The Newberg, Oregon School Board has been in the news lately for instituting a district-wide ban on political symbols. Four of the board members have taken umbrage to Black Lives Matter and the rainbow colored flags that suggest support for gay rights.

But they didn’t stop there. A few months later in a surprise agenda item at a school board meeting, the four members moved to fire superintendent Joe Morelock for not doing enough to enforce the bans.

There are a number of pending legal issues having to do with the First Amendment which may have had something to do with the pace of Morelock’s enforcement, but that didn’t slow them down from giving him the heave-ho.

I would argue that such a ban isn’t realistically enforceable. Newberg School District has close to 5,000 students and the dress code police can’t be everywhere at once. Families will act out in subtle ways and likely make the board regret the decision.

This all stems from right wing republicanism of course. The problem is as far as gay rights are concerned, that ship has sailed. There isn’t any going back to the good old days of June Cleaver.

As far as Black Lives Matter goes, republicans just don’t get it.

...but, but, ALL Lives Matter.

Yes, of course they do. But at this moment in history we need to be reminded that Black Lives Matter because too many people of color have been shot at, harassed, pulled over and sent to prison for the crime of roaming around in a white neighborhood. Can we be big enough to support the concerns of our brothers and sisters?

Apparently not in Newberg.