Statement from Grace Leavitt, President of the Maine Education Association
“Educators across the state walked into public school buildings today trying to figure out how to talk to their students about the disgrace at the Capitol yesterday. Lives were lost and lawlessness took over.”
“The Maine Education Association believes violence is never the answer to any problem, and instead will focus on education as the key to our democracy. The scenes in Washington D.C. were difficult for adults to understand, as this is not the way democracy is supposed to function.”
“MEA believes in the power of a peaceful protest, as this is how we can make our voices heard in a free society. What happened yesterday was not peaceful, and the differential treatment of the violent protesters yesterday compared to peaceful protesters over the course of last year highlights the clear point that this nation needs to continue to focus on eliminating institutional racial divides.”
“It is now the job of our teachers to help students process what happened, educate them on how government is supposed to work, teach and foster respectful debate and disagreement, and explain the process of a proper transfer of power. We will move forward with respect and dignity, because that is the American way.”
In Unity,
Grace Leavitt, President Maine Education Association
