Pushed to Act

by: JayMonster

Tue Jan 16, 2007 at 09:12:01 AM EST

From 18 I was always proud to vote.  In my 20's I started donating some to worthwhile causes, and continued to vote.  My 30's saw me actually get more involved in understanding the issues at hand, reading and being informed, and at times sharing that knowledge with others where possible.

Along comes George W. Bush, and I find myself now starting to fight for Democracy and our way of life.  Donating to PACs and time to candidates that support Progressive values, I no longer sit back and just wait for the next election to come around.  I learn we can't wait that long.

But through all of this, I have for the most part stayed on the sidelines.  Being a supporter of the cause of saving our world from the wingnuts and neocons.  That is until, David Paszkiewicz, opened his mouth.

The the Kearny Observer saw fit to break its own OpEd (size of article) rules and publish a piece by Mr. Paszkiewicz.  What was at first interesting to me was not what was in the letter, but what was not.  He did not claim he was "entrapped" by a student, as many of his defenders suggested.  He did not deny lying to the administration about what he had said until presented with the recordings of his class.  He did not apologize for violating the guidelines set forth by the  Secretary of Education.  No, rather than show any reason why he should continue to be a teacher in the Kearny school system, he exhibited righteous indignation towards anyone that did not fully subscribe to his way of thinking.  He did so in a manner that would be embarrassing to any history teacher... and he IS a history teacher.

Well, that was finally enough for me.  It has become clear that the Administration of the school system will do nothing.  The job of the Board of Education is oversight, to ensure that the school system is working as it should be.  It has become clear that it is not.  Since the members of the board continue to opt to do nothing, then obviously the membership needs to be changed.

This time however, I am not going to support.  It has become my own call to action.  We cannot allow an open sore like Paszkiewicz to fester, and if nobody is going to do something about it, I will.  So now starts my first endeavor into public service as I will now run for the Board of Education in Kearny.  The saying goes that if you want something done right then you need to do it yourself.  It is time I got in the game.