What a day. I received an email from our son’s middle school that was overtly political. When I posted it I blacked out the name of the school because I really don’t want to jam them up, but I also want it to be known what public school resources are being used for. Later in the day I received an email with identical language (that most likely was written by the White House) from my younger son’s school. The subject line said it was a forward from our district’s superintendent. I was unable to locate her email address, so I sent an email to our school board president. I wasn’t nasty, but I let her know I objected to school resources being used to send out political propaganda. I also let her know that we have been happy with our district for the most part. Here was her response:

It is a very sad fact that public education has become a political pawn. School districts function by way of taxpayer, state and federal funds. It is unacceptable that students, particularly our students with special needs, will be hurt the most if Sequestration occurs.

School districts all over the country urge their parents/ tax payers to contact their state and local legislators to express THEIR thoughts on school funding every budget season. We are no different. For the past 3 years we have posted our legislators contact info on our website. In this case, the opportunity to sign a national petition to “Take Action” to avoid Sequestration was offered to our parents via the building e-mail blasts. The choice to act was left to personal choice. The decision to offer our parents a way to express their thoughts was made by Dr. Kendrick and had my full support and that of the board.

I am sorry you and your husband were disturbed by our choice, but I know that we can’t offer the quality education that JD parents demand and our students deserve without active and involved parents. These days, that also does mean politically. JD was among hundreds of thousands of districts across the country to offer their parents a voice about Sequestration. This has nothing do do with political affiliation. It is solely about putting our students first.

My job is to advocate for our students and our taxpayers and I will continue to do so. I am so pleased to hear that you are otherwise happy with our school district.

I had my own response typed up and ready to go but my husband intervened. He agreed with everything I said, but added “Go ahead and send it, even if it costs me business.” That’s what we’ve come to. Or I should say, that’s where we’ve been for years. Just shut up and don’t make waves while you work your freaking ass off to pay the taxes that pay the salaries and benefits of the public sector while the debt we’re leaving our children these people purport to advocate for continues to add up. If this isn’t Orwellian I don’t know what is.

This is just one of those days when I just want to cry, or throw my hands up in the air and give up. I can’t speak my mind because if I do it could hamper our ability to make a living. Even writing this blog post could be a problem. But I refuse to sit here completely mute.

Anyway, this reminded me of an Andrew Klavan video that’s now almost four years old. “Shut up,” it’s called.

Oh, by the way, here’s the response I would have sent our school board president if I wasn’t told to shut up.

Well, the children and taxpayers you say you’re advocating for are collectively $16.6 trillion in debt. By the time my children graduate from high school it will be well over $20 trillion. Families are forced every day to live within our means. It’s time the government does so too, including local governments and school districts. There are many plans on the table to avoid the sequestration, yet the email only contained information from the White House, where the sequestration was concocted. You say the message was not political, but it didn’t say to contact the White House and tell President Obama to make cuts elsewhere, only Congress. The message was quite clear. Had it said contact Congress and the White House, or given more than one side of the issue I would have no objection.

But I do appreciate your response so thank you for that.

I didn’t think it was that confrontational, but I didn’t send it. On to Plan B. I don’t think shutting up will be part of that plan.

One more thing, and I hate to make this sound like a bleg, but independent bloggers like myself are here every day putting our livelihoods on the line to do what we do. We don’t get paychecks for doing this. We make money from advertisers and support from our readers. That’s it. If anything happened to my husband or his business, at the rate this blog is going I would have to quit this and go back to full time work, leaving my children in the hands of the state for up to ten hours a day.

We deliver to you free content every day and don’t ask for much in return, other than your support. It’s not all about hitting our tip jars (which we love) but you can also share our posts on facebook and twitter, or shop through our Amazon accounts. On this blog it’s all over there in the columns on the right, and the share buttons are at the bottom of the posts. Every little bit helps, especially considering that we live in fear of losing our livelihoods by doing what we do.

Update: Linked by The Other McCain, The Camp of the Saints, and Western Journalism – thanks!