Not all Texans think the same way about the pandemic

Iam certain that there will be adequate and ample response to Mr. Irwin’s viewpoint from the local citizenry. But, as an Amarillo area resident, I felt I might offer another perspective that is shared by quite a few of our fellow Texans.

We are not all anti-maskers, anti-vacs, nor are we all as completely ignorant of common sense health practices as evidenced by our own governor here in Texas. I have been spending time in Taos each year for the last 44 years. My family has learned to ski, hike, bike, shop and enjoy all the cultural offerings of the Taos area. We have dined in all of the restaurants, have our favorite river guides, our favorite local singers and bands, know our great retailers and partake of the farmers market as many Saturdays as we can. We have owned property for over 20 years in the Taos area.

We have watched as the town and county have grappled with the pandemic and have admired their strong commitment to healthy practices. We have seen how these measures have affected them financially and emotionally, but they have stayed the course and their hospitalization percentage rates put the city of Amarillo to shame. We felt safer in Taos than we did in our own state.

All of this is to say that Taos is most definitely not mad. Mandates are there for those who would drive 95 miles per hour down Paseo del Pueblo Norte to demonstrate their free choice. Your freedom becomes restricted when you reach that bridge over the gorge of responsibility. Thankfully, Taos and New Mexico has a deep culture of responsibility and care for our fellow human beings.