Column: Let parents decide if their children should wear a mask at school

By Dan Kontos

At an August 9th meeting of the Stevens Point Area Public School District Board, Superintendent Craig Gerlach said that he would be announcing in a couple of weeks whether students would be required to wear face coverings when they come back to school for the upcoming educational year.

This cannot be an easy decision for him, so let’s help to understand the facts.

First, this seems to be a pretty impactful decision. So why is it that a superintendent is making the call and not the elected school board? Well, you see, the Board delegated their authority to Mr. Gerlach to make decisions regarding the district’s response to COVID-19, including the use of masks. 

Well, that certainly takes the pressure off of the Board, right? While it may seem by some to be a prudent move on their part, the Board can only delegate away their authority, not their responsibility. Make no mistake, the decision is theirs to make, including making someone else make it for them. 

The Board must be held accountable for the decision that is ultimately made, praised for a good choice, or ridiculed for a poor one. Let them know what you think. That translates best to our actions at the polls every April, where we essentially decide if we want to hire these folks for another three-year contract.

Fortunately, we have an excellent superintendent, but let’s be honest, no matter what the decision is, people will be unhappy. So, if that is the case, this policy decision should be made using the best available facts. We should no longer be in panic mode, with our hair on fire, and willing to do anything, as long as we are doing something. Fifteen days to flatten the curve has turned into 17 months, and we have learned a thing or two about this virus, and our response to it.

Let’s set aside past decisions for now, and focus on the present. Much has been learned about this situation, what works, and what does not. COVID-19 is a real thing, there is no denying that and we cannot ignore it. We should cool the politics for the moment and look at the facts. For those of you who want to follow the science, here it is.

We know that non-medical masks are essentially ineffective in protecting us from this virus. Don’t take my word for it, try reading for yourself studies written by The Center for Evidence Based Medicine,  Norwegian Institute of Public Health, or how about some more light reading (e.g. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26). Even the former COVID advisor for the Biden administration, Dr. Michael Osterholm, said so. By the way, so did the current director for the National Institute for Allergy and Infectious Diseases,  Dr. Anthony Fauci (e.g. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5).

We can also plainly see the evidence that mask mandates have not worked (e.g. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5) to prevent the spread of respiratory viruses like COVID-19.  Look at Sweden, which did not close schools and did not require student masks. They found that children are not contracting the virus at any appreciable rate, are not dying, and that the teachers and school staff are infected at a lower rate than the rest of the population.

We also know that masks can actually be detrimental to our health and especially the health of our children (e.g. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5). Have I convinced you doubters yet? Probably not, but it was a fun exercise all the same.

The bottom line is, that I’m not a medical professional, but I can read for myself. I don’t get my information from the legacy media, who are largely nothing more than partisan cheerleaders at this point. I research things on my own.

I also, sadly but frankly, don’t trust what governmental “experts,” tell me at face value anymore. They have lost their credibility with me in light of the shifting goalposts, the fabrications, the misreporting of statistics, and the like.  Remember no mask, mask, two-masks dance? That was my favorite. And why, pray tell, are they conspicuously ignoring natural immunity for those who have recovered from the China virus? I thought we were told that herd immunity was the ultimate goal?

If lock-downs work, then why are they not working? If masks work, why are they not working? If the vaccine works, then why is it not working? Why do we keep repeating the same mantra of failed ideas? Gee, that didn’t work, so let’s double down.

Look, I’m not an anti-vaxer or conspiracy theorist. I am also not giving you any medical advice. I just call it as I see it. My advice is to consult with your personal trusted medical provider, read, research, and make an informed decision for what is best for you and your family.

You want to wear a mask, wear a mask. What do I care? Wear two masks. Wear two masks while swimming outdoors six feet apart. Stay in your basement. Get two vaccines. Soak your feet in hand sanitizer. I don’t care. Just stop telling me what to do—and that your one-size-fits-all approach to life is more important than my personal liberty. It’s not—full stop.

Sadly, there is no silver bullet cure for this virus. The world is often a dangerous place. Frankly, I’m not sure how I survived my childhood, with all the drinking from garden hoses, swallowing chewing gum, playing outside unsupervised, walking to school, shooting BB guns, metal playground slides, and monkey bars over gravel, you know the drill. Remember the TV spot that said, “It’s 10 p.m., do you know where your children are?”  Simpler days, for sure.

This decision, to mask our kids or not, should be a parental decision. It is the parent who unquestionably has the best interest of their children at heart. We can all love children and want the best for them, but it’s not the same. Masks should be a parental choice.

Don’t give me your anecdotal counter-stories of examples of bad parenting as an excuse for why the government needs to make these decisions. I’m talking about the real world here, where the good and normal parents exist in almost universal majorities.

I am not stupid; I can reason for myself. Government can advocate, educate, and even persuade. However, it is not their place to coerce or threaten. We the people created government to serve our society, not the other way around.

The parents, not bureaucrats, are the ones that intimately understand the needs, challenges, and circumstances of our children. These are our offspring, our families, our responsibility.

Putting a cloth over my kids’ faces for 40 hours a week doesn’t make sense, and it fails the science test, in my opinion. You should decide for yourselves.

Since the Board won’t decide, all I’m asking is for Superintendent Gerlach to let the parents decide what’s best for their children. Let masks be optional this year. I wouldn’t even mind a strong advisory. Those that want to wear masks can always do so.

So, with that, let’s meet in the opinion section to talk about all of it, boldly, unafraid, and with a healthy respect for each other. Until then, God bless.

Dan Kontos is a paid columnist for the Metro Wire. He chooses his own topics and his opinions do not necessarily represent the staff of the Metro Wire. He lives with his family in Whiting. 

Interested in becoming a columnist for the Metro Wire? Email [email protected].