Written by Olivia
There is a bus shortage. If I put my kids on the bus I am labeled selfish for not just taking my kids to school and picking them up to ease the overburdened system. If they do ride the bus, my kids may have to sit three to a seat or on the floor. Additionally, there are kids on the bus who have literally told my 10-year-old that they will not sit with him anymore because he has a black brother. Yeah. You don’t have to be an adult to be human garbage. Needless to say, my kids don’t ride the bus unless there is no other realistic option.
Driving my kids to and from school creates massive traffic issues on the roads surrounding their school. If I drive my kids to and from school, I am labeled as selfish for contributing to the traffic on Eastside School Road. There are literally people driving in the opposite direction flipping parents off as they wait to collect their children each day. Bingo. Back to adults being human garbage.
My asthmatic 10-year-old already has two kiddos in his class who are out with COVID. Masks are not required. Only those children deemed close contact are required to quarantine. C is one of 12 kids in his class still allowed to show up in person, but no virtual option is currently being offered unless you choose to withdraw your child and enroll them into a virtual academy.
Please understand this. I do not blame bus drivers or teachers or administrators or anyone else who is doing their damnedest to keep my kids safe and educated. I DO however blame anyone who has decided that they have no part in carrying the burden of this pandemic. Unrelated to COVID, I sure as hell blame any parent who sends their kids to school with their empty, cousin-loving heads full of racist vitriol that they want to spew at my kids.
We are all frigging exhausted. I sure am. The Ratliffs are over here vaxxed up, masked up, and ready to act up if y’all don’t start behaving like your mamas raised you better. For those of you who get me, you are my people. Even if we don’t feel the same about every single issue. You are my people and I SEE YOU. For those of you feeling a little prickly, it is what it is. But I’m begging y’all, get your $h!t together. I can’t believe how impossible everything feels right now.
Newnan Time with Harold 