The things anti-maskers say remind me of when I worked at the Abilene (Texas) Reporter-News when the city implemented an indoor smoking ban, around 2006/07. We got so many letters to the editor, we ran one massive spread and then stopped running them at all. 1/

And the anti-ban side said the kind of things anti-maskers say. The city was imposing on their FREEDOMS. It was TYRANNY. People should be able to smoke wherever they want! Don’t tell businesses what to do! 2/

You will be the opposite of surprised to know that people got over it and smokers still go to restaurants that don’t have smoking sections. But it took city officials to stand their ground and do what was right for public safety, and let the public get used to it over time. 3/

Abilene mayor Anthony Williams and Taylor County judge Downing Bolls could issue mask mandates aimed at businesses, like the ones issued here in San Antonio since the summer, which Abbott has not contested. Pretty much everyone I see here wears one. It has become the norm. 4/

So Bexar County’s average of daily cases comes out to 54 people per 100,000. Taylor County’s is 100 people per 100,000. None of my SA friends or family have covid. But a majority of Abilene my friends in Abilene have it, have had it, or have lost a loved one from it. 5/

This is what happens when you put business — profit — before people. They — and so many other counties and cities and states — could do something, could stand up for the best interest of people. But they aren’t. It’s that simple, and that devastating. 6/6