Double Standards Part II: Safe Activities for Youth During the Coronavirus Pandemic

How can it be stated that it is "unsafe" for college students to congregate at the beach without wearing masks and not socially distancing--- but that it is "safe" for high school students to be on packed buses with one another unmasked and without social distancing?

There are a whole lot of double standards happening these days.

Depending upon one's political ideologies and/or worldview--some of these double standards are accepted, embraced, and all but condoned.  Even when they do not make sense.

Yes, intelligent people will look you straight in the face and tell you one thing is safe, yet excoriate the same behavior in another context/setting.  Then when you ask for elaboration and point out the obvious double standard--they'll dismiss your query as inane, get mad you had the temerity to ask about it---- or worse yet--not even answer a direct question on the topic.  Direct, on-point questions get sidestepped in favor of canned talking points supportive of a desired outcome or political party position or what a particular politician prognosticated.

Case in point and a major disconnect in the COVID-19 response: The behaviors of our youth and their susceptibility and vulnerability to COVID-19..

On the one hand--18 and 19 year old spring breakers gathered in numbers on the beaches in close proximity to one another--wrestling on the beach, frolicking in the waves, doing what college students do on spring break---well that is DANGEROUS, IRRESPONSIBLE BEHAVIOR!  It will lead to the SPREAD of the virus----we have to SHUT THAT DOWN! is what we all were told in March and April.  It was a potential DISASTER!!  They screamed at us.  So we shut that down, after all--these were the experts telling us this, so.....we listened.

Fast forward a few months and now everyone is bound and determined to get "back to normal" in the safest way possible, and as quickly as possible--- and the "experts" now say---School will be safe for students!!  "Children are safe, we can send them back to school, and no--we won't mandate masks and no--we cannot socially distance the students on the buses because nobody has the budgets to afford to do this----But don't worry--16, 17, 18, and 19 year old high school students packed on the buses, not wearing masks and not socially distancing, goofing around, engaging in horseplay, and doing what high schoolers do on the bus---well don't worry about this though.  This is SAFE--NO WORRIES, NOTHING TO SEE HERE, move along!"

Wait.....what?  A rational person would clearly see this disconnect and say "Wait a minute--either both behaviors (spring breakers and bus riders--neither group wearing masks or socially distancing) are dangerous---or NEITHER behavior is.  It is one or the other--but no way it's both.

Yes, yes--these so-called experts (most of whom would never even put their own children in a public school, let alone on a public school bus) will point to a pediatric study that was conducted early-on in the pandemic and say--we don't think it affects children the same way it affects adults.  We think it will be safe.  Look at this study!!  How dare you question us!!(They won't mention the fact that this particular study and its resultant conclusions are based upon certain conditions--- including social distancing happening in schools and the schools re-starting in communities where there is not widespread community transmission of the disease occurring presently. They also won't tell you about the South Korean study that indicates students 10-19 transmit the disease like adults do....)  But wait--can Escambia county really check either of those boxes right now?  Too many questions.....Nevertheless--do not question the experts, do not question them!

I am questioning you.  I don't believe you.  And I'm not subscribing to any of your political posturing, party agendas, or deadlines.  I listen to teachers who are concerned.  I have heard from administrators


 in the schools who are concerned.  I'm so thankful my children are all grown and out of the public school system and that I don't have to choose whether or not to send my own children back to brick and mortar schools when there are so many unanswered questions and unknowns swirling around about this virus and the long term health implications this disease poses on folks--even the ones who have "recovered".

The school district, the superintendent of schools, and the school board are all well-meaning and they care about students---I know this.  They are the ones that will be making this decision not me and not the county.  The school leaders in Escambia County are doing the best they can under some really difficult circumstances---I don't envy what they are confronting on this topic---because nothing is more important--and I mean NOTHING--nothing is more important than out children.  Not a party platform, not a desire to rush back to a sense of normalcy, not what a leading politician says----none of that means a thing if they get this wrong.

Meanwhile, the words of a school employee's email to me are a haunting reminder of the gravity of the decisions surrounding the start of the school year....From this email:

"I am a xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx in Escambia County School district, a mom to two young children, and a candidate awaiting an xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx, and I need your help.

As an educator, I do not have a choice. I've spent the last two months desperately and strategically planning to reopen my campus per the state mandate.  I've listened to, and reassured my xxxxxxxxxxxxxx when they cry or yell and say that they are afraid.  Afraid for themselves, afraid for their immunocompromised child, afraid for their spouse who was diagnosed with cancer.  I answer every question I can.  I lie to them. I tell them that it will be safe to return to a school building when I know that is not true, despite a team of brilliant educators' best and most creative planning. As a campus, we have cohorted our students, reduced contact, and minimized exposure, done all we could to encourage masks on campus without the support of the superintendent for a mask mandate.  Mr. Thomas asked a group of administrators, "Would you wear a mask for 7 and a half hours a day?" Yes sir I would."