When Texas Gov. Greg Abbott signed an executive order this week banning counties and cities from enacting or enforcing mask mandates—and threatening any official who tries to enforce a mandate with a $1,000 fine—it was actually a repeat. One year earlier, Abbott issued another order forbidding local officials from enforcing a mask mandate. Here’s April 2020:
Here’s Abbott in May 2021:
Why did Abbott have to repeat himself? It’s because in between, Texas had not one but two massive spikes of COVID-19 cases, with the Lone Star State on several occasions standing alone at the top of the charts for new cases and COVID-19 deaths. Ultimately, Texas brought those spikes under control with, ahem, a statewide mask mandate that Abbott kept in place until the beginning of May. What did Abbott say when he issued his second threat to any official trying to protect the citizens who count on them? “Texans, not government, should decide their best health practices, which is why masks will not be mandated ...” Apparently this is true except when the government is Greg Abbott, Rex.
But there is one big difference between Abbott’s first wrong-headed threat to local officials and this one. It’s that this time, Abbott explicitly extends the threat to Texans who need protection the most: school children.
The full paragraph in which Abbott beats his chest over the inability of anyone who is not Greg Abbott to set the rules goes like this:
Schools, according to Abbott, can continue any existing mask mandates until June 4. After that, it’s masks off. Or else.
The problem here is that the Centers for Disease Control and prevention mask instructions specifically address those who are fully vaccinated. However, the Pfizer vaccine was just made available to those under 16, and no vaccine is available to those under 12. Vaccines are not expected to be available for children until sometime in the fall, and possibly not until around the end of the year.
By banning schools from issuing mask mandates, Abbott is absolutely guaranteeing that kids—unvaccinated kids—will continue to be exposed to, continue to carry, and continue to suffer from COVID-19. The rate of deaths from COVID-19 among children may be low, but it is not zero. And the rate of kids who end up with serious illness resulting in long-term damage is considerably higher.
Abbott can proclaim all he wants about Texas making their own decisions, but children are children. Responsible adults are supposed to makes serious decisions about their health for them. That’s the job description that comes with being an adult.
What Abbott is doing makes about as much sense as ordering every high school football team in Texas to forego helmets. Or ordering every parent to ditch the car seat. After all, deaths among high school football players are rare. So why should some “government entity” be forcing them to cover their heads in plastic? After all, just like forbidding mask mandates, helmet-less football would only kill a few kids. So that’s just fine.
Abbott isn’t alone in issuing these orders that attack other officials for trying to do the right thing. But Abbott may be at the top when it comes to the level of sanctimonious hypocrisy that lets him override the advice of every expert in every situation.
Here’s Abbott in May 2021:
Why did Abbott have to repeat himself? It’s because in between, Texas had not one but two massive spikes of COVID-19 cases, with the Lone Star State on several occasions standing alone at the top of the charts for new cases and COVID-19 deaths. Ultimately, Texas brought those spikes under control with, ahem, a statewide mask mandate that Abbott kept in place until the beginning of May. What did Abbott say when he issued his second threat to any official trying to protect the citizens who count on them? “Texans, not government, should decide their best health practices, which is why masks will not be mandated ...” Apparently this is true except when the government is Greg Abbott, Rex.
But there is one big difference between Abbott’s first wrong-headed threat to local officials and this one. It’s that this time, Abbott explicitly extends the threat to Texans who need protection the most: school children.
The full paragraph in which Abbott beats his chest over the inability of anyone who is not Greg Abbott to set the rules goes like this:
Schools, according to Abbott, can continue any existing mask mandates until June 4. After that, it’s masks off. Or else.
The problem here is that the Centers for Disease Control and prevention mask instructions specifically address those who are fully vaccinated. However, the Pfizer vaccine was just made available to those under 16, and no vaccine is available to those under 12. Vaccines are not expected to be available for children until sometime in the fall, and possibly not until around the end of the year.
By banning schools from issuing mask mandates, Abbott is absolutely guaranteeing that kids—unvaccinated kids—will continue to be exposed to, continue to carry, and continue to suffer from COVID-19. The rate of deaths from COVID-19 among children may be low, but it is not zero. And the rate of kids who end up with serious illness resulting in long-term damage is considerably higher.
Abbott can proclaim all he wants about Texas making their own decisions, but children are children. Responsible adults are supposed to makes serious decisions about their health for them. That’s the job description that comes with being an adult.
What Abbott is doing makes about as much sense as ordering every high school football team in Texas to forego helmets. Or ordering every parent to ditch the car seat. After all, deaths among high school football players are rare. So why should some “government entity” be forcing them to cover their heads in plastic? After all, just like forbidding mask mandates, helmet-less football would only kill a few kids. So that’s just fine.
Abbott isn’t alone in issuing these orders that attack other officials for trying to do the right thing. But Abbott may be at the top when it comes to the level of sanctimonious hypocrisy that lets him override the advice of every expert in every situation.