PETITION TO NOT ISSUE A UNIVERSAL MASK MANDATE IN SCHOOLS

As a BIPARTISAN GRASSROOTS COALITION of Michigan Parents, Educators, Students, Healthcare Professionals, Social Workers and Community Leaders concerned about the safety and wellbeing of Michigan children, we ask the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services to REFRAIN FROM ISSUING a public health order that would compel schools to require masks in schools at any time including extracurricular activities such as sports, band, choir, clubs or any other school-related activities. While we have a diverse set of views on WHY we oppose universal mandates in schools, we are UNITED to ensure EVERY family has a CHOICE to do what is best for them to keep their family safe.

Michigan children have experienced some of the worst effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. We CANNOT afford to allow Michigan children continue to sacrifice their mental health, social emotional health, physical health or academic wellbeing for a cookie-cutter solution that would be designed to protect them from only one thing.

Science and evidence show that:

Children are the least at severe risk for Covid-19 hospitalizations and deaths.

• 0.00%-0.03% of all child COVID-19 cases resulted in death and 0.1% of all child COVID-19 cases resulted in hospitalization. (Source: American Academy of Pediatrics Child and COVID-19 State-Level Data Report) 
• The 0-17 age group is the least likely to be hospitalized for COVID-19 (Source: CDC COVID-NET Summary of U.S. COVID-19 Hospitalization Data) 

Pediatric mental health issues are at an all-time high BECAUSE of the restrictions

•  Restrictions put in place to contain COVID-19 are particularly difficult for teens (Source: C.S. Mott Children’s Hospital National Poll on Children’s Health Volume 38, Issue 2)
• Michigan is in the middle of a mental health crisis (Source: Bridge Michigan “Children at breaking point during COVID”) 
• There is an increase in children coming into Michigan emergency rooms for mental health emergencies (Source: WDIV Detroit Story) 
• Rates of suicidal ideation and attempts have increased during the pandemic (Source: American Academy of Pediatrics Interim Guidance on Supporting the Emotional and Behavioral Health Needs of Children, Adolescents, and Families During the COVID-19 Pandemic) 

Our children have sacrificed a year of quality education and experiences to protect those most at risk from COVID-19 in our community

• Impact of COVID-19 restrictions on student learning could hurt a lifetime (Source: McKinsey & Company COVID-19 and student learning in the United States)
• Michigan M-STEP scores reveal students lag in nearly every grade & category (Source: Detroit Free Press)

Furthermore, such orders are in opposition to The Revised School Code - Act 451 of 1976 - Section 380.10 Rights of parents and legal guardians; duties of public schools  Such orders open the door for districts to spend needless taxpayer dollars defending lawsuits when they would rather be focusing those dollars on improving the schools. Such orders open the door for the State & County to spend needless taxpayer dollars enforcing them and defending lawsuits when they SHOULD be spending that money fixing our broken mental health & substance abuse support services, ensuring proper ventilation in schools, and keeping the most vulnerable to COVID-19 (our Senior Community) safe.

A statewide mask mandate does NOT ensure all children, anywhere in Michigan, can learn in a safe environment regardless of geography. Universal masks mean children with some health challenges or special needs can NOT be in their classroom safely. When universal masking is in schools – and nowhere else – Michigan is teaching our children that schools are NOT safe and that their health does NOT matter if it involves anything other than COVID.

As Americans, we have a responsibility to stand up to misguided and discriminatory mandates with a unified resolve and do our part to defend the health and safety of ALL our families, friends and fellow citizens. Despite the noise from a segment of Pro-Mandate Michiganders who have been misguided by disinformation and deception to believe that only those from a certain political party, race, religion, economic status or belief system demand CHOICE to protect their families, far more Americans believe in our patriotic duty and a condition of citizenship to fight for our freedom to ensure a common good & PROTECT our children.

Through this petition, we are also expressing our frustration at politicians who ignore, insult and threaten those who simply want the freedom of choice to protect their family AND are using our KIDS as political pawns in their efforts to get re-elected and/or ensure their donors continue to donate to their campaigns. We ask all our leaders on all sides of the issue to demand an end to retaliation, harassment, and threats against elected officials, educators, students, healthcare professionals, and fellow Michiganders who support CHOICE.

Enough is enough. STOP the mandate madness targeted at OUR CHILDREN. ALL of Michigan’s future depends on it.

As we also believe in transparency, REAL MI Grassroots groups are behind this petition (and the list is growing): Wayne County Parent Advocates, Michigan Liberty Leaders