Defying mask mandate was an act of courage by Paso Robles school board
Congratulations, Paso Robles Joint Unified School District trustees for courageously ending mandatory masking of school children on Feb. 22.
Forty-five of fifty states recognized months ago that the only science driving the masking of school children was political science. Threats from Sacramento cowed most school districts into obedience, but finally, after Newsom’s masking hypocrisy, Paso Robles and 23 other California school boards stood up and demonstrated a rare trait: moral courage.
Moral courage also was demonstrated by SLO County students in other districts when they stood up to mask bullying by students, teachers and administrators.
Moral cowardice was demonstrated by administrators who blindly followed orders and ignored evidence that COVID-19 is an insignificant threat to children, but masking can cause serious long-term health and developmental injuries.
Moral courage was demonstrated by SLO County students who faced suspension and were made to sit in the cold, rain and hail by school administrators for speaking truth to power.
Moral cowardice was demonstrated by The Tribune when it ignored the bravery and courage of these students.
Moral courage was demonstrated when parents publicly recounted the physical and psychological injuries masking caused their children.
Moral cowardice was when The Tribune mocked their stories of suffering and failed to report the damage these failed public health policies had in California, including SLO County. According to the California Department of Public Health, the statewide suicide rate for youths 10 to 18 increased 20% in 2020, compared to 2019. (A public records request has been submitted for youth suicides in SLO County, but according to county officials, data for 2020 and 2021 have not been compiled.)
Moral courage was when the unpaid Paso Robles school district trustees voted to end mandatory masking in spite of threats of punishment.
Moral cowardice was when The Tribune failed to send reporters to cover that meeting in person, failed to interview any board members or parents, and wrote an anonymous editorial attacking them.
The speed with which the Democratic Party distanced itself from mandatory masking highlighted that this was political theater and the Paso Robles school district was morally bound to end the use of the children as political pawns.
Blindly executing orders never ends well.
Recently, the three former Minneapolis police officers who watched George Floyd slowly die under the knee of Derek Chauvin were all found guilty of violating George Floyd’s civil rights. Officers Alexander Kueng and Thomas Lane, both rookies, pleaded not guilty because they deferred to the senior officer on the scene, Chauvin. They followed orders. How would the world be different today if those officers had the courage to stand up and speak truth to power?
The Paso Robles Joint Unified School District trustees deserve our respect and gratitude.
Should the teachers union or other leftists sue, target their businesses, or attempt in any way to punish them for their brave actions, those individuals should expect Paso Roblans to rally to the defense of all of our board members. We are quite proud of them.
San Miguel resident Kenney Enny is a retired Marine colonel, a rancher and part-time college history professor.