A Texas man has gone viral after he stripped down to his underwear during a contentious school board meeting to make a point about wearing masks, causing a stir in the small town of Dripping Springs.
The Dripping Springs Independent School District is among those Texas towns refusing to mandate masks be used in schools.
In response, James Akers, a father of school children, stripped down to his underpants during the school board meeting to prove a point about safety and social expectations.
“I do not like the government, or any other entity, telling me what to do,” Akers said while fully dressed, according to local station WNCT-9. “But sometimes I’ve got to push the envelope a little bit. And I’ve decided I’m not just going to talk about it, I’m going to walk the walk.”
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He then began taking off his clothes.
“At work they make me wear this jacket,” he said, pulling it off. “I hate it.”
“They make me wear this shirt and tie,” Akers continued. “I hate it.”
Over and over he went through his clothing explaining that he hates wearing lots of clothes, but that his opinions are dictated by people other than him and his family.
“It’s simple protocol, people. We follow certain rules. We follow certain rules for a very good reason,” Akers said.
He noted, “I have every right to drive as fast as I want to” and then joked that he parked in a handicap spot when arriving at the meeting.
All of the comments were to illustrate that rules exist in society for safety and masks are no different.
He drew cheers from the crowd, as well as gaveling from board president Barbara Stroud, who requested that he kindly put his pants back on.
Among those who commented about the incident online was a person who explained, “Nobody catchin’ covid from a guy in a swimsuit. But, someone without a mask…could happen.”
See the incident from the local news report in the video below:
