Some Parents Just Don't Care

 

It’s depressing  to know that several parents of parochial school students in Ponchatoula are doing their part to continually spread the COVID-19 virus and contribute to keeping our economy from opening up.  At approximately 7:00 AM Thursday there was a gathering of 20 plus female students and their parents in a neighbor’s yard near the park hugging and socializing without masks. Additionally, their parents were gleefully taking pictures of these girls hugging and posing.  I assume it was some type of back to school celebration because the girls donned their school uniforms. 

It is apparent from this foolish gathering that these parents are confident in their assumption that kids are, as our Commander-in Chief has recently falsely stated, nearly immune from COVID-19. 

As is so often the case with the COVID-19 pandemic, these parents are banking on THEIR assumptions about this virus being correct; ignoring the possible downsides if they are wrong.  If they had practiced protective measures, the only downside would have been not holding the gathering at all.  I’m sure this would not have been some devastating event in their child’s life that would have seriously impacted his/her mental health. 

On the other hand, by holding the event, and assuming it’s safe, the possible downsides to that, if they are wrong, are they have now spawned new carriers of COVID-19 with the additional benefit of their child becoming ill and missing school. 

Fortunately, data suggests that the kids will most likely be asymptomatic and just gleefully go through their daily lives spreading the virus to others. 

This event should also serve as a model for the Tangipahoa School District in their draconian attempts to protect their students from COVID-19.   Apparently they are just wasting their time implementing protective measures such as disinfecting surfaces, social distancing, mask wearing, and offering optional virtual learning, because the bottom line is there may be a whole bunch of parents like those participating in Thursday’s social gathering that couldn’t care less about the safety of their children and others when it involves COVID-19.  So sad!