The Raging Debate
You should see the drama and fights on my Facebook page right now. Our county elected not to close schools today and the opinions on this decision are making me go nuts! Personally, I think it was the right decision, but I’m not going to get into a facebook war over it. If someone really can’t get to school in a safe manner their parent can keep them at home, but it is not that cold. Our county has a policy that the kids don’t have outdoor recess if the temperature is below 32F, so they will only be outside a very short time (unless they are forced to walk to school).
On one side of the aisle you have people who are enraged that they had to send their kid out in this mess (what mess? No snow. It’s just cold.). All of those people drive their kids to school. I don’t understand. Do their cars not have heaters? Have they not heard that it is possible to wear a coat and gloves in a car?
They say that they are happy they are able to work it out, but what about all the poor children who have to walk because their parents don’t have another way to get them to school They’re going to get frostbite! Side note: It dropped down to 5F. I don’t think anyone’s going to get frostbite if they wear gloves and walk briskly.
On the other side of the aisle we have the people who are victoriously telling everyone to get their butts to school and stop complaining. The children who are poor and don’t have warm coats and other outdoor gear probably don’t have any food or heat, so they needtheir free warm lunch and a heated school building!
The other side comes back with “But we have a lot of immigrants from southern countries! They don’t know to buy coats! What are they going to doooooooooooo?”
Uhhhhh. . . sorry, but because someone is an immigrant they are too stupid to buy a coat when it’s cold? It normally doesn’t get this cold here, but it regularly drops down into the teens. We’re not living in Florida. In my neighborhood we have a lot of immigrants from very hot countries and they tend to be the most bundled up because they are not used to the cold. I am finding the whole debate pretty distasteful with all the assumptions on both sides going on about poor families and their lack of ability to keep their kids safe.
I haven’t commented on any of these posts or made a post of my own because it is a completely ridiculous thing to get fired up about. Yet here I am, writing this journal entry. I’m just grateful that both of my kids are at school and I have 2 hours of peace. Blessed, blessed peace.