By Samantha Butterfield
Staff Writer
Governor Gavin Newsom announced that California has been in a statewide emergency since March 4, 2020. That day has now been over 100 weeks ago. The pandemic was new to everyone so it was hard to know what to do when thinking about the best interest of the people. Yet as time has gone on, many other states have decided to let their people choose what they want to do with their lives. Mandates over many states across the country have been lifted while California still seems to be hanging on to theirs.
The Super Bowl is usually the most-watched event on television, and the stadium has the ability to hold over 70,000+ people. This year the football game was hosted in Los Angeles, California. At the time there was still a universal mask mandate in California. This event made it very clear that our own governor does not care about his own rules set in place. This also poses the question: If California is able to hold the Super Bowl, are we really still in a “state of emergency”? We have already seen this rule be defied time and time again by those who put it in place. The LA mayor was only one of many celebrities and politicians seen not wearing masks at this major game and stated that at the game he “held his breath” while taking pictures with others. It’s sad to see the freedoms that others have while parents are still unable to have their own freedoms over their kids when they are inside the classroom. This issue has gone on far too long, so how can we possibly end this hypocrisy?
I think this is a pressing idea that should be addressed even if everyone may not agree with it. I just believe that students and even teachers should be able to have their own freedoms and their own choices. Some may say that it’s a matter of health, but the infection and death rate among schools is so low. So if you want to continue wearing masks for your own sake then so be it, but for everyone else, it should be a personal decision that is decided by you and your parents together, not by the government.