Back on August 25, 1819 News featured an article entitled, “Lifelong Democrat David Silverstein makes last-ditch plea to overcome left-wing past, woo GOP Mtn. Brook voters.” The article featured a well-written letter from David Silverstein’s Facebook page from five couples who are well-respected members of the community arguing that “national politics don’t belong in our local elections.”
There was a time when their argument contained some truth. Thirty years ago, partisan differences were a matter of 20% vs. 30% corporate tax rates, or the amount of social programs the government should have for its citizens. Both sides wanted the same thing: a safe society that allowed everyone willing to work hard the opportunity to flourish. The sides just disagreed about which strategy was best to achieve that goal.
Now the partisan divide is between people who think it’s moral to chop off a little boy’s penis and replace it with a hatchet wound that needs goop placed on it to keep it open so he can pretend to be a girl, versus those who think that isn’t a good idea.
One side believes borders should be wide open and that an unlimited number of foreigners from nations hostile to the West should pour into our nation unchecked, with no assimilation. That side believes those same foreigners should be put on government subsidies, fill our public schools, and burden our medical system.
The other side, however, prefers slow, methodical immigration with a heavy emphasis on assimilation, working to bring in those who are a net benefit to our country.
All these differences shake out at the local level as liberal partisans have intentionally hijacked hyper-local governing bodies. As proof of this, let’s go back to Mountain Brook.
Consider the fact that the Mountain Brook City Council appoints the school board. Mountain Brook experienced significant internal conflict a few years back when the school board brought in the Anti-Defamation League for diversity training. Some citizens got wind of this, saw it as employee and student indoctrination, and the contract was eventually terminated, but not before lots of distrust developed within the community.
School boards are not the only place we find partisanship at the local level. Other instances of it arise in questions of fiscal responsibility, reactions to Black Lives Matter demands (such as changing building names like Mountain Brook’s library), and in zoning and building code decisions.
Not everything has to be partisan, and not everything is. But the hard truth is that the differences in approaches between conservatives and liberals now show up locally, not just on the federal level, as we used to think.
By the way, rumor has it that at least one of the “conservative writers” of the aforementioned letter voted for Kamala Harris. My bet is that two of them did.
I predict that even though Silverstein lost, he will get appointed to the vacant seat … although I can’t imagine appointing someone who just lost! But perhaps I shouldn’t be surprised since several people claim that Mayor Stewart Welch recruited Silverstein to run against incumbent Gerald Garner. If that is true, then I am a betting man on my prediction.
Bryan Dawson is CEO of 1819 News. He is the host of 1819 News: The Podcast.
The views and opinions expressed here are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the policy or position of 1819 News. To comment, please send an email with your name and contact information to [email protected].
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