It's local election time. Right now we are voting on school board members in my district. If you've paid any attention lately you've seen how the conservosphere is coming for the schools. They are targeting what can and cannot be taught. They are pulling books and teaching materials that don't align with the conservative viewpoint. They are banning any talk of race or gender that makes them feel uncomfortable. And let's be clear their discomfort is that someone who is different than they are might be entitled to the exact same rights and power structure. Basically it's all about control at an early level.
One of the tactics is to run a full slate of their candidates. Vote for this block of people. They can get a majority who think alike in one election if they band together. And the organizations that are pushing these candidates forward provide the campaign materials and the talking points. And it's a school board so not many people tend to send out campaign materials in the first place so a lot of the time the only people you are even aware of are these super conservative candidates.
It's also a nonpartisan position. Meaning that you don't vote for a democratic candidate, or a republican, you just vote. Not that the people running aren't D or R, they are. The other thing is if you aren't aware of the current sanitized language they use you tend to think it sounds really reasonable. Last election cycle the talking point for the conservative candidates was all about not having more school closures. How it really disadvantaged our youth.
It didn't work in a lot of areas around here. People were frustrated, sure, people wanted life to get back to normal, absolutely, but we were also pretty good about understanding that when things shut down there was a reason, and when they started back up with masks and vaccines there was a reason for that as well. And it wasn't that the government was trying to manipulate you into getting microchipped for...reasons.
This time around the buzz words seem to be transparency, age appropriate, and parental control. You should know exactly what is being taught to your children, when, and you should have the final say in that. Which sounds fairly reasonable. You should know what your kids are learning. And if there is something there that you disagree with you should be able to have your say about it. But...
When they are pulling out any book that mentions a gay person, or not using the word racism when teaching about Rosa Parks, or talking about trade areas instead of mentioning that the "trade" that was happening was buying and selling of people. Well, now we are in to a different discussion.
A friend just posted a story about a class in another state having their field trip canceled because there were actors playing the roles of men and women in the play so it was clearly a drag performance and that's not okay.
It was James and the Giant Peach.
Remember when if you didn't want your kid to go see a play you kept them home? Now they cancel it for everyone. I would have been livid if it had been my kid who got their field trip canceled because of one parent who doesn't understand acting.
But things like that mean it's important to pay attention to school boards. And to know who is supporting that slate of candidates. And what groups like communities for sensible schools really mean by sensible.
So this year when the postcards started arriving with their slate of candidates one name kept buzzing in my head. Why do I know that name? Has he run for other office before and he sticks out?
I am terrible with names. I just am. When I meet people that I know I will be interacting with a lot I try to put their name in my notes program until I feel like I have it really down. Otherwise it's just gone. I know one set of neighbor's names here and I think two others, but I'm not sure enough about them to call them by their names instead of just wave and say hey. And we've been here a year.
Terrible at names.
So this guy's name kept buzzing. I knew I knew it, but I didn't know why I knew it. Until today when I sat down to vote. Opened my voters pamphlet and saw his name AND his photo. Oh..wow. That's my orthopedic doctor. He's a good ortho. I have no complaints. He calls me young lady, which is pretty sexist, but he's old enough and a good enough doctor and listens to me when I tell him what is going on so I let it pass.
But I didn't vote for him. No way. No how.
Because he's part of that slate, and not only part of that slate but the major contributor to the PAC that puts them up. He's been trying for a few years to get on the school board out here and to get "like minded" individuals to join.
I hope he loses. I did my part to make sure he loses.
Now I just have to decide if it bugs me enough that I have to find a new ortho who I don't know their political leanings.
Brent says he can be a lousy candidate and a good doctor. And that's true.
But...
I'll think about it.
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