Letter to the Editor: Disappointed by Dare BOE’s masks-optional decision

Published 4:49 pm Wednesday, September 1, 2021

To the Editor:

I am worse than disappointed by the Dare County Board of Education’s decision to make masks optional in our schools this fall. The Board acted against every recommendation of every local, state, and national public health authority, our local hospital, and our school Superintendent. Their decision allows the least informed people to put children, school staff, and other families at risk.

As the minister of a local congregation, I know very well how hard it is to live with the restrictions the pandemic has forced on us, and how necessary it is for us to prioritize the safety of the most vulnerable even so.

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As a guardian of a Dare County student too young to be vaccinated, I expect the school board to prioritize children’s safety above all other considerations. Other schools and boards across the country have found the courage to defy executive orders by governors who are apparently seeking to prolong the pandemic in order to score political points. Instead of showing similar courage, our local school board is acting as a friend of the virus.

Hundreds of children are already quarantined because of this irresponsible action. Refusing to wear a mask indoors is not a personal choice; it is an act of reckless endangerment against other people. It is beyond time to reverse this stunningly irresponsible policy and require the basic public health practices that will make our schools as safe as they can be.

David Morris

Manteo

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