Local elections never draw much turnout or interest. My district doesn't even have a competitive town council race two weeks from now, and I don't vote for unopposed people. That leaves only the schools committee, where seven people are running for three openings. Since I don't have kids or any knowledge of the school system I was inclined to sit this one out.
However. I'm old, and I consider voting a civic duty. Democracy only works if we pay attention and participate. So I started reading profiles of the seven.
The first was the Patch's profile of a 35-year-old Afghan war vet named Matthew Lynch. The Patch asks everyone the same questions and lets readers draw their own conclusions. I like that standard format. Well, I drew some definite conclusions about Mr Lynch.
Why are you seeking elective office?
To Make Braintree Wamps Again.
OK, that's a two-tone dog whistle. First, the slogan construction is an obvious homage to trump. The issue is that last year, Braintree HS changed its team name from the Wampanoags, with their (inaccurate) Indian-head mascot, because tribal leaders opined that they don't appreciate being lumped in with animals and mythical figures. So second, he's also assailing political correctness, or cultural sensitivity if you prefer. (As you might expect, the real townies are up in arms about not being Wamps anymore.)
Then he went on to imply that he opposes public health measures.
If you are a challenger, in what way has the current board or officeholder failed the community (or district or constituency)
The state locked our kids out of school, put them in a losing posture with remote learning and caused trauma at levels we don't even know about yet. What did our school board do? Ignored parents, got rid of the mascot, changed the color of graduation gowns and renamed "house master" to "vice principal". What's the old saying "Hard times create strong men, strong men create good times, good times create weak men, and weak men create hard times." Well not hard to see where we are at.
How do you think local officials performed in responding to the coronavirus? What if anything would you have done differently?
Power was quickly centralized to the state and federal level, they had no say in it. I give them all credit for showing up, though.
And he finished with this gem:
What else would you like voters to know about yourself and your positions?
God, Family, and Country
So I mentioned to Wife that even though school committee elections aren't normally on our radar, this guy creeps me out, so we should go vote for three other people (so far I've chosen one; I still need to vet the other five).
Tonight the Patch reported that the
FBI Visited Braintree School Board Hopeful after Capitol Riot. Uh-oh. I'll bet I know which one. Sure enough:
BRAINTREE, MA — A candidate for Braintree school committee and a former teacher at Braintree High School said he has been visited twice by the FBI since participating in the Jan. 6 rally in support of President Donald Trump that turned violent as some attendees stormed the Capitol.
Matthew Lynch resigned from his teaching position in February. He had been a teacher in the district for about 10 years. In an email exchange with Patch, Lynch confirmed he had been questioned by FBI agents investigating the Jan. 6 riot, which left five people dead and injured at least 138 police officers.
Boy, was I right about him. I live in one of the more conservative towns in Mass., where Clinton edged out trump by a couple hundred votes in 2016. Those people will sneak into power if we aren't vigilant. And school committee members have the power to affect what children are taught. Electing a snake like this because he'll Make Braintree Wamps Again is genuinely dangerous.
Pay attention to your local elections, however boring they might seem.