Okay, so I am just going to be completely honest here about #masks and their effects on me personally. I am not usually personal on this page, but I hope that it encourages other people to speak out. /1 #COVID19

I think a lot of people think: “Oh! A mask. No big deal. Mildly inconvenient. I’ll suck it up for my fellow man.” /2 #masks

But I simply cannot do it. I get claustrophobic. I get agitated and upset, fighting back tears. I suspect it’s related to the fact that I almost drowned as a child. /3 #masks

I remember that distinctly. I did not know which way was up. That is my biggest memory. You’d think you’d know which way is up. Shouldn’t the sun show you the way? /4 #masks

Well, it didn’t for me. Everything was swirly and blue/sunshiny. I couldn’t figure out how to get to the surface. I was scared. My dad saw me and pulled me out of the pool. /5 #masks

I was suffocating. I cannot put on a mask today without going back to that place. /6 #masks

Literally, I have nightmares. I had to take my son for an emergency dental visit, which requires a mask because of the all-knowing @CDC. I sucked it up because I’m a mom and that’s what moms do. /7 #masks

Also: I had nightmares the night before, didn’t sleep, and was a complete mess by the time I got through that day. I wasn't wearing the mask correctly, either. Kept having to pull it down for oxygen. (P.S. Incorrect usage of #masks turns them into a source of infection.) /8

Dear pro-maskers: you don’t know what #masks do to some of us. I think my story is relatively easy. I almost drowned. Some people survived rape/strangulation or other trauma. /9

For others, it might be a health issue such as asthma or COPD or autism. Hearing loss can cause difficulties with #masks. It’s not easy for everyone. /10

So stop it with the social shaming. Stop it with the self-righteous “it’s just a mask” talk. Stop it with the mandates & the guilt trips. /11 #masks

Stop it with the "you must do this" that turns our neighbors on us when we show up without a mask or that makes businesses afraid to let us in. It is NOT “just a mask” to all of us. /12 #masks

On one occasion, I was asked to provide a doctor's note so I could get into a business. Seriously? Is that where we are? Especially for trauma victims: Provide a doctor's note proving the mask takes you back to a scary time? /13 #masks

ALSO. If the government is going to impose this restriction on our #liberty, then the GOVERNMENT BEARS THE BURDEN. It’s not on me to prove that I can’t or don’t want to wear a mask. /14 #masks

I’m sorry, but the government has not done that. I’ve looked. Because I am basically a good, decent person who wants to do the right thing. /15 #masks

The @CDC cited “new evidence” in April, justifying its mask recommendation. Have you looked at the new evidence? It’s not evidence. /16 #masks

The @CDC cited the fear of asymptomatic spread. Well, terrific. But that doesn’t prove #masks work. It proves you WANT masks to work. The pre-April 2020 scientific consensus still stands. /17

#Masks (esp cloth masks) are ineffective at best, and actively harmful at worst. That’s because they retain moisture and can pose a risk of self-infection. /18

The World Health Organization still says this, although I guess some are down on them now. Okay. Fine. The governments of Norway, Finland, Denmark, New Zealand...all still say this. #Masks can be harmful if used incorrectly. *Especially* the cloth masks we are told to wear. /19

Consider the possibility that cases in Texas and elsewhere are rising BECAUSE OF the #masks. Everyone is wearing cloth masks that are wet from humidity and sweat. No one wears them correctly. They are germ traps. /20

Anyway, my main point here is to say what I always say: One-size-fits-all solutions NEVER work, especially in a country as diverse as America. /21 #masks

So stop it. Just stop it with all the self-righteous pro-mask talk. We are Americans. We can respect a diversity of perspectives & experiences. This is why I continue to hope that @gregabbott_tx will call a special #txlege session and hear more sides to the story. /22 #masks

Or else just undo a bunch of executive orders and let Texans live FREE. Because we are TEXAS. What’s happening here is NOT OKAY. /23 #masks

In the meantime, I hope my fellow Texans will start pounding county commissioners, city councils, state reps, state senators, & the Governor's office abt this. I know I'm not alone. It's just hard to speak up in the face of the overwhelming self-righteousness on #masks /24 & end