If Your Friends Jumped Off a Bridge…
Some variation on “If your friends jumped off a bridge, would you follow them?” is a question parents have asked their children since the beginning of time. The expected answer, of course, is: “No!”
In normal times, that wouldn’t need to be spelled out.
But these are COVID Times and even normally sensible people seem to be coming up with odd responses.
For example, in an interview on Jan. 12, one major news network’s medical analyst explained how each new infection gives COVID-19 a chance to mutate, so it’s no surprise that XBB.1.5 appeared and is raging in some areas of the country. She also said it doesn’t appear to cause more serious illness. (Perhaps she missed that, nationwide, COVID-19 deaths rose from 2,705 for the week ended Jan. 4 to 3,907 for the week ended Jan. 11, or maybe more deaths in a week than we saw on 9/11 is now acceptable to TV news people.)
She also said that even though some schools were restoring mask mandates because of the new surge, she wouldn’t send her children to school in masks until it’s ordered. She explained that her reason was that nobody in her family had any of the underlying health concerns that make COVID infections more dangerous.
This same doctor once explained how masks are most effective when everyone wears one.
She explained that her lax attitude stems from so many people going into crowded places without masks.
This is someone who has forgotten her duty to be a thought leader.
Just recall: COVID-19 cases are spreading rapidly where XBB.1.5 dominates; National deaths per week are rising; She’s not going to put a mask on because nobody else is.
Perhaps her mother never asked her, “If your friends jumped off a bridge, would you follow them?” I hope her mother never finds out her answer.
News worth noting
The percentage of children entering kindergarten without receiving key childhood immunizations keeps growing, despite occasional outbreaks of childhood illnesses once thought eliminated in the U.S. Last week’s release of federal childhood health data shows a continuing trend of lower percentages of kindergarteners protected by the MMR (measles, mumps and rubella) vaccine, the DTaP shot (diphtheria, tetanus and pertussis) and shots to prevent polio and chickenpox. One discredited and withdrawn study continues to outweigh the bulk of medical advice of most pediatricians from coast to coast.
Amanda Schleede is founder and CEO of Attend Safe, which helps people attend to life with safe, secure and sensible protocols. Her leadership allows important events to proceed with safety-conscious protections. With Tuesday Tutor, she hopes others will benefit from her experience. Visit Attend Safe online at AttendSafe.com.