Parental Questioning

 

                I’ve found that in recent mornings I’ve been much more upset and bothered than I used to be. It took me quite awhile to put my finger on exactly why. I’ve been dropping my son off at school like normal, and rushing home to attend meetings as soon as I can. On the surface not much has changed, I can sense the end of the school year is neigh, and I’m looking forward to it. However, I started to realize that isn’t what has changed. No, what has been bothering me the most has nothing to do with me or my family. What is bothering me is this political divide on caring about one another.

                The ultimate point about democracy is to be able to put your voice towards what is best for everyone, albeit according to your belief. There are obviously a lot of different interpretations about how this could be carried out. Which leads to a lot of problems, and thus political strife. Where I’ve come into issues is the blatant disregard to fact as a means of political beliefs. The disregard for hundreds of scientists or doctors for the simple reason that political pundits that we agree with say are hacks.

                What got me so upset was a mother saying that its ridiculous to wear a mask, and that their backpacks are heavy. All because there might be some hardship if the kid exhibits COVID-19 symptoms. As if the only problem is symptoms. They can’t believe that an individual who doesn’t have symptoms can spread the disease. Worse, they don’t believe that even though you don’t have symptoms, you either can’t spread it or that if you do the person you infect will be asymptomatic. I’ve heard them say on multiple occasions “don’t worry, she doesn’t have anything contagious”. How do you know? How can you possibly know?

                This disease might not necessarily kill you, it might not show major issues. What we do know however, is that how it affects you is not the same as how it affects others. If you aren’t willing to admit that perhaps your behavior could effect those around you, why are you going near other people? What about your life is so important that you feel you can risk the lives of those around you? Why are you so important? Why are you willing to spread a potentially lethal disease so willingly just because you feel inconvenienced by a mask?

                What I’m struck by every morning is a woman who feels that she is protecting her daughter by refusing to wear a mask up until the last possible minute. It doesn’t matter that the district requires mask wearing on campus. It doesn’t matter that the CDC says that you must wear a mask (even outside) when in the presence of many people who aren’t vaccinated.

                I struggle with what to tell my child, he has asked multiple times about why they aren’t wearing masks. Am I supposed to shrug it off, saying that not everyone will do what we do? Am I supposed to shrug it off, saying not everyone follows the rules? Am I supposed to shrug it off, saying not everyone is willing to protect others? Am I supposed to shrug it off, saying not everyone cares if those around them live or die? Am I supposed to say, they’re Republican so they think they can do what they want?

                I spend way too much of my day trying to figure out what to say to my son. I don’t know what I should say. Saying that doctors and scientists have determined that wearing masks and distancing are the best for us at the moment, don’t seem to be the best tact at the moment. Not when my child is exposed to people who say masks are oppressive. Not when he is exposed to people who thing that this whole thing is political.

                Am I supposed to say to my son that potentially getting a lethal disease is better than wearing a mask? Am I supposed to say because I don’t care you might get a heart disease? Am I supposed to say that because one political party thinks that science is bullshit you have the right to die? What the fuck is wrong with America? We don’t care who dies, the only thing that matters is that we individualy recover. None of us care about the country. No, we care about ourselves, and we alienate everyone who isn’t us.

                America is held to standards that aren’t sustainable. It is supposed to be white and rich, there is no wiggle room. It is also supposed to be immune to a pandemic, who gives a shit that we ignore the pandemic, immune.

                Amreica was founded on religious freedom, I can’t believe that it was founded on scientific ignorance. You are certainly free to practice your religion, you are free to believe what you wish. That said, if you believe that you don’t need to wear a mask or you don’t need a vaccine, you need to separate yourself from society.