Reclaiming responsibility

PARTYING TEENAGERS ARE NOT THE PROBLEM

AS I SCROLLED THROUGH INSTAGRAM, photo af- deaths, thousands were teens and young adults, according to the

ter photo of large groups of unmasked teens, close to- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. gether and indoors popped up on my feed. There were By constantly contradicting the CDC and downplaying the houses full of people pressed up against one another, need to follow the advice of scientists and medical professionals, masks in their back pockets, in their hands and around their President Trump fueled mistrust in science and made those with chins — anywhere but their faces. the best understanding of the pandemic seem less credible.

I couldn’t help but feel so incredibly frustrated with people While various politicians and governors have tried to implewho were partying and having fun while they blatantly flouted ment tighter restrictions to ensure that COVID spread is limited, health guidelines. Meanwhile, I was stuck alone at home, rarely the voice of the president is heard loudest of all, and his dismissal seeing my friends or anyone outside my family. undermined their efforts.

As much as these gatherings an- “I wanted to always play it down,”

gered me, I was more confused as to why 15-year-olds were making decisions President Donald Trump Trump said in a March 2020 interview with journalist Bob Woodward. “I still like playabout what was safe in a global pandem- made public health a ing it down, because I don’t want to create ic. Why had we created an environment where people felt partying during a quar- partisan issue and it cost a panic.” We choose the person we think will antine was acceptable? 400,000 people their act in the best interest of everyone and set The teens on my Instagram feed certainly weren’t the only ones partying. lives. a good example to be our leader. Trump, however, was ridiculing people for wearing

Many people across the country have masks and flouting guidelines. been receiving criticism for their unsafe socialization. As much “It [masking] is going to be, really, a voluntary thing,” said as individuals being irresponsible is annoying and hard to watch, Trump in an April task force briefing. “You can do it. You don’t the underlying issue is in our leadership. have to do it. I’m choosing not to do it.”

In the United States, too many people see masking as an at- By not taking important COVID-19 prevention measures tack on personal liberties rather than himself, he set an example for everyone that they could choose to a necessary precaution. Former be unsafe and endanger themselves as well as others. President Donald Trump If we cannot expect our own president to unequivocally supmade public health a parti- port and practice safe behaviors during a pandemic, how do we san issue and it cost 400,000 expect teens to do the same? people their lives. Of those While I am hopeful that President Joe Biden will prioritize the safety of this country, we need to pressure government officials across the nation to implement restrictions that stop teens from gathering in the first place. President Biden has taken steps in the right direction by creating a plan for vaccine distribution and signing a national mask mandate, but it is important that this progress continues. If we want teens to stop partying and start distancing, it is imperative that our leaders set examples

that we can follow. v