Kindergarten or ‘Russian roulette’? To some parents, the Delta variant and lax mask rules make those one and the same
Her daughter just started kindergarten. Or, as she called it, “Russian roulette.” That’s because the school district in Grand Junction, Colo., experienced one of the nation’s first Delta-variant outbreaks last spring, and now school officials have loosened the rules meant to protect against Covid-19.
The mother, Venessa, who asked not to be named in full due to fear of repercussions for her family, is part of a group of parents, grandparents, medical professionals and community members that assembled in the past few weeks to push back. The group calls itself “S.O.S.,” which stands for “Supporters for Open and Safe Schools” while nodding to the international signal for urgent help. It’s made up of Republicans and Democrats, Christians and atheists, and its main request: Require masks.
