Shocked and saddened by Daily Chronicle editorial

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To the editor:

I was shocked and saddened to read the editorial, “Beating a Dead Horse,” which appeared in the Daily Chronicle Thursday, May 14.

The editorial was full of misinformation and assumptions, and recklessly poured gasoline on the smoldering embers of an issue that had been put to rest by the Hiawatha board of education.

The editorial claimed that “voters said no to a new school, which appeared to pave the way toward either consolidation or deactivation.” This is a complete fabrication based on speculation, refuted by an article in your own publication, printed Sept. 25, 2008: “After more than two hours of discussion, those who attended were asked to vote. Each person was given three stickers so they could vote for more than one option, but many affixed all three to their preferred choice. The new school option received far more votes than deactivation, while only a small handful voted to dissolve.”

If the “editorial board” in question had been truly following the issue, they would know that the push for consolidation has been an effort by a very small group in Kirkland which was implemented far too late in the process to be effective. Yes, the community did speak loud and clear in the April elections: They voted not to raise their taxes; they did not vote to abandon their school.

I hope that in the future, the editorial board at the Daily Chronicle will be more prudent when expressing its opinions. When it flippantly dismisses the school board that our citizens elected, along with the decision they made, it is also effectively driving a wedge in a community already stressed by high taxes and poor economic conditions, and for what gain?

I can only imagine it to be self-serving on the board’s part. Shame on it. Freedom of speech is a privilege that should be used wisely and with thoughtful contemplation of the many lives, in this case the lives of our children, that careless words can affect.
 
Mary Jo Downen
Kirkland