August 18, 2023
At the Wednesday, August 16 Alfred-Almond School Board meeting, several people who spoke during public comment, voiced their objections against BOE member Jason Burdick. Some called for resignation, others suggested that School Board President Earl Pierce turn Budick in to the state.
FROM ALFRED-ALMOND SCHOOL BOARD MEMBER JASON BURDICK: I’m always happy to have peaceful discussions about things that we disagree about, and to listen to the parents in my school district. Free speech is the backbone of our freedom in this country. In recent years, the concept of healthy debate and the ability to have hard conversations among people with different views has become almost impossible. What are we teaching our children if we, as adults, cannot treat those with whom we disagree with respect and invite them to the table to discuss our differences and work on solutions? I find it interesting that some of the people who spoke at public comment have called me a bigot, and there were a couple people calling for my resignation. It seems to me that those who claim to be tolerant of all people have no qualms about demanding the resignation of someone who has a different viewpoint than theirs, and want to silence me in any way possible. I don’t hate people who are different than me, yet the condescending stares and calls for my resignation certainly felt hateful to me. Folks who follow a more traditional family value system are being asked to tolerate things that many find offensive, and the folks demanding this tolerance seem to be the most intolerant of views different than their own.
Jason Burdick
