DEAR EDITOR:

When did being an activist become a bad thing? Can we reconnect with our radical roots?

As a proud Salem resident, I’ve long celebrated our community’s history with the Underground Railroad. I’ve taken the Quaker trolley tour multiple times to learn about the courageous people here who broke federal laws to help others reach freedom.

Breaking federal laws? No wonder they were referred to as radical Republicans! They really were agitating to the South, as they were seen as stealing their “property.”

But today’s Republicans are not the radical activists of that era. Instead, they’ve turned “activist” into an insult. When I recently ran for Salem City School Board, Columbiana County Republican Chairman Dave Johnson called me “frankly, a radical Democrat activist,” citing what he described as “disgraceful Facebook posts.” I only wish I knew which ones he meant.

I would welcome an honest conversation about our differences; however, communication is lacking. It is easier to block people or turn off commenting and engage. Why are people afraid to talk about politics? Is it because they would have to admit they are not who they once were and are ashamed?

I saw this firsthand when the Salem Historical Society voted to bar me from renting or presenting in their space after I hosted a Town Hall on LifeWise. The irony isn’t lost on me: The same institution that celebrates abolitionists, who were once kicked out of public meeting spaces, is now the one doing the kicking out.

Sadly, Salem hasn’t progressed much, as evidenced by some of the Confederate flags hung around town, likely hung by their Trump flag. This is hardly the Salem that once fostered radical abolitionists who published newspapers like The Anti-Slavery Bugle.

I wish Salem would rediscover its radical roots, a time when people weren’t afraid to do what was right, even when it was unpopular or illegal. Today, conformity and compliance dominate, creating fertile ground for white Christian nationalism, exemplified by programs like LifeWise, a “cash for Christ” program.

This divisive program is already sowing harm. Many of its supporters are openly anti-LBGTQ and have said and done deeply hurtful things. What kind of example does that set for our youth?

We can and must do better, for everyone!

HEATHER SMITH

Salem