The Patriot Post® · Biden's Big School Reopening Power Play
Joe Biden marked his first 100 days in office last week in a brief appearance on NBC News’s “Today,” where he surmised that schools “should probably all be open” this fall “based on science and the CDC.” He further observed what everyone has known since last fall — that “there’s not overwhelming evidence that there’s much of a transmission among these young people.” Yet he seemingly remains uncommitted on reopening schools next fall. Why?
As Mark Alexander observes, “What happened to Biden’s commitment to have schools open by April/May? Three months ago, Biden’s commitment implied schools would be open just in time for summer break. Now, Biden won’t commit to having schools open next fall. This is a case study in a leftist unwilling to give up power.”
Indeed, the Democrats’ “follow the science” trope has become a smokescreen to justify their unprecedented power grab.
Meanwhile, besides the reality that school-age children are not and have never been under great threat from COVID-19, nor have they been primary vectors for spreading the novel disease, Pfizer is in the midst of Phase 3 trials for approving its coronavirus vaccine for adolescents age 12 to 15. Pfizer’s current two-dose vaccine already has been approved for those 16 and older. In other words, vaccines are and will soon be available for many children — those least in need of it, if we’re actually following the science.
Even Dr. Anthony Fauci, who still for some reason insists kids should wear masks outside, confirmed last month, “The default should be, and has been for quite a while, that to the best of our ability, we should try to get children back to school as quickly as we can and keep them in schools.” Yet Biden’s continuing to waffle on promoting that idea.
One government official who hasn’t waffled and has stood firmly on both the science and, more importantly, protecting his constituents’ civil rights is Florida Governor Ron DeSantis. He recently signed a bill limiting state and local authorities from “closing business or keeping kids out of in-person instruction, unless they satisfy demanding and continuous justifications.”
DeSantis also hammered the mixed messaging coming from the Biden administration: “When you have people, particularly in Washington, saying, ‘Yeah, get vaccinated, but then make sure you continue to social distance and wear masks all the time,’ well, the message that that sends to people is that the vaccines don’t work. Because if the vaccines worked, that would be your ticket to basically live normally, and make decisions for yourself. That would be the message that actually would work with people. So, I think that they’ve sent a message to say, ‘You know what? Get vaccinated, but it really isn’t going to do anything for you.’ Well, why would someone want to put something in their arm if they don’t think it’s effective? And the fact of the matter is, that is an anti-science posture, to say that we need all these restrictions even with mass vaccination.”
The governor just put on a master class in Liberty. If only incorrigible students like Biden would take note.