SERIOUSLY?

What kind of parent sends their kid back to an educational facility during a pandemic that is out of control? Right off the bat, a person might sit in judgement and say:

· The worst parents

· The uninformed parents

· The idiot parents

· The greedy parents

· The self-absorbed parents

· The “should not be” parents

I would heartily agree if there was just one scenario and everyone lived the same life. Here’s the deal, though, everyone’s environment is not sweetness and light. Shocking? Stating the obvious again, you say? Yep.

An enlightened person could find no reason to put a child in harm’s way, but unfortunately not everyone is enlightened. Parents that feel they have no choice, make decisions based on the immediate need. The problem with immediate need decisions is that long-term consequences are not considered until they occur. The difference here is that at least there is some form of caring and consideration to the parent’s decisions. They are weighing the risk of their child dying at home or at another location where they might get the virus. The lesser of two evils in the world of immediate need.

· The Unemployed parents that can’t afford babysitting but needs to work anywhere to put food on the table, they need a safe temporary place for their children

· The Afraid parents that has someone in the house that’s abusive, needing their kid out for safety

· The Desperate parents that send their child to school to provide possibly their only meal in a day

The above is based on young students, of an age that cannot fend for themselves. These little carbon units are not adults, so they rely on others to protect and care for them. They are not free to make their own decisions, nor old enough to have the life experience to make the informed decision.

Now, in a “To Kill a Mockingbird” courtroom moment…. Now picture the student to be of college age. I ask again, in this context,

“What kind of parent sends their child back to an educational facility during a pandemic that is out of control?”

There are no words. There is no excuse. There is no justification. Higher Education is important. This is not an attempt to undermine an industry, and make no mistake, higher ed is an industry. It’s just that when does your kid’s education outweigh sending them to a virus chamber? NEVER

An institution can take all the precautions available. An institution can mandate rules to protect everyone on campus. An institution can do everything right, but then they let teenage carbon units back on campus. Parents KNOW this is true. Does anyone honestly believe that every child that is at the same institution you are sending yours, will follow the rules? Does the fact that the cerebral cortex doesn’t solidify (for lack of a better term) until the mid-to late twenties?

Seriously, there is simply no justification.

Let’s talk about these higher education institutions. This is only about greed and their own survival. Screw the possible dangers, let’s just get the students back on campus to retrieve the deposits, save jobs, save the college.

Seriously?