The Center for Disease Control (CDC) issued a new guidance that all people aged 2 or older, whether vaccinated or not, should begin wearing masks again in indoor public spaces. The Delta variant is highly transmissible by vaccinated people, so no one is safe anymore.

At least, that’s what the CDC, Dr. Fauci, and liberal lawmakers want us to believe. People were returning to jobs, school, backyard barbeques, concerts and festivals, and they want to rein them back in. Last year’s fearmongering and control tactics worked so well that they want to try them out again, see if they still work after a bit of relief. 

But not everyone is pulling a gaiter over their face and stocking up on toilet paper. The CDC also recommended that all teachers, staff, students and visitors in schools should wear masks indoors, regardless of vaccination status. I don’t know about you, but I just can’t stomach the idea of sending my kids to learn in an environment where they can’t see people’s faces and learn socioemotional cues for the second needless year in a row.

Several Republican-led states aren’t taking the new re-masking mandate well, either. Texas, Florida, Missouri, Arizona and Iowa have passed laws or otherwise used their authority to halt those mandates and keep mask usage optional. 

“Texans, not government, should decide their best health practices, which is why masks will not be mandated by public school districts or government entities. We can continue to mitigate COVID-19 while defending Texans’ liberty to choose whether or not they mask up,” said Texas Governor Greg Abbott in a news release.

Earlier this year, Abbott issued an executive order prohibiting state entities such as counties or school districts from requiring mask wearing. Florida Governor Ron DeSantis has also pushed to keep mask use optional. Miami-Dade County, Florida’s largest school district, is considering its policy of optional mask use. Superintendent Alberto Carvalho said the district will announce its final mask decision two weeks before school starts. 

DeSantis spoke for many of us when he said “I get a little bit frustrated when I see some of these jurisdictions saying, even if you’re healthy and vaccinated you must wear a mask because we’re seeing increased cases. Understand what that message is sending to people who aren’t vaccinated. It’s telling them that the vaccines don’t work.”

DeSantis also hinted that he may call a special legislative session to ban mask mandates. Missouri’s Attorney General filed a lawsuit to stop St. Louis from requiring mask wearing in indoor public spaces for all people aged 5 and over. 

It’s good that Republican heavyweights are fighting back against the new mask mandates. They need to win. Our future freedom, working class, economy, mental health and children need them to win. Our kids need to grow up in a world where fear doesn’t drive every decision. They should spend their formative years interacting with each other and their teachers on a personal level not shielded by a face mask, a bottle of hand sanitizer, and a red X on the floor.