Lawrence Hebron
for Redlands Unified School District Trustee, Area 3

Endorsing Social and Political Agendas.

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My dad was a B-24 pilot during World War II.  He was based in England and dropped bombs on Nazis.  He was shot up several times and finally shot down on his seventeenth mission—the most deadly mission of the Eighth Air Force.  He hoped to fly his crippled bomber back to England or, at least, to the English Channel to avoid landing in Nazi-occupied territory; but his plane suffered additional damage due to fighter attacks and anti-aircraft artillery on the way back to base.  Facing the reality that his plane would never get back to England or the channel, he headed south and hoped to make it to Switzerland, where he and his crew could expect better treatment than by the Nazis.  He successfully crash-landed in a mountain valley.  Every member of his crew survived and walked off the plane.  They weren’t sure, however, if they had made it to Switzerland or were still in Germany.  It wasn’t long before uniformed soldiers chased them down.  They were Swiss.  And how was this American crew received by the Swiss?  Were they welcomed as heroes fighting for liberty against the Nazi oppressors?  Nope.  They were arrested and placed in a prisoner of war camp.  The Swiss were neutral in the war and treated the downed aviators from all combatant nations the same way.  It was necessary to preserve their neutrality and avoid the horrors of the war being experienced by nations all around them.

 

Today, many schools and other government agencies are being pressured to show their support for particular groups by flying their flags or naming a month to honor them.  I oppose this in all cases.  No matter how worthy a particular group may be in the eyes of some, there, undoubtedly, will be others who oppose this.  Honoring one group creates pressure to honor others, who may have opposing views.  To be fair, if we appoint a “Gay Pride Month”, we must reciprocate with a “Straight Pride Month.”  If we recognize the “Pro-Choice” advocates, we also must recognize the  “Pro-Life” supporters.  If we fly a BLM, Antifa, or Trans flag, shouldn’t we also hoist a MAGA banner?

 

This kind of policy encourages division and distraction—neither of which is good for our kid’s education.  Recent events have demonstrated that these practices don’t promote diversity.  They encourage division by fostering an “us versus them” perspective.  And all of it distracts our students away from their study of fundamental academic subjects.

 

I think we should learn an important lesson from the Swiss in World War II: Stay neutral and stay away from the horrors of the war.  For this reason, I oppose the dedication of any days, weeks, or months to any group except those already recognized by national holidays; and I would oppose the flying of any flags other than the traditional American and Californian flags.