "15 days to flatten the curve," many of us did our best to help. And it's why the appeal of #masks is so great right now. People want to help. /7 #COVID19

But 15 days has turned into nearly 4 months. We are not allowed to talk about pros AND cons of #masks, even though experts worldwide acknowledge health risks to masks,esp cloth masks. Instead,our Governors, Mayors, & County Judges have been acting like Kings & Queens. /8 #COVID19

They tell us which narrative about #masks or lockdowns is acceptable and what we are allowed to believe. Meanwhile, the goalposts have shifted from "flatten the curve" to "no one should get sick." /9 #COVID19

The second goal is impossible and will ensure that we are ruled by executive edict indefinitely. It's not right. It's not American. And it is long past time for "We the People" to stand up and say ENOUGH. /10 #COVID19

"We the People" can govern ourselves. Texas legislators need to demand a special #txlege session ASAP. Every voice should be heard through our elected representatives. #IndependenceDay is on Saturday. Let's act like it. /11 and end #COVID19