LAST week we ran a Twitter poll on children having to wear face masks in school following parent’s dismay at this arbitrary stifling of their children, figuratively as well as literally. It was, we argued, particularly irrational given the absence of evidence that this will reduce risk of Covid infection while causing waste and hygiene problems.
So we asked you straight out whether the wearing of masks by children should be banned. Your answer came back loud and clear, 92 per cent saying ‘yes’ against only 8 per cent disagreeing.
Given our use of the word ‘ban’, the poll predictably generated some debate, causing John Howard to assert:
‘I am always amazed at the statist framing of all issues:
Pick one –
Masks on children should be banned
Masks on children should be mandated
Missing, of course, is:
Masks on children is none of your business unless it’s your child.’
Quite so. We accept the reprimand. It is not the State’s business either way.
Others were less purist – if masks work they should not be banned, one tweeter argued. But the fact is that they don’t. Judith Maunder summed it up with this quote: ‘Trying to stop a virus with a bit of cloth is like trying to stop a mosquito with a chain-link fence!’
Paul Calver thinks that forcing of children into masks ‘is without doubt thoroughly wrong’ for the reason that: ‘We as grown ups have shirked responsibility and are not owning risk. A risk that if we accepted would enable our children to be free.’
Of the many responses both here and Twitter, the highlight has to be the video sent of Mark Dolan cutting up his hated face mask on air. He expresses all our frustration. It’s brilliant – don’t miss it!
