As a New York resident, I have to live with the shame of being in a deep blue state with a governor who sent thousands of elderly citizens to their deaths during the pandemic and is currently facing multiple allegations of sexual misconduct. He’ll probably survive both scandals—at least, that’s how it’s looking now.
I grew up in another ridiculously blue state, Massachusetts, so I’m used to living in a place where people continually vote in wackjob liberals. Now more than ever, I yearn for the freedom and sanity that come with living in a red state, particularly in the age of COVID.
One of the big issues I’m now on the verge of dealing with is the mask mandates for schools. What bothers me is that masks shouldn’t be required for kids, regardless of vaccination status. Schools have never been superspreaders throughout this pandemic. Statistically speaking, school-aged kids are largely unaffected by COVID-19, and their recovery rates are around 99.997%. Therefore, kids shouldn’t have to wear masks or be vaccinated, as far as I’m concerned. Based on the data, the health risks posed by COVID-19 to kids are minimal and mask-wearing actually puts them at risk of contracting other illnesses.
Nevertheless, earlier this week, the CDC called for universal masking in K-12 schools, regardless of vaccination status.
“Given new evidence on the B.1.617.2 [Delta] variant, CDC has updated the guidance for fully vaccinated people. CDC recommends universal indoor masking for all teachers, staff, students, and visitors to K-12 schools, regardless of vaccination status. Children should return to full-time in-person learning in the fall with layered prevention strategies in place,” the guidance reads.
The CDC issued this guidance even though new infections of those fully vaccinated are extremely rare. Also, while the Delta variant is more contagious, it has a significantly lower case fatality rate than the original strain. The CDC also wants all kids to wear masks even though COVID is less deadly than the seasonal flu for kids ages 0-17. And then there’s the fact that CDC Director Rochelle Walensky even admitted on CNN that “we don’t have any evidence” that the Delta variant makes kids sicker.
In short, the decision has nothing to do with science. Literally nothing.
But Ron DeSantis is having none of it. On Friday, he signed an executive order defying the CDC’s new masking recommendations. His executive order gives parents the power to decide whether or not their kids will wear a mask or not.
Related: [WATCH] Gov. DeSantis Tells the Feds Where to Stick Their School Mask Mandates
“I want to empower parents to make the best decisions they can for the well-being of their children,” DeSantis said during a press conference. It’s hard to believe this is actually a radical concept. Why can’t I have a governor who thinks this way?
DeSantis’s leadership during the pandemic has been phenomenal. He’s done things right, while getting no praise from the media, which was too busy gushing over Andrew Cuomo in New York. Of course, New York had the worst COVID response of any state. And, of course, Cuomo sent thousands of elderly New York residents to their deaths with his nursing home COVID policy.
But it’s not just on COVID that DeSantis has stood up for sanity. He got critical race theory banned from being taught in public schools. I can tell you Andrew Cuomo wouldn’t have got that done. It must be nice to live in a state that respects parental rights.
DeSantis has not only proven his conservative values, he’s shown he has the guts to back up his beliefs with action. For that, it’s really hard to not move to Florida.