Last July, the BESE Board was tasked with the responsibility of establishing guidelines for the Strong Start 2020 reopening of schools. Since then, our children have been test subjects in a massive medical experiment. Parents have a sacred right to protect their children, not their “neighbor.” When it is more and more evident that the guidelines are subjective and not based on sound science - two masks seem to work better than one, three feet should work instead of six, etc. - it is well past time to regain control of what should have never been taken from us—our parental right to choose which medical interventions are best for our children. It is time to see the smiles on our kids’ faces again. Masks must be a parent’s decision, not the state’s or private entities’. The Smile Project is uniting parents across Louisiana to remove unsafe and unnecessary mask mandates and restore parental rights. Please see the ACTION PLAN to safely transition adults into a maskless school at healthfreedomla.org/2021/03/the-smile-project-action-plan/

In an effort to be a “good neighbor,” we have failed those under our own roof - our children. Parents are under no obligation to sacrifice their children's health for the greater good. As reports of the mental health crisis among children across the country are becoming increasingly distressful, it is abundantly clear that neither the State nor the CDC are qualified to raise children. FAIR Health Incorporated’s report, The Impact of COVID-19 on Pediatric Mental Health: A Study of Private Healthcare Claims, found a disturbing trend in pediatric mental health. In the 13-18 age group, claims for intentional self harm rose by almost 100% from March 2019 to April 2020; claims for overdose in that age group increased by almost 120% in that time period; and generalized anxiety disorder claims increased by 93%. How can policy makers tell if they are doing more harm than good? Statistics like those above make a compelling argument that the policies are very harmful. The goal from the beginning was that the cure could not be worse than the disease. The incredible harm we are causing our children, who statistically are minimally affected by the virus itself and are not vectors of transmission, is in no way justifiable. Parents have a duty to care for their children that cannot be usurped by the State without due process. The decision to mask or not should be a parent’s, not a school’s. Our very own Louisiana Children’s Code recognizes this, stating parents should make the decisions regarding preventative health care of the child. We know for certain children are experiencing great mental harm, exacerbated by the physical harm of imposing a medical intervention that has never been evaluated for safety in children. Smiles and one’s ability to breathe freely are just as essential as parental rights. The decision to mask or not should be the parent’s, never the State’s or private entities’. The Smile Project is uniting parents across Louisiana to remove unsafe and unnecessary mask mandates and restore parental rights. Please see the ACTION PLAN to safely transition adults into a maskless school at healthfreedomla.org/2021/03/the-smile-project-action-plan/

“There comes a point where a man must refuse to answer to his leader if he is also to answer to his conscience.” Ann Tusa, The Nuremberg Trial There have never been safety studies on the long term use of masks by children. None. Despite recommendations by the CDC and the AAP there have never been studies conducted with children wearing masks all day long. That means we are acting under a grand delusion that what we are asking of children in school - learning, concentrating, studying - is effectively possible while their breathing is obstructed. We have also been deluded to believe that this is not physically or mentally harmful to them, in the short or long term. No studies have ever been done. Yet studies documenting health risks and harm from mask wearing have been done and rates of self harm, overdose, and anxiety in children/teens have increased more than 100% since the mask mandate was put in place. The decision to mask kids should never be one made by the state. An overriding ethic in LA Children’s Code is that “parents should make the decisions regarding where and with whom the child shall reside, the educational. . .and preventive health care of the child…” Parents make that decision, not the State. An overriding ethic of The Nuremberg Code is that the voluntary consent of the human subject is absolutely essential. Will you continue to allow this violation of the most basic human right to stand? Human rights are essential. Parental rights are essential. Smiles are essential. The Smile Project is uniting parents across Louisiana to remove unsafe and unnecessary mask mandates and restore parental rights. Please see the ACTION PLAN to safely transition adults into a maskless school at healthfreedomla.org/2021/03/the-smile-project-action-plan/

Open Schools, Covid-19, and Child and Teacher Morbidity in Sweden “Despite Sweden’s having kept schools and preschools open, we found a low incidence of severe Covid-19 among schoolchildren and children of preschool age during the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic. Among the 1.95 million children who were 1 to 16 years of age, 15 children had Covid-19, MIS-C, or both conditions and were admitted to an ICU, which is equal to 1 child in 130,000.” “Social distancing was encouraged in Sweden, but wearing face masks was not.” nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMc2026670 This is another study that confirms that even without masks transmission of SARS-CoV-2 in schools is low. Florida, South Dakota, South Carolina, Georgia, Tennessee, Texas, Mississippi, etc. continue to prove that the risk of severe outcomes of infection in children do not warrant the extreme mitigation measures currently in place, specifically masks. Even social distancing is being questioned. It is all subjective with very little data to support the recommendation and extensive research proving otherwise. To be clear, there is zero data to support the mask recommendation for children, no evidenced based data or safety data. The lack of safety data in regards to long term mask use in children is unethical and inhumane. Neither the CDC nor the Louisiana Department of Health are elected representatives of the citizens of Louisiana - why is either agency granted authority to determine what we put on our children's faces WITHOUT safety studies? In times of crisis, we protect our children, not sacrifice their health and wellbeing for the collective good. Fear has gripped this country for a year. It’s time to make our children a priority. They have suffered enough. Their safety is essential. Their freedom is essential. Their smiles are essential, and it is time to give them back. Parents should choose what medical interventions, including masks, are right for their families. The Smile Project is uniting parents across Louisiana to remove unsafe and unnecessary mask mandates and restore parental rights. Please see the ACTION PLAN to safely transition adults into a maskless school at healthfreedomla.org/2021/03/the-smile-project-action-plan/

The mask requirement for children needs to be removed immediately. While the CDC and LA Dept of Health have focused on the dubious efficacy of masking, no one bothered to examine the SAFETY of the Strong Start 2020 guidelines. Now researchers are raising concerns about the long term effect on inhaling nanoparticles from masks: Need for assessing the inhalation of micro(nano)plastic debris shed from masks, respirators, and home-made face coverings during the COVID-19 pandemic. How safe are the Strong Start guidelines if we now have to worry about lung damage from nanoparticles from long term mask use required to attend school? This has the potential to turn into something like the asbestos debacle. And according to Act 9, liability is waived only when “such action or inaction is determined to be grossly negligent or wanton or reckless misconduct.” Mandating a medical intervention without evaluating the safety of that intervention is grossly negligent and BESE was made aware of safety concerns before establishing these new guidelines. Remove the mask mandate immediately and make parents aware of the possible harm from inhaling nanoparticles from masks. Strong Start guidelines lack a crucial element: safety. Masks must be a choice, a decision left to parents. The Smile Project is uniting parents across Louisiana to remove unsafe and unnecessary mask mandates and restore parental rights. Please see the ACTION PLAN to safely transition adults into a maskless school at healthfreedomla.org/2021/03/the-smile-project-action-plan