ARE YOU PART OF THE PROBLEM OR PART OF THE SOLUTION?

 At times like this, I'm glad I'm retired and don't have any children in the school system. I really feel bad for parents who have to make this consequential decision -- especially if down the road it results in the loss of a loved one.

Personally, I don't think we know enough about this virus to make the decision to send our children back to school right now. Proof in point -- It's taken us from last fall until now to figure out it's actually an "airborne" killer. What else will be discovered about this virus in the months ahead that may impact our entire future and future generations because we made decisions before we had all the facts? Plus, for the last few months, we have drummed in our kid’s head how dangerous this virus is and why they can't socialize, should constantly wash their hands, sanitize, etc. Are they really going to be able to sit in a school room and learn with this prior message on their minds -OR- Will they think that the danger must be over since they're back in school and stop wearing their masks and washing their hands? I can only say that if I was in a parent's shoes right now, I'd keep my child/children at home in an environment that I KNOW is safer versus one that is a complete unknown right now and subject to changing on a daily basis. In other words -- better safe than sorry. Yes, children need to socialize, but is it worth putting them at risk in anyway just so they are "physically" socialized? For now, I think we need to be more creative at how we can socialize them on the home front using the resources we have -- and thank goodness we have the internet, Zoom, YouTube, etc. to help do that. I realize that a lot of funding for schools comes from the federal level based on “physical” attendance but the process of using “virtual attendance” is already in existence for kids who have done virtual home schooling for at least the last 5 years+ or more, so I don’t see why using that same methodology would be an issue. Using "virtual education", wouldn't we still need the same number of teachers per X number of children?

Presently, we have no idea how long we may have to live with C19 and the mutations it has created. Having lived during the time when Polio and other pandemics existed, I'm not trying to present "a gloom and doom" attitude. I'm just being realistic. For Example: Polio, typhoid, scarlet fever, measles, mumps, chicken pox, Aids – just to name a few--at one point, were al world-wide killers until vaccines were discovered. That’s why they aren’t an issue today except in 3rd world countries. Think about this…Polio was a killer and a horrific crippler. The cure –the Salk Vaccine -- wasn't delivered to the public until 1955 – at least 15-20 years after it started as a world-wide pandemic. (NOTE: Polio existed prior to my birth in 1951. In fact, President FDR contracted it while he was in office during the 1940"s. It's also one of the reasons Danny Thomas created St. Jude's Hospital because so many children were so horribly affected by Polio, Cancer, and other childhood killers.) With that in mind, who knows what we can expect regarding a cure for C19? Our scientific methods and knowledge are far superior to what they were in the 1940's to present so hopefully that will make a huge difference in finding a cure as quickly as possible.

Just working on a cure, however, isn’t the only thing needed to get C19 under control. We as a country need to work together to contain and conquer this virus – and it’s just as simple as wearing a mask. Why has it become such an issue? Because a lot of the people born in the late 70’s early 80’s, haven’t had to experience a pandemic and it’s hard for them to accept, to comprehend, C19’s existence. They resent being told what to do and see it as a violation of their “American Rights”. instead of being centered only on their self, why can't they accept the fact that they need to .be a part of the country –part of the solution – by working together to limit it's spreading until a cure is discovered. Also, somehow it’s become a political statement – which I still don’t understand and makes absolutely no sense to me.

As I mentioned above, those of us born in the 40’s and 50’s have experienced quite a few pandemics and learned we had to do our part for humanity’s sake and work together instead of “fighting the system”. I absolutely hate wearing a mask because I have breathing problems, sleep apnea, etc. and it makes it just that much harder to breathe. Also, it fogs up my glasses which is extremely frustrating since I'm already dealing with cataracts right now. Still, every time I put on a mask, I remind myself I’m not just doing it for myself but for all the people I love and care about. That way, I don't think of it so much as an inconvenience or a "privilege being taken away" but more of an act of love and caring – “AND OF COURSE BEING A GOOD AMERICAN” per our President as he also begins to wear a mask too.