So, I’ve spent the better part of a year and a half digging into these polarizing issues facing school boards around the world, and I was ready to put my name on the ballot – well, as ready as anyone can be that has seen the hate that exists whenever anyone questions these narratives.
A couple of weeks before I decided to officially submit my nomination papers, I dropped a tweet to do just that – question how the local issue had been handled. That was the first firestorm launched against me. No matter how much you think you are prepared and ready to go into battle, once that first shot is fired and the character you have built in your community over a lifetime is attacked, you realize the real learning comes through navigating how to deal with the vitriol and bingo card responses that are thrown your way.
I talked about finding Moral Courage through studying Irshad Manji and being part of her Chai Chats and online training, but finally engaging in conversation about these issues is the real test of your patience and openness to opinions that differ from our own.
I wrote a long opening campaign statement talking about my volunteer and political work in the community throughout my adult life, and basically asked why anyone would want to risk all of that to even just simply ask a question and inquire as to whether this division was the right way forward.
To add salt to the wounds, I was grouped in with other candidates and social media voices that had been categorized as far-right, simply because I followed or retweeted some data they shared.
I found myself defending these allegations. Not because they were far-right, but anti-woke wasn’t how I believed we were going to bridge divides.
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