Next week will mark two years since lockdowns went into effect in the USA. At times the lockdowns were strict and encompassed a large portion of the population. At other times and in some states, the lockdowns were more relaxed. The lockdowns included social distancing (staying at least six feet away from others), enforced masking, business closures, stay-at-home orders, etc. Now the lockdowns, where still in place, include mandated vaccinations (despite having recovered from COVID-19), forced masking of school children (the demographic with the lowest incidence rate of COVID-19), and the failure of the government to bring an end to their emergency powers invoked at the beginning of this crisis.
So, why can't some people let lockdowns and mandates go? It is easy to see why certain politicians and medical personnel might push for continued mandates. Politicians are power-hungry, and they see lockdowns and mandates as a means to maintain power and control over their constituents. Some within the medical community push for continued mandates and thus fear because they stand to gain more money the longer the crisis lingers. Both of these groups have reaped millions during the past two years from the crisis. So, why kill the goose laying the golden egg?
But why do some believe young school-aged children should be forced to wear a mask and/or be vaccinated? For the most part, the school teachers' unions push this narrative. Why? Because they have become lazy and disinterested in the teaching profession. With parents having become so lenient with their children, teachers have become babysitters and disciplinarians. Roles they never trained for and are unwilling to take on. Parents are providing their children with cell phones at ever younger ages. Teachers then become the bad guys when they relieve the child of his/her cell phone during school hours. Cell phones have diminished the attention span of children to practically nothing. Teachers have been unable to compete with the fast-paced interaction a student can have with a cell phone, and education/learning does not lend itself to fast-paced for every learner.
While none of these are legitimate excuses to require masks or vaccination of children, it is easy to understand why some teachers would want to continue the mandates and lockdowns. However, the truth is there is no legitimate reason to continue lockdowns or mandates in any part of the country. The lockdowns were meant to flatten the curve and reduce the number of hospitalizations in the short term to avoid overwhelming hospitals and medical personnel. There was never a stated intention to maintain lockdowns for two years or more. Most emergency authorizations restricted the time frame in which it was operative. That time has or is running out.
Lockdowns should be lifted everywhere. Mandates for masks and vaccinations should be eliminated. We should be allowed to return to our previous normal lives. There are numerous studies showing lockdowns caused more damage than they avoided. A similar number of studies show masks have been all but ineffectual in preventing the spread of COVID-19. In addition, all statistical and analytical data indicate school-age children are the least likely to contract and spread COVID-19. Must we continue to harm these innocent lives? Let's End Americas Lockdown!