I live in a town of over 200k people. When I moved here, it was 12k residents, and dominated by religious conservatives. When I graduated high school, I vowed to never return. My wife however had other ideas, and as soon as my kids were school age, we were back. The town remains politically dominated by the same conservative religious group, even though they’re less than 20% of the population. Could I go to the school board meetings and raise and issue? Sure, but my son, who would be the recipient of any retribution, requested I not. I even offered to pay for private school for him, but he still wasn’t willing. Once he graduates, maybe I’ll spend my time fighting this fight. My peers from high school who weren’t from this religious group fled. None remain to fight. Even if I win a seat on the board, I’d be just one of 7, and nothing would change.

> When I graduated high school, I vowed to never return. My wife however had other ideas, and as soon as my kids were school age, we were back

Listen brother, if you do something, it is your choice. Nobody can make your choices for you. Not the government. Not a god. Not even your wife.

And the choice to do nothing is still a choice.

> Could I go to the school board meetings and raise and issue? Sure, but my son, who would be the recipient of any retribution, requested I not.

You are the adult: You are making this choice.

Your son is the recipient of the future you are creating whether you like it or not.

And what will happen is son's children (if they have any) will have a slightly worse version of the problem you are facing, because of the choices you are making.

> Even if I win a seat on the board, I’d be just one of 7, and nothing would change.

Nonsense. It always starts with one.

Didn't you know the first black person to sit in the front of the bus was just one person?

I bet if you try you can think of a lot of firsts that led to change.

As for the books being questioned by other parents - I was only aware of it when I searched for the high school name and library on Twitter. First and only hit was for a parent posting a link to some website that alerts parents for books with questionable content in their children’s libraries. Had they read the books? Of course not, but the web site allows you to read all the questionable passages. The tweet was advocating for the school board to remove the books.

> read all the questionable passages

This is what I mean: There aren't "questionable passages"

Giving their voice that credit is not necessary.

> The tweet was advocating for the school board to remove the books

People have been putting personals up in newspapers since there were ever newspapers, but a publication or channel is not a discussion forum, and you aren't required to treat it like that.

I don't think we have a singular society at this point. As in, we've got large majorities on both sides who simply don't see their opposition as a part of their society, but rather as external threats to it.

Society is the conditions of living with other people; you do not get your society and my society because if we can both coexist it is the same society.

There are a lot of unwell people; Some of them it might be a literal genetic mental illness, but a lot of them probably only ever experienced joy after misery, and never saw real kindness.

I think you should treat "those" people as if they were abused and vulnerable humans with broken brains, and how you treat "those" people is how I think you will treat other abused and vulnerable humans with broken brains.