Mask Wars! Really?!
Get it together, people!
On CNN, I watched a video of parents fighting each other over children wearing masks. It started as a verbal fight and then turned into a fistfight. It was both embarrassing and hilarious. Embarrassing because adults who should know better were fighting in front of kids. Hilarious because they were fighting over kids wearing masks. Really?!
America has become a melting pot of rage. People of all ages, genders, races, and backgrounds have taken sides over the mask debate. Meanwhile, the Delta Variant is laughing all the way to the cemetery. Thousands have died since the Delta Variant gained a hold in this country. Unfortunately, many within that number are children.
It would seem that having your child wear a mask to protect against a highly contagious virus would be easy to do. It’s just a mask. Put it on. Go to school. Socially distance. Be safe. This should especially be the case since there is currently no vaccine for children under 12 years old. However, many adults across the country have turned wearing a mask into a political issue.
Instead of worrying about their children’s safety, parents are worried that their rights as parents are being taken away. Huh?! No one is taking away a parent’s rights. Medical officials don’t want the Delta Variant to take your child’s life. Fighting and yelling at each other over wearing a mask is insane. People are dying. Why is that being ignored by those against wearing a mask?
It is such a shame that this is where we are with the pandemic. We should be on the other side of it. The virus should be under control. For a while, in late Spring, it was under control. Then, states started rolling back restrictions, and stores began opening back up. But when the Delta Variant made its first appearance, states didn’t want to bring back restrictions, causing the virus to spread.
Now with students returning to school, some states aren’t enforcing safety measures in schools. Wearing a mask is an important safety measure. Unfortunately, these states are led by Republican governors who still drink the Trump Kool-Aid. So instead of keeping their citizens safe, they’re threatening to cut funding from school districts that issue mask mandates. Some districts are mandating masks regardless of state orders, and I applaud them for their resistance.
Children need to be vaccinated. If they are over 12 years of age, please give them the vaccine. For those under 12, please be responsible. Let those children wear masks. Everyone needs to wear a mask in areas that have high infection rates. Social distancing and handwashing are also key in slowing the spread of the virus. Finally, stop fighting each other and work together to slow the Delta Variant. Your children’s futures depend on cooperating, not confrontation.
