Amy Coney Barrett, her husband Jesse and their children appeared without masks on Saturday, Sept. 26, 2020, in the Oval Office of the White House. They also attended a reception and closely interacted with politicians that have since been diagnosed with Covid-19. And they sat in the Rose Garden with many others now positive. Without masks.
Most parents know the path to criticizing other parenting styles is littered with landmines. The argument starts that second-guessing without full information is unfair, turns to “can’t know until you walk in their shoes,” and closes with self-reflection about prior and current questionable parental decisions. Is it too soon for a sleepover? Can she ride up front just to the grocery store? Is it too early for a cellphone?
But Covid-19 is a once in a 100-year virus, and 2020 has created harder parental choices. Deciding to keep a child home from school this Fall isn’t a decision that will be understood when returning home from the grocery store. How do I balance safety and education? How am I going to home-school? What are they doing when I can’t watch or help them? The parents I know support each other, and no one is second-guessing decisions this challenging.
In 2017, at Barrett’s Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals confirmation, former senator Al Franken (D-Minn.) questioned her on her decision to speak to the Blackstone Legal Fellowship program, which is affiliated with ADF, a conservative group which the Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC) defined as a hate group. During that questioning, Franken stated that the “root word of judgment is judge, and I question your judgment.” Franken was making the point about speaking for ADF without finding out what ADF does was bad judgment. She responded with, “I get a lot of requests to speak,” and “I am not in the habit of investigating every organization, ” which to many seemed plausible. Especially since ADF is, unfortunately, largely flying below the radar, and Franken was referring to somewhat obscure positions outside the US. But that is not true when it comes to Covid-19.
This is a worldwide pandemic, with over 211,000 Americans dead. As I write this the White House has 18 infected people. Coronavirus is surging through Congress, including the Senators who spent time with Barrett’s children. Face to face, at times learning in to a few inches away. The denial and irresponsibility making this outbreak inevitable was well-known.
So I am breaking the above rule and concluding that taking children to these events and not making them wears masks was bad judgment. To my fellow parents, I ask would you have your children wear masks? Is your image so important that you would put them at risk? What are we to make of this women?
There are so many things wrong with this nomination. I just wanted to call attention to the reckless decision to endanger her children.