CBC article commenter says what most of us have only thought

“Isn’t the whole point being missed by some of these reader comments. The article is about children of severe allergies in school. It isn’t about sensitivities or, or even celiac which doesn’t compare to anaphylaxis. I won’t comment on the unrelated comments, as they are nonsense in the discussion of this article. The point is that severe allergies are often fatal — that means death. Death can be very sudden with anaphylaxis, hence the importance of the epi-pen. Death can occur in minutes without this lifesaving device. If anyone at all thinks severe allergies are an inconvenience , you need to re-evaluate your moral compass. Death. That is the point, and by diminishing or dismissing the severity of it is irresponsible and selfish.

Anyone who thinks that a child should potentially die a sudden death in a roomful of children is an absolute sicko. That is the real truth of it.

As I said, the article is about children. Adults deal with severe allergies everyday — on their own. Some adults don’t even develop allergies until much later in life, at 35 or any age. A severe peanut allergy can develop ‘just like that.’ I know this through my own experience, and I have never demanded special consideration. However, if you knowingly send your child to school with nut products in a ban, you are not only just sick, but also criminal if a child dies.”

“Rights or personal responsibility has no part in this discussion. To state that a young child should take responsibility for their own actions or suffer death is ridiculous and callous. And restricting the type of food taken to school is not an infringement of rights. Denying a child an education by discrimination is a violation of human rights. There is nothing here that ‘controls’ your life. You and your family can eat a peanut feast if you like, but what is wrong with having courtesy in a shared eating environment. And because it is life and death, only a fool would think that parents of children with severe allergies are sending kids off to school with no warnings, no discussions, and no frank statement of consequence.

The un-allergic kids can suffer as well, albeit they may learn to respect allergies in a traumatic way. My son has no allergies whatsoever, but the last thing I would want is for him to witness a child dying suddenly in his classroom. I wouldn’t even want him to witness anaphylaxis at a young age. How about keeping schools a healthy environment for all.”