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Letter: Forrest, Smith demonstrated courage

Editor, Gazette-Journal:

I would like to express my appreciation to Mathews School Board members Ms. Lorraine Forrest and Mr. Desmond Smith for voting against making face masks optional in the Mathews County Public Schools. Their vote demonstrates regard for the larger community, adherence to reason, and courage.

I am disappointed in the other members of the school board who voted without apparent consideration of statements from the Virginia Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics or the CDC, and without thought for the full ramifications for the school system or the wider community. It is interesting to note that the school board’s decision runs counter to masking policies at area institutions of higher learning.

The Mathews County Public School Board’s 3-2 decision to make masks optional should not be misconstrued as a victory for individual rights but recognized instead as a failure to promote the general welfare, which is a stated purpose of the United States Const...

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