The Aug. 24 front page headline “LASD parents protest mask rule” seems designed to be inflammatory. The real news was: The school board had announced that masks will be required in schools; that was the topic. Why give the eight sign-holding anti-science, anti-maskers the prominent front page coverage? There is an organized “movement” across our country to agitate parents into accosting our local school boards, interrupting meetings and creating chaos.

They object to masks, vaccines and sensitivity programs to teach awareness of racial bigotry (what they call CRT). Even dress codes! Groups such as “No Left Turn in Education” and “Moms for Liberty” are springing up in our area and turning our board meetings into a circus. They interrupt and literally shout out that schools are teaching Marxism and Communism and Socialism (terms which I doubt they could even explain).

This so-called “grassroots” movement has its real roots in the Koch family’s long attempt to eliminate public school education. It started not long after schools were integrated, and Ronald Reagan suddenly started pushing for private/charter schools.

“Parents Defending Education” is the umbrella organization, run by far right wing school privatizers who routinely attack boards, superintendents, principals and teachers who “offend” them. This is fascism in its infancy, and I urgently implore all science-supporting concerned taxpayers to attend their local school board meetings to support the hardworking boards and staff in their work to provide a good education to our children.

Linda Zak

Ross Township