I believe every person is worthy of respect and to be treated with human dignity.

I believe that discussions about diversity that discuss race, when done age appropriately and in a trauma-informed way, can be helpful in creating greater understanding.  I believe most people do not wish to perpetuate such a world and would like all to have equal access and opportunity. In order to do so, it sometimes means looking at practices that while outlawed, may have lasting effects and need to be redressed. For ex., young children being aware of skin color variations may be where their curiosity begins and honoring that alone is fine to start.

I am also moved to speak to issues that relate to those who live and learn in ways that are not typical or linear, because of their seen or unseen disabilities. 

I believe parents have the right to ask questions about their children’s education and the content. I do not support an educational approach where materials that are generally known to be graphic, mature and explicit is made available to children.  Children are a captive audience while in school, they are also heavily influenced by peers. Parents/guardians have the right to decide what values and beliefs they want to share with their children. While schools should not infringe on this right - parents also must not ignore any harm their children may cause by not respecting others. 

I believe children have the right to grow without undue pressure to make life-long and mature plans, especially outside of their family’s knowledge and understanding. The same patience, education, and care we advise of adults who wish to make life-altering choices should be doubly available to less mature and vulnerable children.

I believe children must be allowed to grow and learn. Adding adult lenses to their observations and curiosity (whether it be about race, class, religion, etc. ) means they cannot adjust their thinking as they naturally gain more life experiences and understanding. I support childhood as a journey and not a race.

I believe we need to find ways to respect our diverse views, civil rights, religious rights and parental rights. As “each side” believes they are right, we may not appreciate what we have in common. I focus on navigating these opportunities for learning in my life and self-directed work.