The King's Page

San Marcos High School ~ Santa Barbara, CA

The King's Page

The King's Page

In Response

*Editor’s note: The following article represents the opinion of the writer, but does not necessarily reflect the stance from the Santa Barbara County Public Health Department, Santa Barbara Unified School District, San Marcos High School, the school’s staff, nor the King’s Page staff.


As writers and journalists, it is our responsibility to objectively report and write about multiple and opposing perspectives, covering both sides of the debate, even if the writer themselves is biased towards one thought or idea. 

It is unacceptable that within the King’s page article regarding masks, there was no acknowledgement  of  the “against masks” perspective. There was a complete absence and silencing of any alternative perspectives and opinions outside of the widely accepted “for masks” opinion.

In every era in history, when injustices and prejudices have been perpetuated, they were perpetuated by news and media who were only willing to go along with the widely accepted (never questioned) narrative.  Doctors made commercials telling people to smoke cigarettes, cocaine was allowed in Coca-cola and non-medically licensed individuals are still allowed to give Dr.’s products for their patients that is killing them at epidemic proportions. This happens because “multiple perspectives” have been silenced and not allowed to be heard on these topics.  

In the same way, masks are harmful. There is at least a 20% cognitive decline in students, individuals who wear them are more likely to get an upper respiratory infection, they do not allow children to see facial expressions during the time of development when facial expression is their primary source of developing and understanding social cues, they cause individuals to remain in fight or flight (developing the amygdala and negatively impacting prefrontal cortex development), and they have not been proven effective against the particle size of a virus (which is the suggested primary reasoning behind even wearing them in the first place). 

It is my hope that in moving forward you will consider that the debate of mask wearing is not settled, and that there are many credible resources that support not wearing masks due their harmful effects and lack of efficacy.  Both sides of this topic need to be heard because there is real damage being done by those who are perpetuating this idea without question, evidence, and critical thought.  This topic deserves to have opposing perspectives heard, and it is an injustice to not do so.

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In Response