Posted by:
summer
(
)
Date: June 25, 2023 05:23PM
Ozpoof, nice to see you. I'm a public school teacher in a deep Blue state, and a former 30 year member of the Republican party, which is something of an oxymoron, wouldn't you agree? I was always very middle of the road politically, and normally split my vote. I would say for many years, this board probably had no idea about my political views, or perhaps guessed in the wrong direction. But that changed when as a woman, I lost my reproductive rights, and even more so, with the attack on the U.S. Capitol building with the encouragement of the sitting president. The lives of our legislators, along with the sitting vice president, were threatened that day because the far right did not accept the presidential vote that had been recounted and validated numerous times. And a lot of what is happening on the far right is driven by religious extremists. I was "just down the road" from the attack on the Capitol, in Maryland, and I remember being terrified that day for the National Guard troops from my state that were sent in.
Along with you, I would love a return to the old days in which the Republican party was possessed of common sense, and I could listen to their candidates and consider their views.
The organized attack by the far right on the public schools is also atrocious. It doesn't matter how much I explain that we teach pretty much what we've always taught, just with better technology. As a public school teacher, I have become public enemy number one. And as someone who has worked long hours, and great dedication in my career field, for some of our most poverty stricken students, I deeply resent that.
In the public school system, we have always accommodated all sorts of students, including gays. I watched with appreciation over the years to see gay students be accepted as friends by the younger generation. I worked with gay parents, and even wrote a letter of support to the court to help one set of (exemplary) gay parents adopt their foster child. Yet now, that is apparently offensive to the religious extremists.
So yes, I am going to speak out when people's rights, including my own, are under attack by the religious right. Lottie is right that religion and politics have unfortunately become deeply intertwined. I wish that were not the case.
Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 06/25/2023 05:26PM by summer.