COVID-19, MASK MANDATE

To The Parents Protesting Their Kid’s School Mask Requirement

Your privilege is showing.

I did a double-take when I read this headline- “Parents in Orange County protest against mask requirement at schools.” They called the mask requirement a draconian measure by the school board which would affect their kid’s ability to learn.

Misty Griffin, the chair for Orange County’s chapter of the national conservative parent group Moms for Liberty had this to say—

“We’re not happy. We do believe that parents have the right to choose what goes on the face of their child and a mask is a medical decision. So we’re going to fight it.”

Another parent Denise Ramirez, her voice almost breaking in tears said, “I cannot stand to see my daughter masked. She doesn’t want to be masked and neither do my boys.”

Many families plan on not sending their children to school on Monday, August 30th in protest of the mask mandate.

All this is happening while Orange County contends with its third surge, largely fueled by the contagious Delta variant. Over 2,500 students and staff are sick with COVID in just the first few weeks of school.

I don’t get how people are still delusional about this deadly virus after worldwide deaths have crossed 4 million. They believe they are invincible, fearless, and will be able to weather the discomfort of the illness, should their children get it.

My kids have been wearing masks for 2 weeks since their school opened. They are so used to it, they don’t even bring it up in any conversation. Never have I heard a complaint about the mask from them.

After more than a year of online school last year, they are thrilled to be back in real school with their friends. I can see the positive difference in their mental health. Wearing masks hasn’t affected their school work.

So what I understood is that kids have no problems wearing masks unless they have a medical condition. Kids are resilient, they adjust fast. It’s the adults who make up the problems.

Don’t the lives of their own children hold any value to them? What about the lives of other people’s kids and teachers? What about immunocompromised kids?

Health care workers are already overwhelmed and making unbelievable sacrifices. Not complying with a simple requirement to wear a mask is a reckless and selfish move by these parents.

Just this week harrowing images from Afghanistan gripped the world. Thousands of Afghans, all pressed together like sardines in a box, crammed the airports to escape Taliban rule.

The gut-wrenching scenes screamed chaos, fear, and utter panic. Young children waiting in the scorching sun were suffering from sunstroke, getting trampled, and even getting separated from their families in the chaos.

Mothers were throwing their babies over the razor wire, asking soldiers to take them. This was their best and only hope for a better future for their child.

Such is the helpless plight of mothers in Afghanistan that they hand over their baby to a complete stranger. They would rather separate from their child and suffer heartbreak than see their child dead.

And here mothers are protesting against their child wearing a mask which will protect them? Here, parents say wearing a mask is a draconian measure. How about never getting to go to school because you are a young girl in Afghanistan?

School districts and staff are going above and beyond to make schools a safe zone for kids. It’s a herculean task and a big responsibility to shoulder. Unfortunately, they have been met with only resistance and criticism from parents.

Parents argue that there is a lack of evidence supporting the effectiveness of facemasks. Likewise, there is a lack of evidence supporting their ineffectiveness.

Imagine surgeons performing surgeries without gloves and masks just because there was no evidence for its effectiveness. Would you let them operate on your child?

Sorry parents, but your privilege is showing, and so is your lack of common sense. This is so unwoke. Please wake up and mask your kid.

One woman attending the protest held up a sign that read “COVID is a Scam.” This is a slap in the face for all those who lost a loved one. All I can say is that there is a vaccine for COVID-19 but unfortunately, there’s no vaccine for stupidity.