Thread by @TexasTribune

1/ The question of whether to wear a face mask has become a way to pick sides in what’s quickly becoming a coronavirus culture war.

For some, forgoing masks in public during the pandemic has become a political statement. bit.ly/3gndoLd

2/ Public health experts have advised the use of masks, especially in public spaces.

They say masks help slow the spread of the virus.

bit.ly/3gndoLd

3/ But pushback has been strong.

The decision not to wear a face covering, for some, has become a rebellion against what they see as a government foray on their personal liberties.

bit.ly/3gndoLd

4/ Without a statewide directive, further efforts to flatten the curve have essentially amounted to a statewide experiment in cooperation, hinging on the individual decisions of millions. bit.ly/3gndoLd

5/ In Texas, masks remain optional.

Some cities and counties tried to make them mandatory — but Gov. Greg Abbott said last month local officials cannot impose penalties on residents who violate rules about wearing masks in public. bit.ly/3gndoLd

6/ And so, public health experts have looked on in dismay at the sight of public places and protests where throngs of people crowd together without protective face gear. bit.ly/3gndoLd

7/ Summer Johnson McGee, the dean of the School of Health Sciences at the University of New Haven, said people need to think about carrying and using masks the same way they think about umbrellas on a cloudy or rainy day. bit.ly/3gndoLd

8/ Still, mask arguments among Texans are occurring everywhere from retail stores to the highest levels of government.

Videos spreading on social media have captured arguments and fights in stores across the country. bit.ly/3gndoLd

9/ Politicians’ mask decisions have been as inconsistent as the general public’s.

President Donald Trump said that wearing masks would be a “voluntary thing.”

In the U.S. House, several Texas Republicans have declined to wear masks. bit.ly/3gndoLd

10/ In Texas, House Speaker Dennis Bonnen promoted mask wearing earlier this month.

Still, at news conferences where he huddles near the governor, lieutenant governor and other officials, it’s essentially a mask-free zone. bit.ly/3gndoLd

11/ Aaron Reed, a restaurant worker in Austin, has been wearing a mask for eight to 10 hours a day.

“It’s incredibly insulting to see some people can’t be bothered to do it for the 15 minutes they are in a store.” bit.ly/3gndoLd

12/ Lyle Burk, who works at a meatpacking plant near Amarillo, said: “If I and the people I work with ... can wear face masks for eight hours while making the food you go shopping for, you can wear one for your 30-minute trip to the grocery store.” bit.ly/3gndoLd

13/ Still, the plight of others hasn’t been convincing enough for some.

The hardline conservative activist Michael Quinn Sullivan tweeted Wednesday that he would “rather drive” than wear a required mask on Southwest Airlines flights next week. bit.ly/3gndoLd

14/14 He wrote: "I’m not wearing a mask on a plane unless it’s an oxygen mask and I am blasting commies’ from the sky." bit.ly/3gndoLd