My letter relates to the front-page article on school mask requirements which appeared in the August 6, 2021, edition of The Baldwin Times. Superintendent Tyler is quoted at least three times in the article saying that the school mask requirement is his personal decision. There is currently no statewide mask mandate from the Governor’s office in the State of Alabama. Thus, Superintendent Tyler has no legal basis for imposing a mask mandate on the schools and is grossly exceeding the powers of his office. Dozens of current studies make the clear point that masks do not prevent the spread of COVID-19 nor any of its variants. The masks being worn by the average citizen will not stop the wearer from ingesting COVID germs, which germs are 1,000 times smaller in diameter than the smallest particles that the masks will stop. Wearing a mask to prevent COVID spreading makes as much sense as trying to protect yourself from mosquito bites by living outdoors in a cage made of chain link fencing. Forcing all grade 3-12 students, who are in their psychologically formative years, to wear masks during the entire school day will certainly lead to psychological disorders as they approach adulthood. Having been brain-washed for nine years that they will be “safe” only if they wear a mask all day, how does one imagine they will react as adults? Will they suddenly cast aside their masks or will they continue throughout their lives thinking that they must wear a mask all of the time to be “safe.” Superintendent Tyler has no legal basis nor authority to issue a mask mandate for all public schools, has no medical data to support his masking decision, and runs the risk of psychologically damaging thousands of our precious school children.
Billy Wise
Fairhope
