The Madison County Illinois Board, acting in its capacity as the Madison County Board of Health, passed a resolution asking local school districts to make masks optional instead of required.
Madison County is one of the few counties in Illinois where the county board doubles as the county board of health.
Even though the resolution was non-binding, I hope it provides the political cover needed to convince local school boards to make masks optional.
The Madison County Board’s vote in May 2020 to reopen the county during Pritzker’s lockdown had the effect of making it easier for restaurants and other businesses to reopen during Pritzker’s lockdown.
There were many restaurants in Madison County that reopened their dining rooms months before Pritzker ended his lockdown.
Compare this to Sangamon County. Even though Sangamon County also has a Republican majority on their county board, they didn’t vote to reopen like Madison County.
As a result, restaurants across Sangamon County were prevented by the county from reopening their dining rooms until January 2021, which is when both Sangamon County and the City of Springfield decided to stop enforcing the lockdown.
This demonstrates that county resolutions like the one on masks aren’t just symbolic as some critics suggest.
I’m glad that the Madison County Board now has a Republican chairman and majority, after many years of being under Democrat control, and is willing to take a bold stand on issues like these.
As the eighth most populous county in Illinois, Madison County has a prominent voice in Illinois politics.
It’s abhorrent to force anyone to wear a mask, especially children. Wearing a mask should be optional, not required.
I’ll never understand the meddlesome people who want to force masks on other people. It’s bad enough that some people want to force their own children to wear masks, but to force other people to wear masks is unacceptable.
Our society has truly reached a point where too many people don’t understand the concept of personal liberty.
Some people falsely claim that “science” requires that we all wear masks or receive the covid vaccine. I respond to this by quoting British Rabbi Jonathan Sacks:
“Science will explain how but not why. It talks about what is, not what ought to be. Science is descriptive, not prescriptive; it can tell us about causes but it cannot tell us about purposes. Indeed, science disavows purposes.”
Risk is inherent in a free society. A free people assume that risk as they go about their daily lives. No more restricting our liberty under the guise of additional security. It’s time to remove the remaining covid restrictions and mask mandates.
The attached article from St. Louis Fox 2 contains an error. It incorrectly identifies the Madison County Board as the Madison County School Board, which is a non-existent entity.
Each school district that has territory within Madison County has its own school board.
Thanks!
