Patterns of Abuse Exist for a Reason
An island community stands strong, pushing for transparency and a seat at the problem-solving table, as administrators and school board members dodge responsibility.
This Substack is written by March Twisdale, co-owner of The Vashon Loop and member of the Editorial Team. Opinions are hers.
Saturday, May 13th, 2023
Dear Vashon Loop Readers and Substack Subscribers,
While picking up our May Issue at the wonderful Pacific Publishing Company in Seattle, I had a great conversation (as always) with the staff. The topic of “local news” being the source of both national and international news (because all stories are local to someone) came up, and one of the employees pointed out an interesting fact.
“All news is local, because when the big news agencies pick up a story, they’re just talking about something that local journalists uncovered, researched, chased down and wrote about. Ultimately, all of the real work is done at the community level.”
Today, I share with you one of our Vashon Loop May Issue front page articles, offering an upclose and personal view of a tightly woven community coming together to battle a pervasive problem within modern society. The self-protective priorities of “the institution.”
From the U.S. Military to Monsanto, the Catholic Church to International Pharmaceutical Corporations, globalized media conglomerates to Government Schooling Systems, captured agencies of every color (FDA, WHO, CDC, EPA, etc) to police departments; the first and foremost order of business is the protection and maintentance of the system. The agency. The company. The organization.
The institution. And, not those they serve.
This is a serious problem, because it inhibits honesty and guarantees obfuscation. According to the Coalition for Integrity, transparancy within a system, “allows people to participate in the democratic process and to keep informed of government budgets, spending, and projects. Second, transparency is a powerful weapon against corruption. When government processes are transparent, it is difficult for corruption to thrive. Accountability goes hand in hand with transparency.”
Given the push and pull between society’s need for integrity and honesty, and the “do everything to dodge culpability” ethos of self-protective institutions, what is an individual to do? This is an important question to ask, because when we find ourselves surrounded by people who are all behaving one way (even when it is unethical or illogical) our human nature works against us.
Recently, VashonBePrepared (a local group) sent out a News & Alerts #85. In it, they shared a community support article written by Jinna Risdal, Coordinator at the Community Care Team unit of Vashon’s Medical Reserve Corps. The focus is masking during Covid, but the social and internal pressures she highlights are relevant to most challenges we face, especially when we find ourselves in a minority position.
“In many cases, the peer pressure to conform to specific behaviors based on what other members of a group are doing is enough to motivate someone…despite their best judgment.” She continued, “We are social animals. We like to behave in similar ways in a group,” and “going against the norm can make you feel distressed and anxious, even if no one uses overt peer pressure or intimidation to change your decision…conforming to a clear set of rules or standards is easier for people.” Jinna concluded by saying, “what helps us resist indirect or unspoken peer pressure to conform? Identify others in a group setting…so you don’t feel like you are the only one. Also, look for leaders in a group setting (think teachers, principals, managers)…and feel empowered to follow their example.”
To be clear, I personally disagree with the advice offered at the end. Clearly, following the example of a “teacher or principal” can set you up for big trouble, if that person is behaving badly. But, I wanted to share these quotes because what Jinna says early on about human nature, is quite true. The question is, “can we do anything about it?”
According to Martha Henriques, a writer for the BBC, “most people do what authority figures tell them to – even when they disagree. The reason, it turns out, is hidden in the brain. The good news? It can be changed.”
Which brings us back to the Vashon Island School District and a community grappling with a school district which has failed to remove two teachers from positions of authority and influence over students, despite multiple complaints over years. The result is demonstrable harm to students.
To find answers to an exploding mountain of questions, we need to identify the stakeholders, explore various sources of power, consider the role of lawyers, understand liability, and examine the “learned helplessness” of our modern parent communities. This includes the people elected to serve on School Boards.
The beginning of that journey, for our community, is what our front page article is all about. And for all of our Substack Subscribers living elsewhere in the country, chances are good that your schools & communities suffer from similar problems.
Let our struggle make your life easier. Maybe our journey will light the way for you and yours? Or, if you’ve been down this road and have advice to offer? Please send us an email: editor@vashonloop.com. Together, we can. Thank you.
