With the country in the midst of a massive debate over whether and how schools should reopen during the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, #notmychild is trending on Twitter.
The hashtag started to accompany a video produced and posted by author and filmmaker Don Winslow that criticizes President Trump’s response to the pandemic and outlines what Winslow sees as the risk of returning to school with COVID-19 numbers continuing to climb.
“This isn’t a choice between Trump and Biden. It’s a choice between Trump and your child,” the video concludes.
The video clearly struck a nerve, with more than half a million views in the first day, according to Twitter. Many people retweeted it with support for the message, including an educator who wrote, “I am a teacher & a mom, the health & well being of my students & children means everything to me. I miss my students terribly. #Covid19 is a threat to children’s health & safety. No Way should we allow for our children to be used as Trump’s experimental guinea pigs #NotMyChild.”
Others questioned the video’s claims, pointing to countries like Germany and Iceland that have either reopened schools or never closed them in the first place.
One user wondered how the U.S. can require other vaccinations for schoolchildren, but send them back to in-person learning before there is a COVID vaccine.
“Schools require vaccinations for kids to enroll…these vaccinations are for things that are not an immediate threat to us.. but we’re gonna send kids back to school in the middle of a pandemic with no vaccine available. Can someone make this make sense for me?” Twitter used Steve wrote.
Twitter user SCW pointed out that it’s not just kids, but adults that work in school who need protection and may be afraid to return to the classroom: “I agree but #NotMyMom & #NotMyDad need to trend along with #NotMyChild. My children are scared I will be marching to my death by returning to the classroom w current rates in Florida,” they wrote.
Like wearing masks, whether or not to reopen schools has become a partisan issue. Earlier this week L.A. County schools announced that many districts will opt for remote learning only for the 2020-2021 school year, which President Trump called a mistake.
Elsewhere in the country, parents are waiting to see what schooling option will be available in the call, and debating which will be best for their families.
