Masks: School Board Shuts out Parents - TribPapers
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Masks: School Board Shuts out Parents

Photo by Maya Reagan, Carolina Journal.

AshevilleOn Thursday, August 5, the BCSB had an emergency meeting at 10am without public comment. One member of the public stated that she had called the school board earlier in the week and that they said this meeting was for discussion only. The parents who were able to come to the 10am meeting were shocked when the school board voted without any public comment to mask kids again instead of making them optional, as most of the surrounding counties have done.

It would appear that they are igoring some relatively important scientific information. If one looks at the National Center for Biotechnology Information, it shows that mask wearing is not without significant negative effects. They evaluated 65 scientific papers on masks finding that wearing them causes significant impaired thinking, impaired concentration, headaches, increase in blood carbon dioxide levels, irritation of cervical nerves in the neck and head area caused by the tight mask straps, exhaustion, impaired field of vision, acne, skin irritation, anxiety, stress, depression, reduced participation, social withdrawal, dental caries, voice disorder, impaired clarity of speech, disruption of non- verbal communication, disturbed respiratory physiology (which in children can have long-term disease-relevant consequences), decrease in empathy and the list goes on.

Roughly 85-100 citizens arrived at the evening meeting, (many wearing t-shirts that said “UNMASK OUR KIDS” and carrying signs saying “OUR CHILDREN, OUR CHOICE” and “LET OUR CHILDREN BREATHE”). Concerned parents were incensed to find that the board had voted without hearing public comment first. Some 34 people signed up for public comment including District 11 Congressman Madison Cawthorn who stated the board had “muzzled their (the parents) voices just like you have muzzled our children. You passed this mask mandate without hearing from those who hold you accountable because you knew it was wrong! You knew it would never withstand the scrutiny of the public. I’ve witnessed swampy backdoor tactics in Washington, D.C. but what you have done here today puts that all to shame…”

By voting in closed session, the Buncombe County School Board totally disregarded their consituents. According to ballotpedia.org, “The purpose of a school board is to provide oversight and governance for a school district and its schools. Its responsibilities include developing a system of accountability and setting the district’s direction; ensuring the district’s central administration staff pursues its stated goals; controlling the district’s funds; and soliciting the support of the community.” The school board is not a medical nor scientific institution and should be discouraged from dictating medical mandates and forcing our kids to wear a medical device without parental consent or doctor prescription.

Only one person out of all the speakers was in favor of mask mandates. Many spoke of how upsetting it has been for their children to have to wear masks, of them having emotional issues, the rise in suicides, headaches, dental issues, social development issues and other issues with wearing masks, but the Board simply doesn’t care about our children.

The parents want a choice as to whether to mask their kids or not. It appears that the School Board has lost touch with the reason it exists. At the very least, its members should be respectful to the parents of the children they represent and at least listen to what they have to say. It is obvious that this Board does not. Unfortunately, these members will have to face up to a lot of legalities down the road which will cause only a further division of hostilities and nothing to benefit the students.

Editor’s Note: Tamara Parker is a concerned parent living in Buncombe County. The views in this editorial are not necessarily those of the Tribune Papers. We welcome our readers to submit their opinions to editor@tribpapers.com