5 ms·

> While I can sympathize with how the student is feeling, the author seems to be forgetting (intentionally ignoring for the sake of their argument) that having

by bko 5y ago

> While I can sympathize with how the student is feeling, the author seems to be forgetting (intentionally ignoring for the sake of their argument) that having a conversation with a student isn't breaking the rules. That explaining the facts to a young woman, nearly an adult, is what is expected of a teacher. I wouldn't be so sure. I would definitely be worried about being seen as a covid denier or similar. People feel really strongly about this and has strangely turned political, and its best not to discuss politics with your students so that you don't draw the ire of parents that could label you as something you're not > Young adults should be encouraged to think about this situation, it's the world they are entering. I just want my children to have a relatively care-free existence in their formative years, much like I had. Children and young people are not without their own low-stake drama but they should not have this weight of forced upon them at that age.

kevinventullo 5y ago
> relatively care-free existence I don’t know about you but I watched people on television jump to their deaths from the burning twin towers my freshman year of high school.
- mancerayder 5y ago
  Followed by years of unemployment as the dotcom bubble burst, and wars in the Middle East commenced. But if you hear modern day discourse, you'd think that the 'collective traumas' have never been so great for folks in their early-mid 20's.
mcphage 5y ago
> People feel really strongly about this and has strangely turned political How do you think that that happened?
- beebmam 5y ago
  Part of the problem is that our medical science institutions in the US are 100% controlled by the executive wing of our government. The CDC and FDA currently must operate under the rules and guidelines set by the sitting president. That's completely against science, in my opinion. These two institutions should be decoupled from politics.
  - wrycoder 5y ago
    At least there’s some correction when administrations change. Otherwise, you get two more massive, unaccountable bureaucracies laying down and enforcing their own regulations.
guyzero 5y ago
"I just want my children to have a relatively care-free existence in their formative years, much like I had. Children and young people are not without their own low-stake drama but they should not have this weight of forced upon them at that age." Kids read newspapers. They know what's happening. Even high school kids are depressed by things like climate change, income inequality and the broken Canadian real estate market. I don't think encouraging the spread of disease is likely to cheer them up much.
- bko 5y ago
  I didn't read the newspaper or know anything about climate change, income inequality or Canadian real estate. And I pray to god my children don't either. This wasn't a thing growing up in Northeast US in the late 90s
  - guyzero 5y ago
    My kids are out of high school so I don't know as many Canadian teenagers as I once did. They know stuff. Nice to hear you had a pleasant childhood.
  - trs8080 5y ago
    "i was sheltered from the realities of the world i occupied and my children should be too"? whether or not your children are aware of climate change (or any of the things you listed) isn't going to change its impact when they're adults -- if anything, you're ensuring they won't be prepared.
- solveit 5y ago
  This is a bug and we should fix how the news works.
  - guyzero 5y ago
    Just spread some disease and you'll feel better.
  - sharemywin 5y ago
me_me_me 5y ago
Everyone judges book by its cover, its just a built in mechanism in our reptilian brain. If someone acts like antivax they are placed in a wacko conspiracy theory box immediately. It will take effort on their part to be not view through only that prism. So its a tight rope walking situation. Personally I changed my mind about children masks after argument that children need social cues (including facial clues) to properly respond and develop. It makes sense and I feel bit silly not to think about it in the first place. There is a discussion to be had about how we deal with covid, and there are always trade offs, sadly as you mentioned making public safety a political issue is moving away from facts and statistics into emotional warfare

by bko 5y ago

kevinventullo 5y ago

> relatively care-free existence I don’t know about you but I watched people on television jump to their deaths from the burning twin towers my freshman year of high school.

mancerayder 5y ago
Followed by years of unemployment as the dotcom bubble burst, and wars in the Middle East commenced. But if you hear modern day discourse, you'd think that the 'collective traumas' have never been so great for folks in their early-mid 20's.

mcphage 5y ago

> People feel really strongly about this and has strangely turned political How do you think that that happened?

beebmam 5y ago
Part of the problem is that our medical science institutions in the US are 100% controlled by the executive wing of our government. The CDC and FDA currently must operate under the rules and guidelines set by the sitting president. That's completely against science, in my opinion. These two institutions should be decoupled from politics.
- wrycoder 5y ago
  At least there’s some correction when administrations change. Otherwise, you get two more massive, unaccountable bureaucracies laying down and enforcing their own regulations.

guyzero 5y ago

"I just want my children to have a relatively care-free existence in their formative years, much like I had. Children and young people are not without their own low-stake drama but they should not have this weight of forced upon them at that age." Kids read newspapers. They know what's happening. Even high school kids are depressed by things like climate change, income inequality and the broken Canadian real estate market. I don't think encouraging the spread of disease is likely to cheer them up much.

bko 5y ago
I didn't read the newspaper or know anything about climate change, income inequality or Canadian real estate. And I pray to god my children don't either. This wasn't a thing growing up in Northeast US in the late 90s
- guyzero 5y ago
  My kids are out of high school so I don't know as many Canadian teenagers as I once did. They know stuff. Nice to hear you had a pleasant childhood.
- trs8080 5y ago
  "i was sheltered from the realities of the world i occupied and my children should be too"? whether or not your children are aware of climate change (or any of the things you listed) isn't going to change its impact when they're adults -- if anything, you're ensuring they won't be prepared.
solveit 5y ago
This is a bug and we should fix how the news works.
- guyzero 5y ago
  Just spread some disease and you'll feel better.
- sharemywin 5y ago

me_me_me 5y ago

Everyone judges book by its cover, its just a built in mechanism in our reptilian brain. If someone acts like antivax they are placed in a wacko conspiracy theory box immediately. It will take effort on their part to be not view through only that prism. So its a tight rope walking situation. Personally I changed my mind about children masks after argument that children need social cues (including facial clues) to properly respond and develop. It makes sense and I feel bit silly not to think about it in the first place. There is a discussion to be had about how we deal with covid, and there are always trade offs, sadly as you mentioned making public safety a political issue is moving away from facts and statistics into emotional warfare