BY TODD CARVER

I write this fully anticipating my political suicide. In today’s political climate, there can be no greater sin than speaking out against a fellow member of one’s own party. I have repeated many times Ronald Reagan’s quote, “Good Republicans don’t eat other Republicans.”

While I have much admiration for President Reagan, another quote comes to mind as I sit down to write this:

“Let not any one pacify his conscience by the delusion that he can do no harm if he takes no part, and forms no opinion. Bad men need nothing more to compass their ends, than that good men should look on and do nothing. He is not a good man who, without a protest, allows wrong to be committed in his name, and with the means which he helps to supply, because he will not trouble himself to use his mind on the subject.”

We should all heed John Stuart Mill’s warning during the upcoming election.

Iredell County voters have several important choices before them in November. I am most concerned about our choices the Iredell-Statesville Schools Board of Education. We have many challenges confronting our new Board of Education. Books, masks and the like are not the choices which will haunt us this fall if we don’t get the choices correct. We are at a fundamental crossroads for the direction of our public schools. I believe in a sound public education for every child. I hope the voters of this county do as well.

We have a choice to make this fall. We can choose divisiveness and inflammatory rhetoric, which will drive us further from the progress we all seek, or we can choose people to represent us who are willing to listen and gather facts.

None of us has all the answers, so being a member of the Board of Education requires a person who will listen and make an informed decision. These decisions should not be based on party talking points, but what is truly best for all concerned. I have tried to make informed decisions as the chairman of the Iredell-Statesville Board of Education.

I believe Billie Spevak (District 5) and Sarah Pittman (District 3) will work hard to inform themselves on issues coming before the Board of Education. Both ladies are problem solvers and consensus builders who will spend their time building relationships rather than tearing the system apart. I ask you to consider and support these two candidates — not based on their political pedigree but because of their willingness to solve problems and work for common-sense solutions.

Todd Carver is the District 7 representative and chairman of the Iredell-Statesville Schools Board of Education.

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