The Austin Independent School District (AISD) is mandating that all their students wear a mask over their face above their nose. The district made the decision to ignore Gov. Abbott’s executive order prohibiting government entities from mandating masks.

I do not think the AISD should be mandating their students to wear a mask because the governor, who clearly has more authority than the school district, says that they cannot require anyone to wear a mask. I believe that I do not have to wear a mask because the governor says I don’t have to.

Studies have shown that of the 73 million children in the U.S., fewer than 700 out of the 6.4 million that have tested positive, have actually died with COVID-19. Out of the 700 deaths not all of these deaths were caused by COVID, in fact most of these deaths were just kids that died WITH the virus not FROM the virus. Keep in mind most of these children’s health was already not at its greatest and they just were not healthy enough to fight COVID.

Because of the extremely low death rate, I am not afraid of this virus in any way and I think that it is very foolish for the AISD to mandate masks as if it is so dangerous. If it was as dangerous as they act like it is then wouldn’t it be too dangerous for us to still be in school? The answer is it’s perfectly safe for us to be at school and they are greedy for control over the students and staff.

I think that the majority of people that disagree with my opinion either think one of two things; first, that I am a menace and that I am a threat to them and bringing them danger or second, they just don’t like me because I don’t want to wear the mask because I have my own rights and I am not going to back down an obey their unreasonable rules. Those people are not used to kids protesting for their own rights, because a lot of us are too cowardly. 

To the first opinion I mentioned, anyone who believes that I am a threat just because I am not wearing my mask is wrong because I do not have COVID and if I did then I would stay home to stop the spread. I think it is so foolish that we are requiring everyone to mask up even though we’re not sick, if you are sick you wear a mask and/or stay home, if you are not sick then you should be able to live freely.

A great solution that I think is fair and that many other schools are doing, is giving all their students a choice to wear or not wear the mask that way everyone is comfortable.