By Les Simpson, candidate for Amarillo City Council Place 4

Three years after COVID, we can all look back and see the glaring mistakes of government at all levels. This was the first time anyone alive had been faced with a pandemic. People were dying in alarming numbers and hospitals back east were calling for reinforcements. Leaders in cities, communities, schools and businesses were struggling with what to do. There was no clear guidance.

On March 20, 2020, Gov. Greg Abbott took a leadership role by stepping in to provide guidelines on how to respond when no one else knew what to do. Texas was fortunate because he wasn’t recommending the extreme lockdowns like New York City, New Mexico and other large Texas cities and some states.

And just a few weeks later, Texas was one of the first states to reopen, which restarted the economic engine.

While I gave a shout out to Gov. Abbot for his quick but light-handed decision, I disagree with decisions made during the pandemic. Many businesses, especially small businesses, suffered and some closed. As someone who helps people become small business owners, I saw the impact and I did not, nor would I ever, agree with the types of lockdowns we saw across the country.

I am troubled that our city government also stepped in and passed an ordinance to fine businesses if their customers were not wearing masks. That was extreme overreach and I would have vehemently voted against such a measure.

Government must be limited and stay out of areas that limit personal freedoms and personal choices. There should NEVER be mandates for wearing masks or forcing people to be vaccinated. Those are personal choices that should ALWAYS be left up to individuals.

There were many choices made during that time that led to many unintended consequences. Businesses closed. Our economy was upended. Children are far behind grade level because of months of virtual learning. Seniors living in assisted living were isolated from their families for months on end resulting in a terrible impact on their health.

My father was one of those who suffered depression from being isolated during the pandemic. He would eat out most every meal and part of his social life was talking with the staff at the restaurant. Those who worked at Cracker Barrel, Malcolm’s ,Tyler’s BBQ and other restaurants knew him by name and where he liked to sit. When that was taken way, it left him without a very important part of his life. I grieved at the loneliness he felt. He suffered a seizure in August 2021 – in the parking lot of Malcolm’s after having some ice cream – and passed away in February 2022.

There were mistakes made and hard lessons learned during that time. If we had to do it over again, no doubt the strategy would be far different.

Government should never infringe on our faith, personal choices, and personal freedom. I will always fight for these rights.

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