Masks in schools should be common sense, not politics: Letter

Jerry Horgen
St. Cloud

Since when did school districts start taking medical advice from politicians? School districts are entrusted with the safety of their district's children. Yet when Dr. Fauci, the Centers for Disease Control, Minnesota Department of Health and American Academy of Pediatrics etc. all recommend masks, school districts are starting with no mask requirement? 

In southern states such as Florida and Texas, we find superintendents/teacher unions going against their governor's recommendations/threats to take away their salary if the school district requires masks. Yet masks will be required! It needs to be noted that the local medical communities in Florida/Texas supports masks for kids in schools.

The Delta variant is increasing rapidly in the United States. We find many young teachers are leaving the teaching profession at a rate of three out of five teachers in the first five years of teaching. Their safety needs to be considered as well in this pandemic. It doesn't appear teachers are given any consideration — even after a most difficult year. 

We have over 620,000 people who have died and the rise of young kids getting the virus is increasing in the United States, yet we have communities that are not requiring masks because many believe the "mask" is a political right of independence touted by politicians/Trump. We can come together in a tornado, flood, hurricane, yet a mask is a form of protest?

Again, the American Academy of Pediatrics recommends masks for kids in schools. Let's simply have the attitude that "we care about one another" and wear masks as a safety measure — no, really of caring!

Jerry Horgen

St. Cloud