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* Do you agree or disagree with the governor’s P-12 mask mandate? Take the poll and then explain your answer in comments, please…
posted by Rich Miller
Thursday, Aug 5, 21 @ 9:27 am
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voted Agree-I honestly think this may save the lives of the school board members who have made some parents mad.
Comment by Cable Line Beer Gardener Thursday, Aug 5, 21 @ 9:33 am
Agree. Leaders have to make decisions that are not universally popular. And we need to be led out of this crisis as we’ve clearly shown that collectively we won’t get there on our own. The alternative is what’s playing out in Florida and Texas right now.
Comment by Pundent Thursday, Aug 5, 21 @ 9:34 am
I agree. The rampant denial of this virus and of science in general is putting EVERYONE at risk.
Comment by SubRosa Thursday, Aug 5, 21 @ 9:35 am
Yes, until vaccines are approved for youngsters it is our best option.
Comment by ChicagoVinny Thursday, Aug 5, 21 @ 9:37 am
I voted agree. It was clear districts were just buckling to pressure from a loud minority. I agree the gov has to be the adult in the room once again
Comment by Blueman Thursday, Aug 5, 21 @ 9:38 am
My daughter starts kindergarten this year. Until there is a vaccine available to her, masks are the best line of defense.
If I had confidence that the families of her classmates were fully vaccinated, took precautions, and were generally responsible people, it might not be necessary. But, some of them are the same folks that forget to send a coat with their kid in the wintertime, so I know better.
Comment by Stig Thursday, Aug 5, 21 @ 9:38 am
Agree. (what the previous 3 have said so far)
Not sure why “my body, my choice” is the cross so many are willing to die on…
Comment by DevotedCardsFan Thursday, Aug 5, 21 @ 9:39 am
Disagree. The vaccines are a game changer & made mask mandates, which I supported, antiquated.
Comment by Blake Thursday, Aug 5, 21 @ 9:40 am
Agree. Masks are an important mitigating force until the pandemic is actually over.
Comment by Groundhog Day Thursday, Aug 5, 21 @ 9:41 am
Agree STRONGLY. Children under 12 cannot be vaccinated, so this is the best option we have to protect them.
Comment by wildcat12 Thursday, Aug 5, 21 @ 9:43 am
Those who have children who can’t see the necessity to keep their children safe will never be rational to this, so that’s why I vote “agree”, not only for those families worried for their children, but for the children who may need that extra attention of safety when possible.
Comment by Oswego Willy Thursday, Aug 5, 21 @ 9:44 am
I hoped it was over, but I agree.
Unruly parents have intimidated boards into making poor decisions and this gives boards/supers cover.
Comment by Cheap Seats Thursday, Aug 5, 21 @ 9:44 am
I know what I don’t know. And I’m not an expert on children’s health. Fortunately, my wife is. So when she says kids need to wear masks in schools and need to be vaccinated, I listen and vote agree. IMHO more of us should do the same.
Comment by DirtLawyer Thursday, Aug 5, 21 @ 9:46 am
“made mask mandates … antiquated”
What don’t you understand about the delta variant? Easier transmission, more virilent, younger population being infected, deadly.
Comment by Huh? Thursday, Aug 5, 21 @ 9:48 am
Lack of in-person schooling has created a ton of psychological damage to go along with lost learning. This is the best way to get kids back into the classroom until a vaccine is approved for those under 12 years old.
Comment by SAP Thursday, Aug 5, 21 @ 9:49 am
Agree, it is way past time the adults who are charged with keeping kids safe at school, stop bowing down to the local loons and loud mouths and put kid’s well being at the forefront.
And that includes football coaches and parents of football players. Shut them up and shut them down or they will continue to try and call the shots. If the Ken and Dereck Leonards of the world want to play football, they should be front and center calling for mask and vaccines.
Comment by Give Me A Break Thursday, Aug 5, 21 @ 9:49 am
Agree - b/c this is just science people - too many are refusing to get vaccinated or haven’t made it a priority - their failures are creating petri dishes for variant development. They have no right to endanger my kids (who have been vaccinated). And it’s just a mask - c’mon - if wearing a mask for public health reasons is your biggest problem - consider yourself blessed.
Comment by Nobody Sent Thursday, Aug 5, 21 @ 9:52 am
Agree. As long as significant numbers of people keep refusing to get vaccinated this virus will continue to spread and mutate. Stop whining and get the freakin shot.
Comment by Excitable Boy Thursday, Aug 5, 21 @ 9:53 am
Agree. School Board meetings were going to get unruly, and not enough people got vaccinated. If they want to stay away form remote learning again, this is the answer.
Comment by Highland, IL Thursday, Aug 5, 21 @ 9:54 am
I voted “agree.” These are the youngest of our citizens, and they are unvaccinated through no fault of their own. To not act so as to protect them would make us all culpable for their injuries and deaths. Those who are unvaccinated would surely bear some of the blame. But even those of us who are vaccinated would be culpable, for not acting so as to protect the vulnerable who are unable to protect themselves.
Comment by H-W Thursday, Aug 5, 21 @ 9:55 am
Must do what is necessary to protect our youth.
Comment by Arock Thursday, Aug 5, 21 @ 9:59 am
Yes, bc I think it makes classroom learning feasible and safer, and that’s what the kids need.
Comment by Shark Sandwich Thursday, Aug 5, 21 @ 9:59 am
Agree - it’s a good first step and long overdue. If you choose not to get vaccinated and not to wear a mask knowing that a large number of your fellow citizens cannot be protected by a vaccine there needs to be some consequences in order to increase the percentage of folks that are vaccinated. We need to hit 90% of those eligible to be vaccinated in order to be able to start thinking about a return to “normal” or “business as usual.”
Comment by Patricia Thursday, Aug 5, 21 @ 10:03 am
Agree. We should have a public health response to this pandemic that won’t embarrass us when these children are old enough to understand that we failed to act to protect them.
So let’s act to protect them.
Comment by Candy Dogood Thursday, Aug 5, 21 @ 10:04 am
As a mom with 4 school age kids, only one of whom is old enough to be vaxxed, I strongly agree. Thankful that 186 was going that route anyway, but also glad that board can have some relief from the pressure. It’s simple, the kids do fine with it and I honestly think it is the bare minimum necessary to save us from losing another school year in person.
Comment by 4boys Thursday, Aug 5, 21 @ 10:04 am
Agree. Considering that children under 12 cannot be vaccinated, and also considering that COVID cases seem to be increasing among children, and further considering that both the CDC and the American Academy of Pediatrics recommend wearing masks in school, it was the right thing to do.
Comment by JoanP Thursday, Aug 5, 21 @ 10:05 am
I never understood the school districts original decision for making masks voluntary when the only people eligible for vaccines at the elementary school are teachers and staff. As a parent to a kid who will be starting Kindergarten this fall I agree this State mandate was necessary.
Comment by From DaZoo Thursday, Aug 5, 21 @ 10:06 am
Agree. The largest collections of unvaccinated people anywhere in the country are elementary schools. But masks work - schools that were opened and enforced masking were NOT significant spreaders.
Comment by Phineas Gurley Thursday, Aug 5, 21 @ 10:06 am
Agree. Took it out of Chatham School Board hands. Thankfully!
Comment by BTO2 Thursday, Aug 5, 21 @ 10:07 am
Agree wholeheartedly.
This is a prime example of when state and honestly federal government has to step in and mandate safety requirements for the general public. Local agencies like school boards are not acting definitively to protect citizens like me and my family from possibly contracting a deadly virus. Sadly where I live, this is primarily due to what seems to be mostly trying to listen to “both sides”.
No matter what someone’s twisted reasons may be for not doing something as simple as wearing a mask in indoor spaces, I don’t believe that their actions should be able to directly or indirectly cause harm to others.
So go ahead and homeschool your kids non-believers. Just don’t bring your children to school where they could end up getting their friends or teachers sick, hospitalized with a glut of medical bills, and possibly even killed.
Comment by Blue to the Bone Thursday, Aug 5, 21 @ 10:07 am
Two kids died in Nashville’s Children’s Hospital from COVID this past weekend.
Agree, obviously
Comment by Joe Bidenopolous Thursday, Aug 5, 21 @ 10:08 am
Hard Agree. Literally nothing has changed for kids under 12 since last year. They are 0% vaccinated. I’m shocked this didn’t happen sooner.
My four year old has worn a mask every day at daycare. My 7 year old wore a mask every day at school. They didn’t care. It was a non-issue. They were just happy to be out of the house.
So far, the comments are 99% Agree, but that’s not what the poll says. Come on guys, explain your answer.
Comment by ChrisB Thursday, Aug 5, 21 @ 10:09 am
Disagree, if it is that dangerous to be in school, it should be closed for everyone
Comment by reelpro Thursday, Aug 5, 21 @ 10:10 am
I voted no, most masks we buy/wear have effectiveness from 26% to 40% IF worn properly. Kids are terrible at wearing them properly from almost every one of them that I have seen. 74% to 60% ineffective. Not worth the trouble. Maybe for middle school and up…
Comment by C.J.S. Thursday, Aug 5, 21 @ 10:10 am
Kids need to be in school. Until vaccines are available, masks are the next best thing. I agree with Give Me A Break. Coaches should be the loudest supporters: Want to play, get vaxed, wear a mask.
Comment by zatoichi Thursday, Aug 5, 21 @ 10:15 am
Agree for all of the reasons previously mentioned, and because of:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zucht_v._King
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jacobson_v._Massachusetts
Comment by Hieronymus Thursday, Aug 5, 21 @ 10:24 am
Agree. “It ain’t over till it’s over.”
Comment by Going nuclear Thursday, Aug 5, 21 @ 10:27 am
If the goal is saving children’s lives, then an 8pm curfew for everyone under 18 would save more lives than a school mask mandate. CDC says that in the entire country 119 kids 5-14 have died of COVID since the beginning. By comparison 208 kids 0-17 have been shot in Chicago alone in 7 months in 2021, of whom 32 died.
Comment by Put the fun in unfunded Thursday, Aug 5, 21 @ 10:29 am
Strongly agree. It’s mildly interesting that although the poll is currently 73-27 agree, the posts are roughly 91-9 agree.
Are more of the anti-mask voters going to present their positions here? Do they read the comments? Just curious.
To the 3 I counted who voted disagree, can we help change your mind somehow? They’re just masks, and they help. What’s the big deal?
Comment by Lefty Lefty Thursday, Aug 5, 21 @ 10:31 am
I agree, it’s wrong to expose unvaccinated children to the virus without some kind of protection.
I’d take it a step further. All school staff should be vaccinated or get tested weekly from day one.
Comment by Wensicia Thursday, Aug 5, 21 @ 10:31 am
Agree. This was the only way to get staff and students to wear masks.
While the vaccine is a game changer, p-12 school aged populations are only about half eligible for the vaccine and the age group that is eligible is still well below 70% vaccinated.
I could not get my school board to adopt masks, the mandate took it out of their hands.
Comment by JS Mill Thursday, Aug 5, 21 @ 10:40 am
Strongly agree. To paraphrase Ben Franklin “A (healthy) republic, if you can keep it.”
Comment by Jocko Thursday, Aug 5, 21 @ 10:47 am
*agrees and shakes fist at vaccination refusers*
Comment by wayward Thursday, Aug 5, 21 @ 10:49 am
==the virus doesn’t affect children nor are they mass carriers of the disease.==
Try telling that to the parents of six children who died this week in Tennessee.
https://tinyurl.com/y4s3nr6p
Comment by Jocko Thursday, Aug 5, 21 @ 10:53 am
Agreed. The American Academy of Pediatrics got it right.
Comment by Anyone Remember Thursday, Aug 5, 21 @ 11:06 am
Agree.Until all kids can be vaccinated the masks are necessary. The little ones can catch this from asymptomatic vaccinated persons (my granddaughter was one of those kids).
Comment by illinifan Thursday, Aug 5, 21 @ 11:13 am
Agree 100 percent.
== the virus doesn’t affect children nor are they mass carriers of the disease ==
Wrong - according to the American Academy of Pediatrics, more than 4 million children have tested positive for COVID-19 since the start of the pandemic. In the U.S., since the pandemic began, children represented 14.3% of total cumulated cases. For the week ending July 29, children were 19.0% of reported weekly COVID-19 cases.
Comment by OldSmoky2 Thursday, Aug 5, 21 @ 11:16 am
Agree - Because Science and I have empathy.
Comment by Cool Papa Bell Thursday, Aug 5, 21 @ 11:20 am
we voted “yes” still seeing reporting that sez the vaccinated can get and transmit the virus. Since we do not want to cause more turmoil for health care workers we will mask up as asked
Comment by Annonin' Thursday, Aug 5, 21 @ 11:20 am
100% in agreement. There is an urgent need to address the variants agressively.
Comment by Morty Thursday, Aug 5, 21 @ 11:26 am
=the science that you all want to follow clearly shows the virus doesn’t affect children nor are they mass carriers of the disease.=
Forbes reported yesterday that cases amongst kids increased by 84% last week. And they aren’t back in school yet.
Maybe the reason that we don’t see many comments from those that disagree is that they just don’t have good arguments. They certainly aren’t using facts.
Comment by Pundent Thursday, Aug 5, 21 @ 11:35 am
Agree, it worked before, lets not rock the boat. This is a more transmissible form, so we need to double down until those 12 and under can be vaxxed. I still contend most kids don’t care about the masks, its the parents.
Comment by BluegrassBoy Thursday, Aug 5, 21 @ 11:40 am
Do it for the children.
Comment by SAP Thursday, Aug 5, 21 @ 11:54 am
I agree. I’ve got grandkids too young to get vaxxed yet. Masks are all they’ve got to protect them in schools since too many adults won’t get vaxxed.
Comment by Bruce( no not him) Thursday, Aug 5, 21 @ 11:55 am
Johnny, > States with surges are seeing more children entering hospitals with COVID. Time to update your talking points https://www.miamiherald.com/news/coronavirus/article253250073.html
Comment by illinifan Thursday, Aug 5, 21 @ 12:05 pm
I voted agree. Parents against this should realize it’s better than being at home on zoom again, and that wearing a mask isn’t the end of the world.
Parents should also realize that these children will be living in a world with COVID from now on, and should lead by example.
Comment by B Team Thursday, Aug 5, 21 @ 12:23 pm
Agree. It’s the right thing to do and takes an enormous amount of pressure off school boards and parents. That’s what responsible leadership looks like.
Comment by Earnest Thursday, Aug 5, 21 @ 12:23 pm
Agree. It eliminates some of the guesswork for locals and puts everyone in the same boat.
Comment by Fixer Thursday, Aug 5, 21 @ 12:34 pm
Agree…We still don’t know what we don’t know…but anyone who knows a lot knows it’s a lot.
Comment by Dotnonymous Thursday, Aug 5, 21 @ 12:37 pm
Totally agree. Time to make sure the kids, as well as the adults they interact with, mask up even with vaccines becoming available for age 12 and up. Can’t depend on local authorities or parents to use their brains for more than doorstops in some places. And start rolling back the extra-curricular activities, especially sports. Welcome to Covid 2.0, Illinois.
Comment by thisjustinagain Thursday, Aug 5, 21 @ 12:42 pm
I agree, because children under 12 currently cannot get the COVID-19 vaccine and those 12-17 who are eligible to get the vaccine but not be able to do so due to parental objections for whatever reason.
Comment by Justin Thursday, Aug 5, 21 @ 12:50 pm
Disagree. Teachers who are vaccinated do not need to wear masks. The health risks for those vaccinated are minimal. It’s much harder for them to get infected and this much harder to infect others. If they do get it, it’s not nearly as bad. The risk of serious illness for those ranks down there with the flu.
Comment by Downstate Illinois Thursday, Aug 5, 21 @ 2:14 pm
Agree. One of my school board members is “free will” and encourages others to stand up against mandates because kids have been playing sports all summer and haven’t been sick. He seems to think that, if stuff isn’t happening to him, then it isn’t happening.
Comment by historic66 Thursday, Aug 5, 21 @ 2:18 pm
Agree
“ A politician thinks of the next election; a statesman of the next generation. A politician looks for the success of his party; a statesman for that of his country. The statesman wishes to steer, while the politician is satisfied to drift.”
-James Freeman Clarke
Comment by Proud Papa Bear Thursday, Aug 5, 21 @ 2:50 pm
- six children -
Is 2 the same as 6 in your world? How many kids affected by the hood rat disease in Chicago last weekend?
Old Smokey, testing positive isn’t the same as having the disease.
Comment by Scroungie cat Thursday, Aug 5, 21 @ 3:54 pm
Agree. My school board was under immense pressure from both sides and no one was going to be happy. This takes the pressure off them and puts it squarely on the governor’s plate.
Comment by Consultant101 Thursday, Aug 5, 21 @ 4:05 pm
Agreed
Kids under 12 are about the only population that doesn’t have a chance to be vaccinated. Makes sense to protect them w masks and I also think we should require teachers and school staff to be vaccinated or find a new job.
Comment by Mason born Thursday, Aug 5, 21 @ 5:11 pm
Blocking fresh air way
Collecting bacteria and dirt and we inhale all of it during the day
Comment by Aneta Friday, Aug 6, 21 @ 7:53 am
Blocking fresh air way
Collecting bacteria and dirt and we inhale all of it during the day
Comment by Aneta Friday, Aug 6, 21 @ 7:53 am
Agree 100%
Let’s take health of our children as the first priority before blindly follow any rules because are written.
Please think think think in conscious mind before doing unconscious move.
Comment by Faithful in real democracy Friday, Aug 6, 21 @ 10:41 am