Genesee County Mask Mandate Sparks Planned ‘Walk Out’ Protest Friday
Parents and students who oppose the Genesee County Health Department mask mandate for all students are planning a walk out protest on Friday.
The protest is supposed to be the culmination of a week full of smaller protests at Genesee County Schools. The GCHD announced the new mask mandate right before the Labor Day weekend, and it has been chaos ever since. The mandate was put into place after a rise in new cases in Genesee County due to the Delta Variant. Angry parents and students have been extremely vocal about their disapproval ever since.
The biggest problem with many of these protests is that they are directed at the wrong people. Most of the protests have been happening at the actual schools where students are asked to wear masks.
THIS WAS NOT A SCHOOL DECISION!
The amount of venom that is being spewed online by angry parents and students online toward schools is ridiculous. The teachers and administrators already have one of the hardest jobs in the world, there's no need to make it even more difficult. This was not a choice made by any school official or teacher, so if you must protest, at least protest in the right place.
There are a few Facebook groups in Genesee County that are trying to organize a walk out on Friday September 10th. They are asking students, teachers, parents and anyone else to join them in front of the Genesee County Administration building in Flint.
I'm choosing not to post screenshots of some of the nasty and ignorant things that are online right now. I want to call out people for being so out of line with the way they are talking to other people, but I think it will only add fuel to the fire.
The only thing I can say is no matter what side of this debate you are on, talk to the other side with some humility, respect, and empathy.