Off the Publisher’s Desk – 10-20-2021
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No violence against anyone!
Over the last couple of months, tension has been rising over what is being taught in our public schools, masks and vaccinations also are hot topics at board meetings. It is on the evening news almost every day. I have been scanning the Internet for information from several national news outlets.
Last Thursday the Floridian posted that the Department Justice was going to target parents who intimidate school board members. They posted “Attorney General Merrick Garland through the Department of Justice (DOJ) ordered the FBI to investigate what he called a ‘disturbing spike in harassment, intimidation, and threats of violence’ against school administrators, after a national group sent a letter to President Biden claiming that they are under immediate threat from concerned parents engaging in domestic terrorism acts and requested resources from federal law enforcement.”
The Daily Mail reported: “Now parents could be criminalized for protesting against mask and woke school boards. Biden’s AG mobilizes the FBI to crack down on distributing trends of violent threats against teachers.”
Now, there is no room in our lives, that we should face threats for any reason and especially if we sit on a school board or any other board. Open communications between both parties is the answer and apparently the one question that has people upset, is not knowing what is being taught to their children, and parents have the right to know and should be allowed to voice their opinion, but peacefully and leave hate at home.
Mary Margaret Olohan wrote on October 12th saying, “At least 11 state school board organizations are distancing themselves from the National School Boards Association letter asking President Biden to take action against parents protesting progressive school policies. School board organizations in Virginia and Louisiana criticized the national association’s letter in public statements, saying they were not consulted on it and suggesting that the National School Boards Association discourages the ‘active participation’ of parents in school governance.”
Parents are speaking out against the DOJ and the National School Board Association’s statement saying, “We view it both remarkable and disturbing that a ‘school board association’ can attempt to undo the United States Constitution in order to immunize government boards from the people’s petitions ‘for redress of their grievances.’ It is more disturbing yet that the Attorney General of the United States (Merrick Garland) dignified the notion with an agreeable pronouncement,” so said a statement from No Left Turn in Education (NLTE). They are a relatively new organization started by parent Dr. Elana Yaron-Fischbein. A long list of other groups from various states including Wisconsin signed onto the statement as well.
Now I have sat in on many school board meetings, not as an elected official, but as a reporter, and several other non school board meetings probably more times than most other people in this area. Remember that these people that are serving on the local school board or any other local board are your friends and neighbors, and of all the time I have attended public meetings, those people are trying to do the best for the people that they serve.
I know when there is an issue; there are almost always two sides to that issue and without some sort of compromise, some people are going to go away from the meeting dissatisfied.
When my kids were in school, I had a hard time seeing what the entire curriculum was, but then that was thirty to forty years ago and I know that there are much more political agendas in every facet of our lives today than it was back in the ’80s and ’90s. And I am sure that has found its way into the educational system also. So let’s all get behind our elected officials and offer our support to them. I know by attending local board meetings, people only show up when they are upset, or want a change. I can only suggest that more people should attend these public meetings and that way you will keep yourself more informed on what is happening to your school, town, village or city board.
I would like to mention that the current Attorney General, Merrick Garland is a name that everyone should have recognized. He was President Obama’s choice for an appointment to the Supreme Court. The Republicans blocked his nomination until President Trump took office and he nominated Brett Kavanaugh. Did the Republicans do the right thing?
If I have one concern about local boards, it is that they may use the closed session to conduct business too often.
Thanks for reading! ~Carlton