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As I head to the UKs AI Safety Summit Fringe reading the Governments AI discussion paper, some diverse forces have been shaping my own reflections on AI safety: the Gaza-Israel crisis, humanitarian law and principles, and science fiction film, The Creator.

Recently, many of us working across humanitarian aid agencies have been responding to events in the Middle East. As a community, we are calling loudly for parties to de-escalate violence, allow unfettered humanitarian access, and protect civilians.

Ill leave others to write about Israel and Gaza, but the political, legal and emotional complexity of this protracted crisis also lends insight into some of AIs thorniest issues and the human dynamics at their centre.

If we think of AI as the architecture of a new societal order that could perpetuate harmful power structures unless they are actively designed out of the plans, then it feels logical to infer lessons from human contexts where decision-making, bias, neutrality, reliable information, and humanity itself are stress-tested.

Whose safety?

Safety in its simplest definition, means protection from harm. Laws can contribute to safe environments by setting boundaries ranging from national legislation protecting the right to life to international laws of war. Laws exist to keep people safe, they set norms and expectations, but the simple existence of a law does not guarantee it wont be violated.

More fundamentally, safety requires changing behaviour. Safety needs people to share a mindset, values and beliefs to act, or not act, in a way that harms others. Actively practising humanity, compassion, and addressing structural inequality is as critical to individuals safety as is the rule of law.

This applies to AI safety measures just as it does to peace agreements: for either to be meaningful, the process to get there has to be inclusive. If its only elites at the table, if different groups arent invited to share perspectives and shape decisions, they can soon collapse. The benefits and harms AI can confer or perpetuate diverge significantly according to the individual just as someones experience of a humanitarian catastrophe differs depending on their gender, age, ability and so on.

This is why we must build meaningful bridges between staff in frontier AI companies and Global South civil society, as I argue in How to Do Good and Avoid Doing Harm: 7 Actions for Big Tech, Governments and Civil Society. Otherwise, how can AI architects understand the lived experiences of people very different to themselves, and know what safety means to them?

Can humanity be programmed into machines? (Film spoiler alert)

At the end of a day working on Gaza-Israel, I went to see The Creator for what was intended as two distracting hours of light relief. In it, humans go to destructive war with artificial intelligence. (In retrospect, yes, it would have been wise to read the synopsis in advance).

The film opens with the bad guys artificial intelligence having blown up New York City and occupying New Asia. There, AI civilians are embodied in humanlike simulant form living alongside New Asian humans, while AI soldiers resemble a post-pubescent WALL-E.

Meanwhile, the West is fighting for humankinds freedom led by the good guys in the U.S. army.

So far, so similar to every human vs AI terminator movie.

But all is not as it seems, and this is where the film gets interesting. As our assumptions and biases are tested, the narrative raises questions about god-like AI, compassion, the fog of war, and what it means to be human.

For me, the film explores a key question: if it is our humanity that makes us human (which supposedly differentiates us and makes us superior to intelligent machines), then what does it mean when we lose our humanity?

Filmed in South East Asia, The Creator recalls films like Apocalypse Now and the barbarity of the Vietnam war. In one coastal scene, humans attack from the air with overwhelming force. We watch as the U.S. Army locks a missile target onto an individual AI robot on the ground. It runs, but cant escape the lethal blue circle tracking it. It appears scared and runs for cover where a terrified human family are already sheltering.

As they scream in fear realising they will be caught by the blast, the AI stops, reverses with reassuring raised hands, then sprints back towards open ground and immediate death. Recalling Isaac Asimovs Third Law of Robotics, the AIs instinct (or, adapted learning) is to prioritise the humans survival over its own.

Some techno-optimists argue that an AI-led world would be more compassionate than our human-ruled one. Its a polarising debate like that over existential risk and whether doomer arguments distract from existing and near-term harms.

In a weak moment, having never seriously engaged with the concept that an AI-led world could be more compassionate than our own, current world events caused me to run the thought experiment. Could an AI system be programmed to be more compassionate than a human? What is the nature of compassion?

Programming values into machines

As I consider this, I become trapped in an infinite loop. Why? Because its humans who build AI on foundations of human-selected data. Humans are exceptionally complicated and the decisions we make are based on deeply embedded beliefs, world-views and power dynamics. And selected data on which AI is trained can reflect, over-index, or miss that.

As AI systems are woven ever more into the global social fabric, becoming increasingly deferred to for signifiant decisions over citizens lives, will it ever be possible to solve this Escherian puzzle?

As we know both from the culture wars and violent conflict, people regularly fight over which truths and human rights are right. This even influences interpretations of globally agreed rules like the laws of war.

In other TMR articles, Ive discussed the seductive certainty provided by an algorithmic recommendation. And I dont mean the times Spotify suggests Old MacDonald over Miles Davis because a small child has borrowed your phone.

Im talking about harmful decisions being made in an earthquake response in poor areas where fewer people, especially women, have a mobile phone leading to inaccurate (biased) geospatial data. Or someone from the wrong part of a city being denied parole because biased data flags their characteristics as indicators of reoffending risk.

The Chief Commercial Officer of a frontier AI company recently told me, The thing is, you can programme bias out of an AI system. You cant do that with humans.

But as the creators of AI, its still humans deciding (or noticing) what constitutes bias, what that looks like in data and AI, and what is the right way to correct for and mitigate it. Programming bias AI out of AI system includes decisions on which data to include or exclude, how data is labelled, inclusive approaches to generating questions and gathering data (to know what data even exists), and, the small task of tackling the root causes and symptoms of inequality and marginalisation across society.

In short: who will programme the bias out of the human tasked with programming the bias out of the AI system?

The quality of humanity

Plotting a course towards safe AI means first navigating the messiness of humans, of competing human rights, and structural inequalities. AI safety will remain rhetorical unless there is inclusive analysis and informed protection across genders, age, ethnicities, financial status, geography and more.

Of the four principles that traditionally guide humanitarian aid work humanity, independence, impartiality and neutrality humanity is the one which raises fewest debates. As the UK welcomes the leaders of nations and AI companies to iconic Bletchley Park, not every attendee will share the same interpretation of safety.

But as a starting principle, maybe they can coalesce around one: humanity.

Hit Follow above to be alerted to new articles from The Machine Race blog. Share your comments, corrections and suggestions here, on LinkedIn, or on Twitter @TheMachineRace. Listen to Suzy Madigan talking about AI and society on the Standard Issue podcast and see the About page for authors biography. Thanks for reading.

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AI Safety: Can we programme humanity? | by The Machine Race by ... - Medium

Editors Note: In Part III of this series, Jon Witt considers the implications of his research into the relationship of the rise of the religious Nones and the Religious Right.

Part Three

Conservative Backlash

The research presented in Part I and Part II supports the hypothesis we started with: Nones are opting out while religious groups are doubling down. In doing so, each makes the other more likely. Or, as Burge puts it, as secularism in the United States has increased, theres been a deepening of religious intensity among those who still go to church.

As mentioned in Part II, sociologist Ruth Braunstein discussed Counter Backlash as a probable outcome of the rise of the Nones. In doing so, she points to previous research that found that subcultural identity has long been strengthened through perceptions of persecution and embattlement with the broader society (p. 311). She highlights two primary manifestations of the Counter Backlash. The first is Digging In and the second is Joining In. She defines Digging In as the purification and further radicalization of the radical group (p. 311). Here, activism in pursuit of core ideals increases, facilitated in part by the loss of those who might provide brakes to more extreme beliefs and practices. The lukewarm either depart or dive in and whats left is a religious community of true believers that feels stronger and more affirming, even if smaller.

Groups facilitate Digging In through the twin processes of boundary maintenance and gatekeeping. Boundary maintenance entails a clear articulation of organizational identity, including a more explicit delineation of the values, beliefs, and practices that are unique to those who are part of the group as distinct from those who are not. Gatekeeping involves the power to define whos in and whos out, who counts and who does not. The American Medical Society provides a classic example. Early on, members carved out social space as the sole legitimate arbiter for who should count as a medical doctor, and they were ridiculously successful in monopolizing that space. In terms of U.S. religious trends, our related questions are these: What does it mean to be a Real Christian? Who gets to decide?

In my childhood, being a Real Christian meant accepting Jesus Christ as your personal Lord and savior (being born again) and then living life accordingly (going to church, praying, reading the Bible, sharing the Gospel so that family, friends, and neighbors dont go to hell, along with a whole host of Nos: no drinking, no smoking, no swearing, no tattoos, no premarital or extramarital sex, etc.). There was little to no talk about sexual orientation or political affiliation. While the inversion isnt complete (and its easy to explain away the elevation of sexuality as a consequence of broader cultural shifts), I cannot help but say, My how the tables have turned. The pursuit of political power for the sake of cultural domination seemed foreign back then. If the world was to be saved, it was through personal faith in Jesus Christ one believer at a time, not through the ballot box.

The second manifestation of Counter Backlash is Joining In, which is the infusion of participation and support from sympathetic radicals in adjacent fields (Braunstein 2022: 311). It turns out that the pursuit of political power in service of ideological purity can produce strange bedfellows. Im so old I can remember a time when an alliance between Evangelicals and some of their current religious and political fellow travelers seemed impossible.

We have apparently entered a time when, for some, adherence to political identity trumps commitment to core Evangelical beliefs and practices when it comes to identifying as an Evangelical. For me, Joining In helps to explain the seemingly awkward alliance between Evangelicals and Donald Trump. Its not exactly that this started as the enemy of my enemy is my friend, but given Trumps past lifestyle and language, it feels like its in the neighborhood. And then, over time, differences decline to the point of insignificance while commonalities unify in pursuit of shared goals.

The Social Self and the Power of Groups

One of the obstacles to understanding these processes is an incomplete appreciation of identity. So often we treat the self as if it is an isolated, atomistic entity that exists independent of any external impacts. Sociologically, however, there is no meaningful sense of self that can be understood in isolation. We are social beings who exist in communities that help us define who we are, what we believe, and how we should act. If thats true, then we need to take group memberships seriously when understanding why individuals think and act as they do.

I have found the work of social psychologist Henri Tajfel helpful when it comes to the role groups play in shaping individuals, especially as it relates to oppositional stances. Tajfel conducted experiments to better understand the impact group membership has on individual identity. He randomly assigned people into groups and found that membership alone led people to identify with each other, privilege each other, and seek to deny benefits to outsiders. As part of his Social Identity Theory, he described each of these outcomes as follows:

Together these three steps produce both a stronger sense of collective identity (Who are we?) and an elevated sense of individual identity (Who am I?).

In other words, a natural tendency exists for groups to tend toward internal homogeneity and external opposition. What was remarkable about Tajfels results was its seeming inevitability. This wasnt something that might happen; its something that happened over and over again and did so without regard for history, ideology, or any particular group commitments. It wasnt shared truths that bound the group together that mattered; it was the groupishness itself.

If we were to add values, ethnicity, history, etc., to the mix, it feels obvious that the tendencies toward exclusion and opposition would increase, especially when the group is unified by its exclusive understanding of Fundamental Truth. Of course, such value commitments break both ways depending on which side of the political aisle you are on. Saying you are heading to Chick-fil-A for lunch will be received very differently, though perhaps no less strongly, on one side versus the other. Liberals are more inclined toward pluralism and inclusion, but that creates its own challenges when it comes to a shared set of core values and practices that serve as a strong foundation for collective and individual identity. Conservatives recognize the importance of a singular commitment to shared beliefs and practices, but in doing so erect high walls that limit entry to those who think and act alike. Each criticizes the other for their exclusive and judgmental ways.

Of course, its ever been thus. People have been gathering together into groups for as long as there have been humans (and your answer to that length of time might not be irrelevant in this context). Whats different now? To be honest, Im not sure. But it feels like the overt marriage of religious truth with political power has been a powder keg throughout human history.

Where does that leave us? Sociologist Emile Durkheim, one of sociologys founders, argued that humans are fundamentally social creatures. We need each other. In pre-modern times, limited division of labor meant we shared more experiences with each other which served as the foundation for social solidarity. However, in modern society, according to Durkheim, the division of labor segmented human activity into distinctly separate spheres. As result, we no longer do as much together. As a result, we need each other more, but we realize it less. In coming to terms with the decline of solidarity, Durkheim, over 100 years ago, predicted increases in suicide rates, and today we are observing a suicide crisis in the United States.

Compounding things, it appears that we now participate less in groups that had transcended those boundaries. Political scientist Robert Putnam, in his now classic book, Bowling Alone: The Collapse and Revival of American Community, argues that we have experienced a substantial decline in social capital. We are much less likely to engage in social activities with others (e.g., entertain friends, hang out with neighbors, host card clubs, join bowling leagues, have family dinners). As a result, we lose opportunities to establish network relationships that both build more bridges and produce deeper bonds. Presently, we appear to be in the midst of a Friendship Recession, which weakens community ties, which reduces our number of friends, which weakens community ties, and on and on.

In the United States, church was one of the places where building connections happened (and I say that with all the appropriate caveats about race, class, and gender in mind). It now appears that the place where, for example, socioeconomic mixing is most likely to happen is full-service restaurant chains such as Olive Garden, Applebees, and Chilis. Churches are well down the list (though not nearly as far down as schools).

As culture critic Neil Postman put it in a lecture at Calvin University way back in the early Internet days of 1998, historically, community meant figuring out ways to get along with people who werent like you. According to Postman, The word community has traditionally referred to those who have different and even opposing interests but who find common ground for the sake of political or social harmony. Internet communities are strangers to this conception. They begin in harmony and make no demands on ones capacity for negotiation and tolerance, which is the essence of how communities are formed and sustained (C-Span link). While this does seem like an overly idealized conception of community, it raises some interesting questions about what happens at a time when we are more likely to engage through social media with people around the world who share our perspectives than we are to know about and care for our physical neighbors.

Perhaps, in pursuit of relief from anxiety, isolation, and loneliness, people seek to fill their innate need for social connection by finding comfort in isolated, homogenous social groups, many of which are virtual and facilitated by social media.

To Will and To Do

Finding ways to engage in community with others who are not our functional clones looks like an uphill fight. We are not inclined to reach out and do things together in ways that allow us to share experiences and build relationships across these divides. If Tajfel is correct that our inclination is toward homogenization, it will take intentional efforts to cross divides.

Religious communities should be ideally situated to bring together diverse groups of people. In an article titled What Churches Offer That Nones Still Long For, New York Times columnist Jessica Grose points toward community as one of the primary functions religion provides: the one aspect of religion in America that I unquestionably see as an overall positive for society is the ready-made supportive community that churchgoers can access. How might churches do a better job of providing that support? In their conclusion, Hout and Fischer raise the provocative question, If some churches were to diversify their message, appealing to issues beyond sexual politics, perhaps the alienated liberals might think about church again (p. 444). Perhaps.

Ryan Burge, wearing both his political scientist and pastor caps at the same time, suggests a shift in strategy among churches. He writes, Houses of worship would thus be ideal spaces for social contacts to flourish. If churches, synagogues, and mosques were once again full of people from across the economic and political spectrum, it would help build bridges not just in the congregation but in the larger community. True, but it appears that historical forces are working in the opposite direction. One helpful tool he provides is to emphasize the difference between the horizontal (individuals building relationships with each other) and vertical (individuals strengthening their relationship to God) dimensions of religion. Burge suggests that religious groups work to create space for people to get to know each other and create social bonds without any real agenda or time constraint. The theology can (and should) come later. This might take the form of fewer Sunday School classes and more community potlucks and summer lunch programs for kids.

Prioritizing belonging over believing as an intentional outreach strategy and creating some local cultural space for the possibility that not all will express their faith in the same way might be a path forward. Contrasting these two dimensions, Burge writes, The belief facet of religion is often caustic. It drives division and eschews compromise. It says, Im right and why should I tolerate your wrongness?The behavior facet of religion (should) put us in contact with people who are different than us. Economically, politically, educationally, and racially. That builds bridges and cultivates tolerance. When it comes to matters of Fundamental Truths, its hard to imagine congregations not running up against walls that some find insurmountable. But maybe, in the context of community, there might be some space for grace?

A related possible pathway is to practice empathy. Its easy, and more satisfying, to launch grenades at those people on the other side of the aisle. Plus, if Tajfel is right, doing so actually enhances our identity and solidarity. But, if we are to find a path out of what feels a bit like Mutually Assured Destruction, its also important for us to understand how it is others come to believe and act the ways they do. Sociologically speaking, this necessitates taking into account their positions, experiences, and access to material, social, and cultural resources. In the words the literary classic, To Kill a Mockingbird, You never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of viewuntil you climb into his skin and walk around in it.

Source: Tom Gauld

What might this kind of understanding look like? For religious folks, their struggle is not just about politics and power. Its about the consequences of declining faith not just for their nation or their congregation, but perhaps even more importantly for their children and grandchildren. But when the stakes are eternal, its easy to understand that their love for family and community might drive what seems to outsiders like a radical theological or political turn. For those on the more secular side of the divide, they see religious extremists forcing their faith onto others in ways that undercut pluralism and diversity and democracy, values they are equally committed to for the sake of their children, their communities, and the world. Might it be possible to find common ground on things that both sides value, especially as it relates to community?

As it stands now, I dont see much reason for hope. As todays younger Nones grow up and become parents, they will produce more Nones. At the same time, the older, more religious generations of yesteryear will give way to the already less-religious generations of today. And, if current trends continue, religious groups will double-down on exclusionary beliefs that produce stronger, though smaller, communities of faith.

And yet, as the old saying goes, Hope is a choice. What tomorrow, next year, decade, or century might look like, we do not know. The current trends point toward more animosity and broader culture wars. But I am confident that we have the capacity to make choices that produce better outcomes than we see today.

One of my all-time favorite sociology quotes comes from Emile Durkheim, who, in his classic sociological work Suicide, wrote: The individual alone is not a sufficient end for his activity. He is too little (p. 210). We need each other. And the others we need arent only those closest to us who think and act just like we do. We always have. We always will.

Select References

Baker, Joseph O. and Buster G. Smith. 2015. American Secularism: Cultural Contours of Nonreligious Belief Systems. New York: NYU Press.

Braunstein, Ruth. 2021. A Theory of Political Backlash: Assessing the Religious Rights Effects on the Religious Field. Sociology of Religion 83:293-323.

Brockway, Mark, David Campbell, and Geoffrey Layman. 2016. Secular Voters Didnt Turn Out for Clinton the Way White Evangelicals Did for Trump. The Washington Post November 18.

Burge, Ryan. 2021. Think US Evangelicals Are Dying Out? Well, Define Evangelicalism The Conversation January 26.

________. Evangelicalism Isnt Dying, and Catholics Are Going Republican. Religion News March 8.

________. 2022. Nondenominational Churches Are Adding Millions of Members. Where Are They Coming From? Christianity Today August 5.

________. 2023. The Nones: Where They Came From, Who They Are, And Where They Are Going, 2nd ed. Minneapolis: Fortress Press.

________. 2023. Gen Z and Religion in 2022. Religion in Public April 3.

________. 2023. Did the Election of Donald Trump Drive People from the Pews? Religion Unplugged May 5.

________. 2023. The 2022 Data on the Southern Baptist Convention Is Out. Graphs about Religion Substack May 10.

________. 2023. Religion as a Cultural and Political Identity. Graphs about Religion Substack July 17.

________. 2023. Does Religion Cause More Problems Than It Solves? Graphs about Religion Substack July 20.

________. 2023. The Future of American Christianity is Non-Denominational. Graphs about Religion Substack July 24.

________. 2023. Houses of Worship Shouldnt Mirror the Class Divide. The Wall Street Journal August 17.

Campbell, David E., Geoffrey C. Layman, and John C. Green. 2021. Secular Surge: A New Fault Line in American Politics. New York: Cambridge University Press.

Campbell, David E., Geoffrey C. Layman, John C. Green, and Nathanael G. Sumaktoyo. 2018. Putting Politics First: The Impact of Politics on American Religious and Secular Orientations. American Journal of Political Science 62:551-565.

Cox, Daniel. 2023. Americas Friendship Recession Is Weakening Civic Life. American Storylines Substack August 24.

Djupe, Paul A., Jacob R. Neiheisel, and Kimberly H. Conger. 2018. Are the Politics of the Christian Right Linked to State Rates of the Nonreligious?: The Importance of Salient Controversy. Political Research Quarterly 71:910-922.

Djupe, Paul A., Jacob R. Neiheisel, and Anand Edward Sokhey. 2017. How Fights Over Trump Have Led Evangelicals to Leave Their Churches. The Washington Post April 17.

________. 2018. Reconsidering the Role of Politics in Leaving Religion: The Importance of Affiliation. American Journal of Political Science 62:161-175.

Durkheim, Emile. [1897.] 1951. Suicide: A Study in Sociology. Glencoe, IL: The Free Press.

Egan, Patrick J. 2019. Identity as Dependent Variable: How Americans Shift Their Identities to Align with Their Politics. American Journal of Political Science 64:699-716.

Fischer, Claude. 2023. The Southern Baptist Convention Displays the Clash of Politics and Religion. Made in America Blog June 20.

Grose, Jessica. 2023. What Churches Offer That Nones Still Long For. The New York Times June 28.

Hout, Michael and Claude S. Fischer. 2002. Why More Americans Have No Religious Preference: Politics and Generations. American Sociological Review 67:165-190.

________. 2014. Explaining Why More Americans Have No Religious Preference: Political Backlash and Generational Succession, 1987-2012. Sociological Science 1:423-447.

Margolis, Michele F. 2017. How Politics Affects Religion: Partisanship, Socialization, and Religiosity in America. The Journal of Politics 80:30-43.

________. 2022. Reversing the Causal Arrow: Politics Influence on Religious Choices. Advances in Political Psychology 43:261-290.

Perkins, Tom. 2022. Conservative Muslims Join Forces with Christian Right on Michigan Book Bans. The Guardian October 16.

Pluta, Anne. 2016. The Rise of the God Gap. FiveThirtyEight January 31.

Postman, Neil. 1998. Technology and Society. Lecture, The January Series of Calvin College. C-Span video. January 12.

PRRI. 2021. The 2020 Census of American Religion. Public Religion Research InstituteJuly 8.

Putnam, Robert D. 2000. Bowling Alone: The Collapse and Revival of American Community. New York: Simon & Schuster.

Putnam, Robert D. and David E. Campbell. 2010. American Grace: How Religion Divides and Unites Us. New York: Simon & Schuster.

Rampell, Catherine. 2023. Where Do Socioeconomoic Classes Mix? Not Church, but Chilis. The Washington Post August 22.

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Smith, Gregory A. 2021. About Three-in-Ten U.S. Adults are Now Religiously Unaffiliated. Pew Research Center December 14.

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Digging In and Bailing Out: Religion, Politics, and the Rise of the ... - Reformed Journal

Victor M. Verbeke, Richard Detwiler, Gail Ryan, Laurie Reynolds, Susan Hanna

Dear friends and neighbors in the Souderton Area School District:

We would like your consideration, support, and vote for the slate of candidates who, in our view, are best prepared to lead our school district in the coming years. The Souderton Area For Responsible Leadership (SAFRL) Team of Kristina Bertzos, Elise Bowers, Rosemary Buetikofer, Andrew Souchet and Scott Swindells.

We have made the Souderton area our home for many years, raised our families, and our children attended the SASD schools. We have each worked in our own way to make the SASD a better place to live and educate our children.

Having served the district, we believe we can provide insight into what matters most to be an effective school board director.

We have considered the platforms, background, experience, and character/value statements of all candidates on both teams. In a side-by-side comparison, the SAFRL Team provides new ideas, fresh solutions, and not simply open-ended statements to continue the status quo. We urge your vote, by mail or in person, for Souderton Area For Responsible Leadership Team of Bertzos, Bowers, Buetikofer, Souchet and Swindells.

Careful spending matters. Better financial management is needed

In 2023, the Souderton Area School Districts tax increase of 4.1% was the largest single-year tax increase in the last decade. It is imperative that a new set of eyes and experienced professionals are elected to scrutinize the district budget and make sure spending truly benefits our students. The SAFRL Team will institute student-centered budgeting and question any spending that does not benefit a student directly, perform a line-by-line review of proposed budgets, listen to the community at budget time and prioritize the academic needs and safety of our students.

Professional experience matters

The SAFRL Team includes a Teacher, Veteran and PhD business management, financial planner, PhD clinical psychology and retired music instructor.

Our school district has, unfortunately, consistently underperformed peer districts in categories including best places to teach (rank #90) and graduates pursuing college or other vocational programs (78%).

Souderton can and must do better. The SAFRL Team has the professional experience necessary to be effective and start turning Soudertons performance around. The SAFRL Team will engage the community and seek community input for needed change. The SAFRL Team has proposed annual community surveys for taxpayers, parents and staff on how we can improve our district. The team has committed to employing and retaining the highest quality teachers for our children.

New ideas matter: Transparency at school board meetings and better media communication

Service on a school board is a privilege. New ideas and solutions should be front and center for any individual seeking to serve on our board. The SAFRL Team has recognized the need to improve transparency at school board meetings. It proposes that policy making decisions are discussed openly and in full view of the community. The SAFRL Team has proposed live streaming all committee and board meetings and to make better use of our website and social media all to improve communication between the board and the community.

Back-to-basics education matters: The SAFRL Team wil be a firewall against culture wars

The thankless job of service on a school board needs to be focused on education and not the politics of the day. In our own backyard, neighboring school districts are consumed by culture wars. The SAFRL Team will keep extremism out of our schools. While all viewpoints are welcome in our school district, and parents have every right and indeed an obligation to be involved in their childs education, teachers, librarians and school administrators are trained, and their expertise is needed to provide the quality education every child deserves.

With three moms, two dads, this is a team of parents we can trust to make decisions that put students first. They have track records of community service and have been heavily involved in their own childrens education. All five will bring their backgrounds to make sure our children receive a quality and caring education.

Thank you for considering these candidates. We request your vote for the SAFRL Team on Nov. 7. It is time for responsible leadership. For more information, visit SoudertonforResponsibleLeadership.com.

Victor M. Verbeke was a Souderton School Director from 2005 to 2009. Richard Detwiler served on the board from 1999 to 2003. Gail Ryan, was a teacher and administrator from 1989 to 2016. Laurie Reynolds taught in the district from 1994 to 2019. Susan Hanna, taught in the district from 1969 to 2007 and also served as president of the teachers union.

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Vote for the Souderton Area For Responsible Leadership Team - The Bucks County Herald

In what he joked was the worst-kept secret in local Pennsylvania politics since Josh Shapiro announced he was running for governor, former WITF executive Blake Lynch confirmed in an interview with the Capital-Star on Tuesday that hes joining the growing field of Democratic candidates seeking to oppose U.S. Rep. Scott Perry (R-10th District).

Scott Perry is not reflective of the community any longer, hes been fighting culture wars, Lynch said. I spent my career building bridges and establishing trust and grassroots coalitions to move the community forward.

Perry, he added, has been focused on issues that no one sees as progress but everyone sees as holding us back, like holding up former Speaker of the House Kevin McCarthys election in January, restricting abortion rights, and nearly shutting down the government, Lynch said.

Lynch sees several issues hed want to tackle if elected to Congress. People in the district want better schools, were hardworking taxpayers here, and there is no reason why our schools need to go without in so many areas, he said. Everyone wants lower everyday costs because inflation is a real thing right now.

People in central Pennsylvania care about and understand what their members of Congress can do to affect quality of life issues, he added. They understand that bringing more funding back to local municipalities and townships means we can fix the potholes. These are things that are important, and that Perry hasnt been doing.

Lynch grew up in Steelton public housing in a single-parent household, after his father died suddenly when Lynch was 3 years old. He says the Boys & Girls Clubs of Harrisburg helped shape him, and he later returned to become the organizations director of development.

He also served as director of community relations and engagement for the City of Harrisburg, where he was liaison between the citys police department and the community. During the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, Lynch worked with the Central Pennsylvania Food Bank to organize a food drive in Harrisburg.

His most recent role was as senior vice president and chief impact officer of WITF Public Media, where he led strategy and engagement on fundraising, government and community relations, and sales and marketing.

He and his wife Bryttani have two boys and live in Lower Paxton Township in Dauphin County.

Every single one of the jobs Ive held in my career, including my first minimum wage job at Wendys has been located here in central Pennsylvania, in the 10th Congressional district, Lynch said. We live here, our children attend local schools here in the district. So were all in and understand the issues that are going on and what people want, and the struggles theyre going through. I believe I can bring that understanding to this race, and really stand out with regards to my resume and track record of uplifting and serving the community.

The field of Democrats seeking to challenge Perry continues to grow; in addition to Lynch, it includes former WGAL-TV anchor Janelle Stelson; retired Marine Mike OBrien; Harrisburg City Councilor Shamaine Daniels, who is running her second campaign to try to unseat Perry; Carlisle school board member and Army veteran Rick Coplen, and retired Army sergeant Bob Forbes.

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Former WITF executive Blake Lynch launches bid for Congress ... - Pennsylvania Capital-Star

Candidates should be clear about their plans

We need to take the time to select the candidates that have a positive plan to improve our community and schools. This choice is an individual right for all citizens. Our selection should be based on the facts and not the negative ads or opinions heard on TV and social media. The facts are difficult to filter in todays world. I am troubled with the negative comments and out of context advertising. The best qualified candidates share the way they will improve current issues and work together to fulfill this goal. Some of the candidates desire to promote a working relationship with the teachers and parents to open communications and develop therapeutic outcomes as a team for our children. It is my hope for our community that we can come together and select candidates to improve our concerns. Respectful advertising and plans are the results of equality for all.

Doris Farrar

Lower Macungie Township

Apparently my parents didnt care for me as much as todays parents seem to care for their kids. I dont remember my parents going to school board meetings to ban books and argue over bathrooms and curricula. Their goal for me was to grow up to be open, honest, accepting and tolerant of those who were not like me.

Book bans and objections to curricula seem to me the parents way of taking the easy way out. These parents are trying to off-load onto school boards the parents obligations of teaching their kids the values and mores they want them to have. The tough questions at home about lifestyle and race wont need to be answered if kids are never exposed to radical ideas at school.

Those arguing for banning books are, consciously or unconsciously, trying to return America to some idealized version of its past. A past where homosexuality and race were discussed in hushed tones, if discussed at all. That past is long gone. Or is it fear of ridicule if their child develops a nonconventional lifestyle? It seems to me these parents need to step up and stop haranguing school boards to do their job for them.

Bruce Eppensteiner

Wind Gap

I just received a Commonsense Candidates mailing from the Southern Lehigh Grassroots PAC, urging me to vote for the Commonsense Team. While the mailer notes that Commonsense is not a Republican or Democratic concept, its five candidates are those same True Republicans who have been running for the Southern Lehigh School Board.

These candidates are espousing a responsible tax-and-spend policy, but I see from their literature that they are very concerned about which students are using which bathrooms. Hmmm. Not a high priority of mine. They want to cut wasteful spending. I agree. So lets not waste vital dollars on reconfiguring restrooms. They want to invest in our number one resource, our teachers. Yes! A much better idea. Especially since teacher contracts are on the upcoming agenda.

I believe it is time to stop the culture wars by not participating in them. So lets do that. Commonsenses Commitment to the SLSD Community reads more like a political manifesto than an educational plan. Should parents have a voice in their childrens education? Yes. Should they unilaterally dictate school policy? No. I am voting for the true bipartisan slate of Torba, Gehman, Kruse, Kearney and Boyer.

Jill Hirt

Upper Saucon Township

Over the last two years, South Whitehall Township has thrived under the leadership of the current Board of Commissioners! Many changes have been fairly discussed, resident comments sought, considered and implemented in a professional and transparent manner with processes to support the changes. The answer competence.

What does this mean for you?

Whether you participate in township meetings, or just enjoy the great SWT environment, the current Board of Commissioners, along with the highly competent township management and employees are all focused on delivering the best services to you. Our road issues are being addressed in a new and more comprehensive manner, open space, water and roads are priorities, first responders are well recoursed for your safety, tax and fee revenue is spent wisely, and businesses know what to expect from transparent zoning and township ordinances. This is the definition of thriving brought about by outstanding leadership.

When you cast your ballot, vote for the people whose leadership and vision will build on the past successes and deliver an ever-thriving community. Vote for Diane Kelly, Jacob Roth and Chris Peischl for Board of Commissioners for a thriving South Whitehall! The answer competence.

Susan Shortell

South Whitehall Township

I know Mike Faulkner very well and have tremendous respect for his knowledge, integrity, compassion and fairness. All very important attributes for a judge. Mike has been an outstanding public servant. He served over 20 years as a highly decorated Allentown police officer and 12 years as a magisterial district judge for Alburtis and Upper and Lower Macungie townships. Mike is a highly respected judge as evidenced by the endorsement of District Attorney Jim Martin and a number of local police associations along with Pa. State Police Lodge 40. Mike has earned our support! I urge you to get out and reelect Mike on Nov. 7.

Tom Acker

Lower Macungie Township

Not having children on sports teams anymore, Im not especially interested in local sports news, so I only skim it. However, I thoroughly enjoy the sports photos. Shots of football players leaping in the air, soccer teams reaching for a ball, girls volleyball players stretching for the return, basketball dunks, softball slides into base you name it. Your sports photographers always deliver.

Regina Fleissner

Bethlehem Township

ELECTION LETTERS

Letters to the editor about candidates and issues in the Nov. 7 election must be received by 10 a.m. Monday. Election-related letters will not be published after Thursday.

The Morning Call encourages community dialogue on important issues. Submit a letter to the editor atletters@mcall.com.

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Letters to the Editor: Negative comments bad for elections - The Morning Call