Recently, a woman in Texas was taking her children to a pediatrician. She and her kids were maskless because it’s 2023 and, well, really that’s the only explanation needed. Yet she was told her children would not only be denied treatment without the wearing of face coverings, but the doctor’s office also threatened to call Child Protective Services on the mother.
You’ve likely heard the rumors and seen some social media pronouncements by a few universities, school districts, and businesses. Maybe even reports in the corporate press sourced to friendly reporters. Mask mandates are coming back — with the cooperation of public health officials, local government bureaucrats, and suspiciously eager HR departments.
Hopefully, you’ve also heard the refrain “Do Not Comply.” This independent impulse toward civil disobedience is deeply American and a part of our national story. But we can’t let it become our only strategy. We need to fight fearmongering with federal legislation.
After the declared end of the pandemic, even by President Joe Biden himself, we saw a national shift in public opinion against the government’s abuse of power, but we left the legal door cracked too far open.
The “Do Not Comply” outrage is correct and righteous. If these mandates come back in full force, no, you should not comply. But when Republican members of Congress like Marjorie Taylor Greene and Thomas Massie insist that Americans engage in civil disobedience as a first step to fighting a new Covid tyranny, they are retreating to the last resort
