IT'S ALL IN A NAME

There’s a strange thing going on in our area. The local newspaper is reporting on it, and if it gets any nastier the bigger newspapers may think its news fit to print too.

Seems last fall there was a school board election. The term of several members was up and in our little area nothing gets done easily. Charges were made and refuted. Signs on telephone poles were torn down. Accusations abounded. A huge sign that mysteriously appeared in the night hanging at a freeway crossing caused an uproar and was accused of being a safety issue. But then we are familiar with these kinds of shenanigans. Although we have lived in this area for only four years, during this time electioneering has been rife with pettiness and candidates often aren’t even civil to each other.

Now in this latest election, candidates had shown their full names on their paid advertising and on the official ballot. We voters knew the backgrounds of each of the candidates from their own advertising pieces and from newspaper stories. Everyone was aware that one of the candidates was a retired military officer, but none of the candidates used a professional title, an honorific or military rank on their advertising literature or on the ballot.

At election time, voters made their choices and the new board members sat in session. According to the newspaper, the Chairman of the Board in one of the early sessions referred to one of the newly elected members by her name. However, this person stated that she did not want to be called by that name but insisted that she be called “Captain” So and So, as she is a retired Navy Captain. Another one of the members, who has been involved in many set-tos with this board, announced then that he wanted to be called by yet another name other than his given first and last names. The chairman finally said he felt it only proper that he should, from then on, refer to all the members as “Trustee” So and So. This did not set well with the Captain.

There is a gap in the newspaper reporting about how the next meeting was “worded.” However, an article appeared this week stating that the Captain is seriously considering a lawsuit over the matter.

Now here’s my thinking on the matter. Life is too short and education is too important to let “name-calling” like this take up time, space and money. The school district has enough problems without having such an issue hang over their heads and permeate their meetings. Surely the kids’ education is worth more than that. I say, with all due respect to those who have spent years earning their titles and ranks, out with what feels to me as bordering pomposity and in with good will and elbow grease – in the name of the children.