[sl1ck731]

I would prefer every student to be held back 1 semester from graduating high school than 1 more dead (if that were a possibility, but you get the point).

I don't even understand how its possible to prefer sending kids back over one semester. Of course I think the bigger issue is its just parents that want kids out of the house for a multitude of reasons including getting back to their own work.

[benmmurphy]

I presume kids die in accidents at school at the moment. if 1 kid dies a year falling down steps at school should all schools be forced to be only 1 level? there needs to be a sensible look at the cost and benefits and zero deaths should not be a a hard requirement.

[lmilcin]

It is easy to go about and proclaim, "life is priceless", "I would prefer to have every student held back than one dead", and so on.

What of students that have debt and now will have to wait more to get their "education"? Do you realize this is all going to cause more pain and suffering and possible deaths?

Do you realize given more budget it is possible to save more people if you spend it wisely?

[sl1ck731]

How does delaying your school career 1 semester cause death?

What debt? School debt? Are you talking about college? If you aren't attending school at all then you aren't adding to the debt (in most cases with Federal loans). If its online then you are still on track so I don't see your point.

[lmilcin]

We are talking about large number of people. On average this would take away half a year of their productive life.

Nowadays, many people have a plan which is mostly: finish school, get a job based on the education.

It is not difficult to see that if you set back financially large number of people, suddenly, this might increase suicide rate, for example. Or may make them worse off in many different ways causing some to tip into loosing life.

These are not easy decisions, and saying "I would prefer people to pause their lives for 6 months than loose one life" is a completely braindead, extremist way of looking at things.

To show how stupid this is, you can use just a portion of your home budget to save a life. Today. There are many people that don't need much in the way of help. You are free to find one and help him/her, without involving large percentage of population that doesn't want to get involved in it.

I guess it is easier to go about and proclaim extremist slogans.

[sl1ck731]

Nowadays no one's plans work out exactly the way they planned.

You can ignorantly (and hypocritically) call avoiding super-spreading schools in the midst of a pandemic an extremist position all you want, but you are overvaluing 6 months of "productivity" and completely avoiding continued remote learning.

[newfeatureok]

> These are not easy decisions, and saying "I would prefer people to pause their lives for 6 months than loose one life" is a completely braindead, extremist way of looking at things.

Based on the data from March it's pretty easy to estimate the effects of reopening things, including school. It's a very easy decision, don't reopen yet.

You're comparing an estimated thousands to tens of thousands dying from schools reopening to at most a few hundred thousand having to pause for 6 months and saying it's not an easy decision...?

Not to mention that most schools would have online programs as an alternative, not hold everyone back so your entire premise is false anyway.

[lmilcin]

I was reacting to the person saying how easy the decision is.

Whether it is actually safe to let people back in schools, I have not enough data and knowledge to decide. Most likely not.

[CJefferson]

You would hold back every kid 1 semester to save 1 child?

How about 10 semesters to save 10 children? 100 semesters to save 100 children?

[ja3k]

I'm also against schools reopening in the fall (though I haven't done much research and don't hold this opinion strongly).

But it seems like holding people back semesters eventually adds up to something that's as bad as a death. These kids are never going to get that semester back. And if you think they enjoy the at home alternatives half as much, or learn half as much or value that time in their lives half as much it seems like on some level the equivalent of 1000s of person lifetimes of value have been lost. I wouldn't hold back everyone one semester in high school in exchange for even on the order of 100s of deaths.

[mixmastamyk]

Let’s be honest. It’s not a semester we’re talking about, following your guidelines. It’s more likely three years or so.

Doling the pain out in a few month increments is how it is made to seem more reasonable.