Check out the blog, and podcast, for links for all we will talk about today. Remember, to not take others word for anything, do the research for yourself. How I feel will not be how you feel when you do your own research, but at least you had the information in front of you to make that decision on your own. So, let’s start with the Governor’s executive order shall we?
Executive Order
On August 16, 2021 Governor Lee made an announcement on Executive order 84, which we now call the “Mask Mandate”. I pulled part of the Governor’s speech, before he announced the executive order, for our discussion. It said:
“Right now, some of the greatest frustration is occurring in our K-12 schools, especially around the issue of mask mandates. While local decision-making is important, individual decision-making by a parent on issues regarding the health and well-being of their child is the most important.
No one cares more about the health and well-being of a child than a parent. I am signing an executive order today that allows parents to opt their children out of a school mask mandate if either a school board or health board enacts one over a district.
Districts will make the decision they believe are best for their schools, but parents will have the ultimate decision-making for their individual child’s health and well-being. I will not be calling a special session at this time.
Our hospitals are struggling under the weight of COVID but those hospital beds are filled with adults. Requiring parents to make their children wear masks to solve an adult problem is in my view the wrong approach.”
Ummm, no sir! As a parent, grandparent, my child’s health is more important to me so my kids know they better keep a mask on their face while in school. If anyone tries to tell them differently, they know to call me. I have seen parents send their kids to school, when they should be in a doctor’s office, and tell them the school better not call them to pick them back up. Back then, that was just if they had a cold. and you think parents won’t do the something now with the COVID virus? Really? What research is he seeing that the beds are filled with adults?
What I read was that, as of September 15th, Tennessee leads the nation in new COVID-19 cases per capita, as of new data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. You can read more here: Surge makes Tennessee U.S. leader in new COVID cases per capita (msn.com)
When I went to my students, they said” I think that it is a good idea and appropriate to keep us safe so that we are not spreading the virus.” Now if a student says it’s a good idea to wear a mask, and they are in the school around other students, how can we say differently? Non-personnel are still not allowed in the school, so we can’t see for ourselves what the students see we can only go by their word. If a student does not want to wear a mask, then guess what, they will say whatever needed to get the parent fired up to fight for them not to wear one.
Since day one, Dr. Adrienne Battle has told us any decision the Board makes is for the safety of the students. She has received much backlash over keeping students virtual last year and having students wear masks in school this year. Through all of this, she has made it clear that she is trying to keep our kids safe whatever the costs. I commend her for standing her ground regardless what is said to, and about, her about this issue.
What concerns me is why does she have to keep reminding parents that her decision is to protect our kids? There could have been many more sick children if she gave in because people talked about her or agreed with angry parents because they kept saying they didn’t like her for her decisions. Instead, she is actually putting our kids first. She is looking at the research, asking questions and keeping up with the rising number of COVID cases that now really impact the kids. But some still want to go against her but stand with Governor Lee? Interesting.
Opt-Out Choice
If you have been keeping up with the mask mandate mess you now know of the lawsuits against Governor Lee. Truthfully, this was bound to happen. So far, all the lawsuits are coming from Memphis but more will follow from other cities. The lawsuits are on behalf of the students who cannot wear masks that depend on others to wear their masks.
The link, Lawsuit against Gov. Bill Lee says mask opt-out order forces parents to choose between education or health (wreg.com), discuss what the lawsuit is about and why they are suing. As of September 12th, a third lawsuit has been filed, Third family joins class action lawsuit against Gov. Bill Lee over mask opt-out order | WREG.com, regarding a student with an immunodeficiency disease (who is vaccinated) but cannot rely on the vaccine protecting her because of her disease.
When I asked another student, they said “I think that mask mandates are very helpful even though other factors can help with the spread of COVID. In my opinion it’s completely understandable for them to sue. That bill is putting many different students and staff in danger. Everyone might not like wearing masks. but most people can’t deny that they’re helpful at least even a little bit. When people don’t wear masks, they don’t think about the people who have weak immune systems or who aren’t able to be vaccinated. They’re being selfish and only thinking about themselves.”
So, by parents letting their kids opt-out is putting both them and other students at risk. People keep forgetting, viruses can keep mutating. Last year it was COVID-19, this year it’s the Delta strain, what’s coming next year? Last year seniors were taking up all the hospital beds, this year it’s the children and the unvaccinated. Who will it be next year? The facts, and the research is right there in front of all of us but we choose to see (and believe) what we want to see (and believe).
The ADA and Face Mask Policies
If you got to this link, Disability Issues Brief: The ADA and Face Mask Policies (adasoutheast.org), it explains the reason for the lawsuits on behalf of those who fall under the ADA. It lists examples of those who fall under this category which is good to know for the rest of us. I had seen about the lawsuits but was not sure what made their situations different exactly from us. The examples they gave made more sense to me and I now understand. Not everyone can wear a mask and there are different reasons why that is, when it comes to those who cannot for medical reasons it makes this “opt-out” options more dangerous for them.
Regardless of how you feel about the mask mandate, the main goal is keeping everyone safe. The only way that can happen is by working together to make sure the right measures are in place. Only then will we finally get some kind of handle on the virus and keep it from spreading and getting worse. We have got to work together on this and do our part to protect ourselves and our families, we start there, the virus will spread no more.
Motivational: Motivational – RevStefanie73
Youtube: https://youtu.be/SMhoGKX47lM (subscribe, like and leave a comment)
Podcast: https://setyoursoulfreewithstefanie.buzzsprout.com/
Tennessee Mask Mandate: https://www.tn.gov/governor/news/2021/8/16/gov–lee-signs-executive-order-giving-parents-ability-to-opt-out-of-school-mask-mandates.html
Mandate Lawsuit: Lawsuit against Gov. Bill Lee says mask opt-out order forces parents to choose between education or health (wreg.com)
3rd Mandate Lawsuit: https://www.wreg.com/news/third-family-joins-class-action-lawsuit-against-gov-bill-lee-over-mask-opt-out-order/
Disability Rights TN: Links | Disability Rights (disabilityrightstn.org)
The ADA and Face Mask Policies: Disability Issues Brief: The ADA and Face Mask Policies (adasoutheast.org)
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