Non-Partisan?

I've never written a letter to the editor before, so please bear with me. I recently received in the mail both the Secretary of States voter pamphlet and my ballot. Then I received something unexpected in the mail that I'd never seen before. It was a brochure put out by the "Democrats of North Central Washington" that endorsed certain candidates who were running for the school boards in the Leavenworth and Wenatchee area.

I always thought school board members were non-partisan. Aren't schools, and their boards there to educate are children so they are equipped for college and employment in an increasingly complex and competitive society?

I was perplexed. To try and understand I called the telephone number listed in the brochure and left a message. A couple days later I received a return call in response to my query as to why the Democratic party is interested in a bland, non-partisan election. The speaker said the party was endorsing candidates who shared "their values". For a political party, "values" are synonymous with platform and positions. What values? Climate Change? Critical Race Theory? Affirmative Action? Defund the police? Social Justice? All or some of the above?

In order to really understand why someone does something a certain degree of empathy is necessary. That's empathy as in extrapolation i.e. putting yourself in another's shoes

In this case, despite a large influx of out-of-county residents moving in, the elected leaders of North central Washington are still nearly all Republicans. That must be very frustrating for the Democrats. However, the voting age is 18. By promoting their political agenda and positions in school they could align the party's message with school lessons. Viola, new Democrat voters, perhaps enough to elect some Democrat legislators, county commissioners and so on.

I have to admit this is clever. Some people really gave and are giving time, thought and money to this effort--and it is a tried and true tactic.

Mao (Red Guard), Stalin (Young Pioneers) and Hitler Youth are smiling in their graves; get 'em while they are young and impressionable, that's the secret to power. Why, with a little luck in a few years, NCW will become a little Seattle, complete with rampant crime, unaffordable housing, unbearable traffic and homelessness. Whoever thought an off year, non-partisan school board election could be so boring?

Mike Stanfield

Leavenworth