In Philadelphia Schools Masking of Pre-K is a Permeant Feature
A version of the Milgram Experiment is taking place in thousands of Pre-K Head Start programs around the country. In Philadelphia this experiment has been imposed on approximately 4,300 3-5 year olds since last November. The Milgram Experiment tested the extent of humans’ willingness to obey orders when issued from a place of authority. The study found a majority of people could be compelled to behavior that would harm or kill another.
What we are seeing in Philadelphia as well as across the many states that have not sued the Federal government to stop this morally outrageous practice is a harmful attack on our most vulnerable and impressionable children. Being a policy steeped in absurdity, as it lacks any scientific necessity, seems to make no difference to our school boards, teachers and a shocking number of parents.
Even the Department of Health and Human Services which manages Head Start acknowledged that the policy is not aligned with current CDC guidelines. However, in an apologetic way, HHS stated that updating their rules is a “lengthy process”. So don’t expect any changes soon unless some hero brings a legal complaint to a judge.
It is not a difficult argument to make in court. There are at least a hundred other threats, medically or physically, that are more concerning than Covid-19 for Pre-K children, the common flu being just one of these. Pre-K children have rapidly developing brains that thrive on unimpeded breathing and normal oxygen concentrations. A mask puts a monkey wrench in the works of communications in early learning. How hygienic is a 5 year old’s mask after 4 hours of play? If it even made an impact could we afford the long term trade offs?
The Israeli Ministry of Health is on the record stating that there is “no well-founded scientific proof that the mask reduced morbidity” but they make clear they have a useful psychological value in heighten a sense for ones safety. How many children have now been condition to think of people as dirty and a danger to be near. How many have become hypochondriacs or life long anthrophobes. How many now fear being without a mask or in the presence of someone unmasked. How many have been subjected to condoned abuse for not wearing their mask or not fitting it “properly”.
Much damage has already been done. We’ve set back a generation, lingually, emotionally, psychologically and intellectually. It was all for nought as the exercise is meaningless medically. But that was the point of the Milgram Experiment as this absurdness is also an important function in the building of authoritarian societies. This is the only conclusion we can deduce as to why Federal authorities continue to target this most impressionable segment of our society. It can only stop when enough of us say it must stop.
‘I watched and felt like my entire life was falling apart because of what this government did to young people.’ Student Sophie Corcoran