With the changing seasons in a pandemic it seems there are more problems than solutions. Knowing what we know makes every decision more complicated. At the same time there are any number of arm chair quarterbacks with instant solutions. Take the education situation for example. To send kids back to school or not is front and center.

Today lets examine some critical factors and then you be the judge. Children need peer interaction in formative years it is essential for their personal growth. Many working families cannot afford child care, and parents need to get back to work for the sake of the economy. On the other side of the ledger is the unknown health risk. It’s fine to say children are not as at risk, but what does that mean, they are still subject to unknown risk. They are also more likely to be carriers. Like the workings of ant poison they can track the virus into the home with deadly results for other.

The government says lets do it safely. Lets be serious. How will the system ensure little kids social distance, wear a mask and be aware? Government can’t get many adults to comply or take the situation seriously.

There are alternatives – home school, on line, classes outside are some configurations. There are special needs kids that need more. Many don’t have the equipment or internet. We can’t make the choice – learn or go hungry. Classes outside is a thought but winter is coming. These are just some of the issues.

So who is supposed to be at the decision table? Parents, teachers, governments and health professionals. If we end up with too many players it will end up being decided by a committee of competing interests. We will end up with a camel. You know what a camel is right? It’s a horse designed by a committee.

No matter where you are in the decision it is not easy. Here is an example. Each of us is given a ball of entangled twine it is one color but attached to different outcomes if you tug on the wrong string the ball disintegrates and unleashes a hive of killer bees. Any and all outcomes come with serious risks, either for the future well being of children, or an immediate health impact that could come back to haunt us all.

Then there is the threat of a fall and winter second wave of Covid 19 that would send us back to square one. Combine that with cold and flu season and we are in for very rough ride. So what is the magic bullet? There isn’t one except for our common sense which at times is in short supply.

Fred Steele