To the Editor,
Who should we trust when voting on Tuesday, November 2nd? If you cannot trust your own political party and its leadership, who can you trust to be truthful, well-intentioned, and sincere when it comes to the students, teachers, and staff within the West Chester Area School District?
Last May, I had the unique opportunity to support a Republican school board candidate for re-election at the polls. No matter which side of the proverbial “aisle,” I was met with smiles, hugs and pleasant conversation from old friends and neighbors. We spoke about how our families were doing, how time has passed by so quickly since our time at Hillsdale Elementary and Peirce Middle Schools, and the thought that our kids would soon be joining us to vote in 2022.
The idyllic setting soon came to an end when a woman, posing as a helpful Republican Party volunteer, was handing out sample Republican ballots and telling voters as they entered the polling location that they should vote only for Stacy Whomsley. She continued to mislead voters by telling them that the Republican party was not endorsing Chris McCune even though the sample ballot clearly stated that he was in fact being endorsed by the Republican Party. She told voters that Mr. McCune was not good for the district and that he was supporting the teaching of Critical Race Theory (a false accusation) and that he was “no good”. This went on for hours while the Republican Party committee members stood by in silence. I approached her and told her to stop misleading and lying to voters, but she continued and turned her back to me.
When asked why she was lying to voters, her response was “I don’t believe in your (Mr. McCune’s) politics”. Key committee members again stood by in silence not coming to the woman’s defense which was not only cowardly but a clear indication that they were in fact encouraging this dishonest, fraudulent behavior.
As a voter, I have supported the Republican Party for decades, so I do not say this lightly: do not, under any circumstances, trust the Republican Party poll workers or their leader who hides behind his so- called Christian values. I may be naïve to the Republican “way” of endorsing candidates, Dr. Eck, but I am not naïve to what constitutes Christian values and truth.
So again, I ask, who should we trust? Should we trust neighbors/friends who have little to no experience with the public school system in West Chester? Do we trust members of religious groups who, though contrary to the group’s mission, are discrediting a candidate based on hearsay or partial truths? Do we trust those who have no experience leading a 12,000 student school system, negotiating teacher’s union contracts, a $279 million dollar budget or can productively deal with thousands of parents who are vocal about their child’s education?
Do we trust a candidate who screams and yells insults at a school board meeting or a candidate that “complies” with her local political party to gain their support? How about the local media? Should you trust a news outlet that does not give an accurate account of a particular story or shows favor to one candidate over another?
Here is a thought…trust the local teacher’s union and who they support. Trust the previous beloved Superintendent of the West Chester Area School District and who he is supporting. Trust your neighbors and friends who are not basing their voting choices on hearsay or their annoyance with decisions that have nothing to do with the school district. Trust the candidate who is not choosing politics over integrity.
Above all, trust yourself and your ability to research a school board candidate, their family values and who they associate themselves with personally, professionally and politically.
Karen Horan
East Bradford
Thank you for bravely sharing your experience. I’m sorry you went through this and I hope people pay attention at the polls.