Rewarding bad behavior?
School board intimidation crosses the line — but unfortunately works
Thoughts for the day
Politics and government were always of interest to me, and if you had asked me back in high school, I would have assumed I’d be involved in some fashion by now.
But those were different times. Coming of age in the Reagan years — an era of relative prosperity, yet still with the shadow of the cold war cast over it — serving the country as a politician was something of an honorable calling.
There’s no need to go into how much that has changed.
National politics have become polarized battles between good and evil, where nothing is considered off-limits. But behavior that was once reserved for Washington and the statehouse have landed on local politics with a thud.
Fights over curriculum, race, gender, vaccines and masks have turned local politics — and school boards in particular — into a war zone. While this has been on my radar for a while, a special report by Reuters brings it all into disturbing focus.
As a youngster, I knew people who were on the school board. Certainly, the job could be contentious, but violence and death threats were never on the table.
Unfortunately, it is a strategy that works. Target an opponent on the board, threaten them, their livelihood, their property and their families — often anonymously, of course — and they are likely to step down. At the same time, you discourage others who might feel called to serve. Then, you replace them with one of your like-minded cronies.
These days I couldn’t get elected to dog catcher. There are too many “skeletons” in my closet, nor do I have the backing of a political party. But if you are working your way up the political ladder, the school board is a stepping stone.
I may never have had an interest in serving on a school board, but I resent that this climate makes me want to say, “(blank) you and your (blankety-blank) kids.” Just because adults resort to this kind of disgusting, cowardly behavior, it doesn’t mean their kids are in need of — or beyond — saving.
Because there is a greater danger here. Writing off a generation of kids means we will feel the repercussions for years to come: In lack of educational opportunity, the rewarding of bad behavior, damage to our political system and way of life, and likely, in ways we can’t even imagine.
The Six
No. 1
Baffled by the Chaos in Canada? So Are Canadians. The Canadian stereotype is moderate, rule-following and just plain nice. But, The New York Times asks, was that really a myth all along? Is Canada is witnessing the birth of a political alt-right, or “a mirror to an integral part of the country that doesn’t fit the stereotype, and so is ignored?”
No. 2
A federal judge said he would reject Sarah Palin’s allegations that she was defamed by the New York Times, ruling that the claims presented at trial were insufficient to prove her case. No real surprise, this was designed for appeal all along.
No. 3
“Has Russia just blinked?” Russia offers an olive branch, but still wields the sword from The Economist.
No. 4
A must read opinion (IMHO) on why Ukraine matters from the Wall Street Journal’s Gerard Baker: War Is Interested in You, Even if You’re an Isolationist Conservative.
No. 5
For those who enjoy inside baseball, NPR goes in-depth on the strategies behind the latest round of Trump vs. McConnell.
No. 6
On the heels of his deportation from Australia, Novak Djokovic says while he is not anti-vax, he would rather skip events and sacrifice trophies than be forced to get a Covid vaccine, BBC News reports.
Quote of the Day
“It is too bad that your mother is an ugly communist whore. “If she doesn’t quit or resign before the end of the year, we will kill her, but first, we will kill you!” — A hand-scrawled note sent to the home of Brenda Sheridan, a Loudoun County, Virginia school board member just after Christmas and read by her family.
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About
Christopher Six is a passionate advocate of community journalism with more than 30 years in the media, corporate communications and marketing. An award-winning designer, columnist, illustrator, photographer and newsroom leader, he is a respected voice in journalism ethics. A veteran reporter, he has created and taught news writing seminars for community colleges and the Pennsylvania Newspaper Association.
Editor’s Note
Pick Six is published most Mondays-Fridays. Sharing of stories does not equal endorsement, however, personal thoughts and commentary on those stories are 100 percent my own.