Louis Pasteur once opined that science "is the highest personification of the nation" because the country that "carries the furthest the works of thought and intelligence" will succeed above all others.
The jury is still out on what science's twisted step-brother, sCiEnCe, leads to.
Despite data saying it was safe to reopen the schools last summer, schools in multiple states remain closed. The move has caused kids in poorer communities to fall behind due to the struggle of distance learning and has forced working parents to send their kids to older relatives and neighbors for daycare, thereby potentially exposing the most vulnerable demographic to Covid.
It's also led to anxiety, depression, and, according to some parents, suicide on the part of hopeless kids.
If your school system is still shuttered for "safety," feel free to show administrators this handy clip from CDC Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky this week saying that actual science confirms schools should reopen – you know, like yesterday:
"There's accumulating data that suggests that there's not a lot of transmission that's happening in schools when the proper mitigation measures are taken," said Walensky. "When there's masking, when there's distancing, de-densification of the classroom, ventilation, contact tracing, hand washing – all of those things when they're done well, the data suggests, the science suggests that there is not a lot of transmission happening in schools. And in fact, the case rates in schools are generally lower than they are in the population surrounding it."
Let me zoom-in and enhance part of that for you in case you missed it:
"The science suggests that there is not a lot of transmission happening in schools."
You may have to show this to school administrators and boards a few times. This will likely be their response after hearing this the first few times:
Go slow. Repeat often. When they ask you if we can trust this alt-right disinformation from the CDC or MSNBC's clear right-wing bias, stay patient.
It might take a few dozens tries, but they'll get it.
So what does it say when we have said data, but teachers unions create lists of ridiculous demands and interpretive dance videos explaining why they want you to stay home and "stay safe?"
Is there something other than science at play here, or is it just me?
