"No one has the absolute right to drive drunk" - Nashua's Mask Mandate

Aldermen/Attorney Dave Tencza has equated the choice on mask wearing to drunk driving. A poorly conceived parallel. “No one has the absolute right to drive drunk.”, said Tencza at Tuesday’s Board of Aldermen meeting. Mr. Tencza, no one has any right to drive drunk; it’s against the law.

Driving alcohol impaired has a long documented history with legal consequences. The CDC reports, in 2016, more than 1 million drivers were arrested for driving under the influence of alcohol or narcotics. That’s one percent of the 111 million self-reported episodes of alcohol-impaired driving among U.S. adults each year.

In under 2 years, COVID-19,  has infected over 52 million US people and killed over 833,000.  The NH State Covid dashboard identifies 80% of the ICU COVID cases are for people 70 years or older. No data exists to identify the co-morbidities associated with these deaths.

Given the self-reporting of alcohol impaired driving among US adults, why hasn’t Nashua imposed breathalyzer tests for every establishment serving alcohol prior to patrons departing. 

Better yet, why not equip Nashua registered cars with monitors that prohibit the vehicle from starting if you fail the blow test? Let’s nab those home drinkers before driving.

Years of alcohol statistics has facilitated strict standards and legal lines on alcohol impairment and driving. This is not the case with COVID and masking. There is plenty of data that shows that masking is ineffective. The CDC has flip-flopped on whether masks are really effective.

Parents who don’t want to see their children masked in school or on the sports fields should not be equated to parent who throw their kids in the car and drive alcohol impaired. Given the short history of this pandemic and panic ridden regulations, the facts are anything but clear. This has eroded public trust and left people questioning the COVID information dump. 

Those who believe in masking choice, as do I, are not irresponsible citizens who don’t care about the greater good of society. Sometimes I wear a mask, sometimes I don’t. If I am around someone who is more comfortable with masking, I am fine with wearing a mask. I have made my decisions to protect myself and those around me, and accept, without judgement, the decisions of others. 

The December 21, 2021 Board of Aldermen public meeting reinstating the mask mandate was certainly a pre-determined vote. No public input was allowed. Inflammatory comments, like those spoken by Attorney Tencza, were leveled at the board table all evening.  

Attorney Tencza supported leaving bars, restaurants, clubs and casino’s open for adults to have the choice to socialize, unmasked, for long periods of time in closed indoor spaces. Meanwhile, the Nashua Boys and Girls Club put out a notice that all children engaged in sports will now be required to compete in masks. The Hypocrisy is stunning. Parents have to take a stance.