So, why do the mask threads generate so much heat?
May I suggest SEVERAL reasons. Feel free to argue with me, flame me or add on to the list.
1. We care about our DDs.
Let's face facts. There are all kinds of parents in this world. SOME parents really care about their kids' safety, and their kids' future. The parents on this forum are all in that camp.
For parents who care about their kids' safety, what could be more annoying than dealing with coaches who DON'T seem to care as much about our kids' safety? Or, worse still, seem to look down on and denigrate players who concentrate on safety.
2. The Nanny State is real, and can be VERY scary, and can destroy lives.
How many times do we have to read about parents hauled off to jail for letting their kids walk to and from the park alone? Or some other trivial offense. Or who criminalize teenage behavior with "zero tolerance" policies.
I had a scary enough encounter with the Nanny State some years back, when the school threatened to call the cops if DW picked up the kids more than 15 minutes late. We would have to do things like have the kids wait in the office in bad weather or else walk to a nearby park in warm weather. Not as safe, but it kept the Nanny State off our backs. The Nanny State wants compliance, more than safety. Scary to think that a bad traffic jam could get the cops called, though.
3. Some posters on this forum are very opinionated, and feel they are always right.
Can't imagine who.
So, we have parents who want to protect their kids from batted balls and bad coaches, and we have parents (sometimes the same people) who want to protect their families from the Nanny State, and people on all sides with strong opinions.
Is it any wonder these threads generate so much heat?
Why can't we just get along?
I propose the following:
We all agree that safety is good, injuries are bad, face masks are often good, and the Nanny State sometimes does more harm than good. Not always, but sometimes.
May I suggest SEVERAL reasons. Feel free to argue with me, flame me or add on to the list.
1. We care about our DDs.
Let's face facts. There are all kinds of parents in this world. SOME parents really care about their kids' safety, and their kids' future. The parents on this forum are all in that camp.
For parents who care about their kids' safety, what could be more annoying than dealing with coaches who DON'T seem to care as much about our kids' safety? Or, worse still, seem to look down on and denigrate players who concentrate on safety.
2. The Nanny State is real, and can be VERY scary, and can destroy lives.
How many times do we have to read about parents hauled off to jail for letting their kids walk to and from the park alone? Or some other trivial offense. Or who criminalize teenage behavior with "zero tolerance" policies.
I had a scary enough encounter with the Nanny State some years back, when the school threatened to call the cops if DW picked up the kids more than 15 minutes late. We would have to do things like have the kids wait in the office in bad weather or else walk to a nearby park in warm weather. Not as safe, but it kept the Nanny State off our backs. The Nanny State wants compliance, more than safety. Scary to think that a bad traffic jam could get the cops called, though.
3. Some posters on this forum are very opinionated, and feel they are always right.
Can't imagine who.
So, we have parents who want to protect their kids from batted balls and bad coaches, and we have parents (sometimes the same people) who want to protect their families from the Nanny State, and people on all sides with strong opinions.
Is it any wonder these threads generate so much heat?
Why can't we just get along?
I propose the following:
We all agree that safety is good, injuries are bad, face masks are often good, and the Nanny State sometimes does more harm than good. Not always, but sometimes.
