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lin•'s avatar

To understand what happens when a state transitions from respecting civil rights to instituting religious bigotry, please read about Jessca Norton and her daughter Elizabeth. In Florida. Elizabeth transitioned at 8 years and the elementary school allowed her parents to change her gender marker. By high school she had been chosen prom princess, and twice voted in as class president. Although appearing frail, the volley ball coach welcomed 'the energy she brought to the team' and her teammates considered her 'a favorite'. Her mother volunteered so much at the school that she left a higher paying job to work there. Until armed police showed up. A Republican school board member was enforcing Gov. Ron DeSantis' anti trans law. Although having the support of the school, students, parents, and teammates - this family's life has been derailed. Elizabeth and her family are the primary victim, but her school and community have also suffered. What lessons are Republicans teaching? And for what? Piety influencer Leonard Leo using Koch et al funds to destroy the foundations of our democracy - equality before the law, equal representation, and separation of church and state. For what - so that under a Christian Nationalist regime plutocrats will be exempt from taxes and their industries will be exempt from regulation. At what cost?

"Her trans daughter made the volleyball team. Then an armed officer showed up."

https://wapo.st/3NlYlDd

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Martha Higgins's avatar

A large part of the blame for people not knowing their representative is the way the districts are divided - Tremont/Southwest Harbor and Deer Isle/Stonington being n the same district being a case in point.. Although the towns are right across the water from one another there is little that they share and the distance from, for instance, Deer Isle/Stonington and Tremont/Southwest Harbor is between one and two hours depending on seasonal traffic. This doesn't lead to representatives making themselves known to the citizenry from the opposite side of the watery divide. It would be better, IMO, to have towns in a district contiguous to one another which would eliminate much of this issue.

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Donna Karlson's avatar

If a bus driver requests police presence, the request should be implemented. The police are the professionals who make the decision how to handle the situation, not the educational administration miles away. How can a bus driver safely transport all the students with a physical assaults emerging? At what breaking point will a bus drivers request for help be followed? There is a shortage of drivers. They need our support, especially when they are looking out for our kids safety.

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Marcus's avatar

This kind of incident and the way it was handled is a big reason bus driver are hard to find.

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lin•'s avatar

Mountain States Legal Foundation which bought anti trans ads related to the viral video.

(Safe bet that you can follow the money to Leonard Leo affiliated entities. Same with the Maine Wire.)

"MSLF was incorporated in Denver, Colorado, in 1976 with funding from the National Legal Center for the Public Interest and Joseph Coors.[9] MSLF's first president was James G. Watt. MSLF filed amicus briefs opposing an affirmative action program at the University of Colorado Law School, opposing business inspections, and opposing Idaho's ratification of the Equal Rights Amendment.[9]"

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mountain_States_Legal_Foundation

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/AEI_Legal_Center_for_the_Public_Interest

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Mdi Life's avatar

When the school won’t do anything to stop bullying the bullied are pushed to the brink and then they become the villains by the bullies.

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