by Richard Douglas, ©2021
(May 10, 2021) — It’s no secret that Texas lifting its mask mandates during the Covid pandemic provoked a mixed bag of responses, but how that decision affected the country has been divisive. From riling politicians and starting a movement to setting a precedent, Texas’ choice had an effect.
The Start of Something
Texas was one of the first 15 states to remove the mask mandates imposed by the government, becoming the biggest state to open back up and return to normal. This show of faith by Governor Abbott resonated with the Texas people and spread to other states.
While it wasn’t the first to open, Texas joining the movement was paramount in giving credibility to reopening despite warnings from many government and medical officials. However, with a country of people bracing for an apocalypse, it was a critical turning point.
Proving Them Wrong
From several politicians to Dr. Fauci himself, many mocked or chided Governor Abbott’s decision to reopen Texas. Some, like the California governor, expressed concern that it was a political ploy that would result in mass Covid resurgence.
What actually happened, though, was the opposite. Abbott’s faith in the Texas people saw a reduction in Covid cases, which prompted more states to ease up on their Covid restrictions. While it was never about being wrong or right, Texas showed that it was possible.
As the biggest state to answer the call for reopening, the results of vaccinations combined with businesses being in control of their own fates proved successful. This gave people hope that they wouldn’t have to venture into a wasteland with their favorite weapons.
Cautious Precedence
Obviously, the Covid pandemic is still going and, in some cases, getting worse. Still, it doesn’t take a long range rifle scope to see the impact of Texas’ decision to reopen on the rest of the country.
While the state did open up 100 percent, the accountability of privately-owned facilities and large companies showed a path that showed trust in the citizens. CEOs were allowed to make decisions about their businesses again.
Many of those CEOs and owners still enforce masks in their buildings, especially the large chains, but the show of goodwill by the governor proved to the rest of the states that you could govern without edging close to martial law.
It’s hard to say what specifically is the reason that Covid didn’t have a massive surge after the mandates were lifted in Texas and many of the southern states. It could be southern hospitality keeping people sanitary, or the effort to prove people wrong.
Either way, what Texas accomplished after lifting the mandates has shown that it’s possible to keep cases and the spread of infection down without relying on harsh government intervention. This has made many reconsider, especially when enforcing states still see rises in deaths.
Author Bio
Richard Douglas writes on firearms, defense and security issues. He is the founder and editor of Scopes Field, and a columnist at The National Interest, 1945, Daily Caller and other publications.