Honorable Aldermen,
My name is John Cawthron. I am a resident of Nashua. The mask mandate put in place by the previous Board is hurting our city. I myself will not wear a mask and do not patronize any establishment in a city that enforces this mandate.
Thankfully, many businesses are ignoring the mandate, but I take my business to Hollis, Hudson, or Pelham when needed. I have four brothers and sisters that live in towns near Nashua. They all used to come to the city to shop, dine, etc. Now, none of them do.
As my brother said to me the other day, “Why would I go to Nashua and have to put on a silly mask to eat or go grocery shopping when I can do as I please in Hudson & Pelham? I believe in freedom. Nashua doesn’t.”
Many people I know refer to Nashua as “Communist Nashua.” This is due to the mask mandate. Is this the image you want for our city? Is the business that now goes elsewhere what you wish for our city?
Do the merchants within our city deserve this economic punishment?
There is no need to debate the effectiveness or lack thereof with masks. Some of you think they work. Some of you don’t. Some of you may decide to wear a mask for the rest of your lives, and that’s OK, but forcing people to be part of your belief system is not OK.
The wearing of a mask should be a personal choice, not a mandate. It is highly debatable that masks stop the spread of a virus. There is no doubt, however, that the mask mandate does hurt Nashua businesses and the city’s reputation.
With that said, I ask that you end the mask mandate.
Respectfully,
John Cawthron
