Actress and conservative talk-show host Sam Sorbo and her husband, actor Kevin Sorbo, visit SiriusXM's Studios in New York City on Oct. 07, 2019. (Steven Ferdman / Getty Images)
By Michael Austin
Published July 21, 2020 at 1:41pm
The Western Journal - Commentary
Shutting down the economy in response to the coronavirus pandemic has been short-sighted and ill-conceived.
Many public health organizations, such as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the World Health Organization, have pushed for regulations and economic shutdowns with the sole purpose of reducing coronavirus deaths. Neither organization, or most of the American left-wing, for that matter, are taking into account the extenuating consequences that come with such harsh restrictions.
These are just a few of the viewpoints held by Sam Sorbo, an actress and conservative talk-radio host.
In a video released Friday titled “Lessons from COVID19,” Sorbo called out the education system’s many failures and the unscientific reasoning for shutting down schools.
Sorbo pointed out how the experts advocating for the shutdown of schools had “notably neglected to anticipate the adverse effects [that] school closings would have on the nation’s children, not to mention the adults.”
“In reopening, we will likely make the same mistake, because these days we blindly advance toward a desired outcome without regard to collateral damages,” she said.
“We shut down the entire U.S. economy to flatten the curve and then seamlessly shifted to finding a vaccine. Well, flattening the curve intended to slow the spread, not minimize cases. Nobody wants needless death, but this classic bait-and-switch deliberately killed logic, and now we must reopen schools because the kids need school so badly. One ought to ask, if only because we failed to do so before, at what cost?”
In the video, the actress examined a recent back-to-school summit wherein advocates for a return to classes made the case that children need education and socialization, but those advocates failed to mention that COVID “is no longer a threat.”
“The forum guests didn’t consider cost. ‘Children need the social environment of schools.’ Oh, forgive me, I thought this meeting was about education? said Sorbo, a mother of three children. “And given the new safety protocols, what exactly are the social benefits on offer? Focusing on the social argument to advocate for education defies logic. Seems wrongheaded, but that is the state of our brain trust.
“The forum featured several heads of schools, and schooling is their business. In effect, they made the argument that their businesses are essential. But educators who cannot can’t think critically and logically are a harbinger of dire outcomes.”
Sorbo spoke with The Western Journal on Tuesday about the video and the education system’s response to COVID-19.
The actress began by explaining that she felt compelled to record the video because she’s been “struggling” with the fact that “we act without considering consequences.”
“And I see that as a direct result of our education. Nobody asked what the cost was going to be for shutting down the economy,” she said. “Where’s the explanation? It’s just we are taking everything like we’re being spoon-fed baby food and we’re just eating it.”
Additionally, Sorbo, who is married to actor Kevin Sorbo, pointed out that public schools seem to be worried more about keeping their funding rather than working out creative strategies on how they can best keep children educated during this pandemic.
“I’ve seen a number of pieces coming around of schools having discussions, school boards having discussions. ‘How do we keep the money if we don’t have the kids in class? How do we do that?’ ” Sam Sorbo told The Western Journal.
“They’re scrambling. ‘How do we keep the money?'”
The question they should ask instead, Sorbo argues, is: “How do we keep the children educated?”
“How about they preoccupy themselves with the task at hand? But that’s not their focus. Just like teachers unions, they don’t serve children,” the actress said.
“We need parents to understand that they never, never relinquish the responsibility of educating their children. They think they do. The schools tell them that they’ll take care of it. But in every court case where a parent has sued because the school failed to teach their child to read, they’ve lost every case because every judge still declares it is the parents’ responsibility.
“And the good news with COVID is, parents are stepping up to the plate.”
Sorbo finished by explaining that parents have many resources available to aid them in educating their children outside of the failing public education system.
“There are resources out there for parents to help them on this journey,” Sorbo said. “It is not rocket science. It is not difficult. We’ve been taught that it’s difficult because that’s job security for the education bureaucracy. It’s not difficult.”
“And yes, even if you’re home-schooling, you outsource certain things, but you don’t have to just outsource a one-size-fits-all for your child.”
“Your child is not a widget to put on a conveyor belt.”