After they wrote letters to the newspapers that were degrading to the young people in our community, I wanted to speak with them to discuss their comments. I hoped to come to an understanding of their comments and work out the personal problems with me.Rather than continuing the public spectacle, I did what I think was respectful and policy compliant. I obtained their publicly available information from the administrative offices. I left courteous messages by e-mail and district voicemail. I stand behind the level of respect in my messages, so I have posted them here.
Diane and John seemed to have a lot to say about my peers and me in the newspapers, so I figured they would have no problem getting in touch with me.
I followed up as my messages were not returned over the past two months. Diane e-mailed me twice, asking me to submit my requests through the board secretary. I complied. (See e-mails to and from Bill Hessling, .PDF file.) Diane, an elected public official and a community leader, also wrote - and I directly quote:
"I neither have the time nor the patience to put up with your antics ..." - Diane French, DV School Board member (Oct. 28, 2008)
She had the time to condemn the young people in the community, but not the time in two months to return a phone call from a member of the community – and electorate – she serves.
Because I had not heard back from them – nor from president Bob Goldsack, whom I contacted for help (See e-mails to Bob Goldsack, .PDF file) – I brought up my problem at yesterday's school board meeting. I asked Diane and John when they intend to return my messages, and I provided each of them a packet containing printouts of the hundreds of unreturned e-mails I have sent to them and the board secretary. Diane told me I had been disrespectful. But by trying to contact Diane and John to discuss their problems civilly, I believe I was acting out of respect to contact them.
John told me I had been harassing. But not once – in a span of two months – did John, Diane or Bob contact me to return my inquiries nor request that I stop contacting them.
John said, his letter, unlike my action, was "respectful." Because, after all, he did write "with all due respect." Never mind the small detail that his letter included a disgusting and disproved rant about how the teenage brain is too undeveloped to make rational decisions.
John's "respectful" letter also ironically criticized my undeveloped brain for its inability to "connect to the residents served by the board." After John failed to return a single one of my 50 or so e-mails and 50 phone calls, this correlation hardly seems to be the case.
While I'm deciding to take back the two minutes of my day that I usually would be calling and e-mailing Diane and John, my request to speak with them still stands. Operators are standing by.
Read the e-mails mentioned in this post (.PDF files)
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