Russ's Ravings: A Mask Is The Only Thing Protecting My Child

Editor's note: The following is Patch North Jersey Regional Manager Russ Crespolini's column. It is reflective of his opinion alone.

Governor Phil Murphy has risked his reelection campaign in order to impose a masking mandate back on the K-12 school year because of the rising spike in cases driven by the delta variant.

Now, I am not going to debate the proven efficacy of vaccines against the early COVID strains and its protection level against variants. I am not even going to discuss how we wouldn't be in this situation if everyone who could get vaccinated, did get vaccinated.

But I am going to discuss mask mandates.

Right now, a mask is the only that is available to protect my 10-year-old child from contracting and transmitting any variation of COVID-19.

She is too young to be vaccinated. So her wearing this little piece of cloth, and others wearing this little piece of cloth around her, is the only thing I have as a parent to keep her safe.

And yet, there are people trying to deny me that option.

How dare you.

How dare you try to take away something that could protect my daughter and others compromised and vulnerable. Who do you think you are? A hero? A patriot? You are neither. Most of the people who have spoken out against this mandate I have seen do not have children at risk and are not at risk themselves because they are vaccinated, homeschool or send their kids to private schools. But they want to risk others to prove some point.

No point is worth risking the safety of other children.

Do I agree with a mask mandate for K-12? No, I do not. I agree with one for K-8 because a large segment of that population cannot be vaccinated. Children like my daughter.

A mask is the only thing I have to protect my daughter as she enters another pandemic school year. And some of you want to take that away from me.

I am asking you to stop. I am asking you to do what is right. Even if you hate it, even if you disagree with it, even if you think it is stupid.

If you are right, the worst thing you are is inconvenienced. And if you are wrong, you could send someone else's child to the hospital or worse.

Is it really worth the risk? Even the smallest risk?

Help me protect my child. Please.

Russ Crespolini is the North Jersey Regional Manager for Patch Media, an adjunct professor and college newspaper advisor. His columns have won awards from the National Newspaper Association and the New Jersey Press Association.

He writes them in hopes of connecting with readers and engaging with them. He can be reached at russ.crespolini@patch.com