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I am a parent in the Brandywine school district, and I am appalled. 

I have learned that recently elected board members, including Board President Thomas Payne, intend to remove certain books from our schools. Shockingly, when Payne visited my home during his campaign, he admitted to not having read the books he aims to ban.

This situation raises serious concerns. If our board leaders cannot even educate themselves on their platform, how can we expect them to fulfill their mission of guiding the education of our children? If these members cannot be bothered to research what their PAC is telling them to do, then how can we have confidence that they are doing what is best for our children and our school district? If these members allow and encourage intimidation and doxxing by right-wing blogger to harass our educators, how can we, as parents, expect our district to attract quality teachers for our children?

We can’t.

Diversity of thought is crucial for nurturing intelligent, thoughtful children. Banning books undermines this by silencing minority voices and promoting fear and conformity. It stifles critical thinking and limits access to essential knowledge needed for our children to thrive in a diverse world.

Thomas Paine once said, “The mind, once enlightened, cannot again become dark.” Books that enlighten minds, particularly those on diversity and factual history, are indispensable. Efforts to control our children’s intelligence should not be tolerated. They deserve access to knowledge to build a better future.

It is our job as parents to discuss things that make us uncomfortable and give our children context to make their own decisions regarding these topics. If a parent cannot do that, that parent should not be making ignorant decisions that affect my child.

Several of those board members are coming to the end of their first year in office. And, in Michigan, that means they are open to recall. If these members do not immediately demonstrate a capability to actually work for the school district, then I propose that upon the end of that year, signatory sheets be filed with the County Clerk to initiate an expeditious recall of all four members sponsored by We The Parents as they are obviously incapable of doing their jobs as parents or board members.

Our community deserves better, and it’s our duty to ensure our children receive the education they need to grow into enlightened, informed citizens.

Emily Taylor,

Niles