If you listen very carefully you might be able to hear the loud roar of incredibly vocal Johnson County parents arguing for their ability and their children’s to wear a mask. This debate has gone on for many months around the country but has now heated up in the lovely edge of Kansas. It has become so large that there was a “Youth Organization” created. The infamous Mask Choice 4 Kids sounds as if it is meant for children, though in reality, it is just a group of Johnson County parents. 

Perhaps their uneasiness has to do with the recent signs that have been placed throughout the Johnson County advertising for their cause, which are strategically placed every few feet all across Johnson County. There are members of the community who have their own questions about the signs, along with the organization as a whole. 

Heather McCormick Meyer asked in a recent post on Facebook, “Why are you illegally placing signs all over the county and littering our communities, and not following City Codes for sign placements?” The legality of the sign placement only raises more questions to the already questionable organization.

Another community member, Derrick Robinson wrote a review about the organization stating that “what they are advocating for will endanger the lives of the children they are trying to give a choice.” 

Robinson also wrote that “Advocating for a choice at this point is not only ignorant” ‘ “it’s dangerous.” 

They claim to be a grassroots organization, but this specific one is advocating to put the lives of others at risk for their own personal endeavors. 

The organization’s Facebook wrote that their “supporters are keenly aware that we encourage kids to do only what they feel comfortable doing. If they feel like peacefully disrupting the educational system and removing their mask after 1st period every Tuesday, then that is their choice.” 

The students who chose to participate in this do so by following the carefully created protest calendar set in place. Every Tuesday Students across Johnson County are removing their masks and refusing to wear a mask for the rest of the day. 

The recent calendar has stated that on Monday, Sept. 20, parents will call out their children in “all districts” and “all grades” and will meet up at Heritage Park. 

Sept. 20 is also known for being the Olathe School district’s Count Day. Count day is the one day each school year where the school’s attendance depends on the amount of funding they get. The organization is not just pulling children away from a day of learning, but also affecting the school districts funding. 

As controversial as masks are as a community, we need to respect the policies put in place. 

“If everyone who can” do “those two simple things we would be done with this virus in a snap, but because of the selfishness of others we will likely be dealing with this pandemic for the next two years,” Robinson said.