I would like to commend the five students who had the courage to petition to raise a Black Lives Matter flag outside the high school, and the two school board members who voted in favor.
I was born and raised in Vermont and lived there for 40 years, and I can’t believe that the sentiments expressed in the front-page article on Wednesday, Oct. 7, are being expressed by Vermonters. Public display of Confederate flags in Vermont, or anywhere in the U.S., is shocking to me. Would the community be as permissive of the display of Nazi flags? Remember that many Vermonters fought and died in order to abolish slavery!
It does not follow that forbidding Confederate flags, hate speech and symbols and bullying, but not BLM flags, would lead to charges of discrimination. The former is not discrimination, but protects the welfare and education of all the school children in your care, while forbidding display of a BLM flag does in fact discriminate against minority students. I challenge the parents, citizens and school board members of Springfield to be “anti-racist” and educate your children in anti-racism and speak up for the good of your town, and not merely “not racist” while saying nothing or passing feel-good resolutions that accomplish nothing.
Carolyn E. Jerard
Acworth, NH
As your daily newspaper, we are committed to providing you with important local news coverage for Sullivan County and the surrounding areas.