The Moral Case for Reopening
Schools—Without Masks
City Journal,
by
John Tierney
Original Article
Posted By: Imright,
9/23/2020 10:47:26 AM
If you’re a public-minded student or teacher committed to reducing the death toll from Covid-19, what is the morally correct way to behave?According to the epidemiologist Sunetra Gupta, you should do just about the opposite of what’s being preached by college presidents, teachers’ unions, political leaders, and the scientific and media establishment. Unless you’re elderly or particularly vulnerable, you shouldn’t be wearing a mask all day, or shaming others for going unmasked. You should be careful not to endanger the vulnerable, but otherwise you should be exposing yourself to the virus in order to promote herd immunity.
Reply 1 - Posted by:
john56 9/23/2020 11:04:07 AM (No. 549779)
Masks or no masks, schools can operate safely.
My wife teaches in a mid-size school district. Maybe 2000 kids total, PK to 12, four different schools but all on the same campus. They've been in classrooms (about 80% in class, 20% online). Total number of cases since school started on AUGUST 19: Two. One elementary kid and one JH teacher. They are wearing masks, but you can forget that 6-foot rule.
They are finding out that the distance learning kids (who are required to be online and and attending classes as if they were in the building) are struggling and the school dsitrict is going to require those who are failing to return to classrooms (unless you can get a doctor to say you're gonna die if you do, good luck with that). I saw a note the other day that another district in our state is ending its distance learning program because cases have dropped so low. Basically, they told the parents unless you can get a doctors note, be in school, find another district that will remote teach your kid (good luck there) or homeschool your kids on your own .
6 people like this.
Reply 2 - Posted by:
Jesuslover54 9/23/2020 11:15:11 AM (No. 549798)
We don't need a moral case to open the schools, the scientific case is quite sufficient.
The moral case comes in only because these kids are being punished without a crime.
6 people like this.
Reply 3 - Posted by:
PlayItAgain 9/23/2020 11:48:13 AM (No. 549844)
The moral argument is this:
We should never submit to foolish tyrants.
11 people like this.
Reply 4 - Posted by:
smokincol 9/23/2020 11:49:11 AM (No. 549845)
all of this BS about covert 19 should never have happened. DJT knew how to handle it but because of politics nothing happened that was constructive.
TRUMP 2020and beyond
5 people like this.
Reply 5 - Posted by:
anniebc 9/23/2020 12:26:19 PM (No. 549875)
As usual, the shame should be on the mask-wearing Nazis, not those they attempt to shame.
3 people like this.
Reply 6 - Posted by:
TXknitter 9/23/2020 12:32:47 PM (No. 549882)
May I say #5 that as we have more facts on this scamdemic, I stand amazed how God helped Trump maneuver this swamp-driven, China-originating attack on our country.
It is so clear that Sweden’s health agencies and scientists made superior decisions. They rejected the flawed British models and they have been proven correct to have done so. They have a goofy socialist government but they got this 100% right and they deserve credit too. Trump had to work with the politically biased agency heads he was stuck with - Fauci and company. Its another miracle that we survived this thing...
5 people like this.
Reply 7 - Posted by:
TXknitter 9/23/2020 12:33:23 PM (No. 549886)
Uh #4 that should be.
1 person likes this.
Reply 8 - Posted by:
Citoyen 9/23/2020 12:40:21 PM (No. 549892)
President Trump made only one mistake in handling the pandemic. That mistake was trusting the "experts" to give him good advice. Shutting down significantly the country to flatten the curve in a few northeastern states had never been done before and is a horrible mistake. Refusing to acknowledge that herd immunity, even if a vaccine is developed, will be the means most likely end this epidemic, is a horrible mistake. Mandating and promoting masks, despite there being absolutely no scientific proof as to their efficacy, is a horrible mistake These three responses were recommended by the experts and it was obvious that Trump's instincts NOT to enact with them were correct. I don't blame him in the least for following the government experts but do wish that he had had political and scientific support outside the government experts to do the right thing, which would have been to do what Sweden did.
He's stuck with the "experts" that he embraced early on. He can't get rid of them. He is also stuck with preaching that a vaccine will be the solution. I am glad that he finally added Dr. Atlas, a voice of reason, to the Corona task force and that he seems to have stopped bad-mouthing Sweden.
4 people like this.
Reply 9 - Posted by:
cor-vet 9/23/2020 1:23:09 PM (No. 549920)
Teachers in a nearby school district have decided that getting paid for not working is the way to go, so they're staging a sick-out.
2 people like this.
Reply 10 - Posted by:
stablemoney 9/23/2020 2:46:25 PM (No. 550020)
Re-open the economy--without masks. I am sick of these business ordering customers what to do. Despicable! Mind your own business!
2 people like this.
Reply 11 - Posted by:
Harlowe 9/23/2020 6:21:55 PM (No. 550297)
According to an article published in May, a retired neurologist believes that wearing masks for a prolonged period of time could, according to studies, cause serious side effects that “can vary from headaches to increased airway resistance, carbon dioxide accumulation, to hypoxia, all the way to serious life threatening complications.” The effects vary depending on the type of mask being used; cloth, paper surgical, or N95 respirator masks. The N95 masks, if worn for hours, can lead to a loss of consciousness. Essentially, masks could put people at greater risk of infections and, if so, worse outcomes.
From the COVID-19 beginning, it was assumed that the coronavirus behaved like other respiratory viruses insofar as spread as well as symptoms. The neurologist pointed to a 2012 study, “The use of masks and respirators to prevent transmission of influenza: A systematic review of the scientific evidence” looked at 17 of the best studies and concluded: “None of the studies established a conclusive relationship between mask/respirator use and protection against influenza infection.”
Reference: “Could wearing a mask for long periods be detrimental to health?” – Donna Rachel Edmunds – May 18, 2020
Considering the facts enumerated above, and the fact that medical personnel are mandated to wear masks for hours at a time, the question becomes to what risk are medical personnel (and the citizens of this country) being subjected to if the science remains uncertain—are masks actually being conducive to medical problems beyond the coronavirus that could be disastrous in affecting medical personnel to the point of their being rendered unable to practice medicine due to their personal impairments, thereby causing a shortage of expertise in this country’s health care system?
If the extreme measures imposed on this country’s citizens are the result of political manipulation by leftists, there may be consequences for the perpetrators beyond the realm of this earthly life.
2 people like this.
Reply 12 - Posted by:
GO3 9/23/2020 9:16:56 PM (No. 550396)
I'll say it again. If the schools are playing football, the masks should come off for everyone - period.
0 people like this.
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