Thanks for your April 4 story (oakpark.com) on the antisemitic flyer distributed in Oak Park pre-election by the Democratic Socialists of America West Cook chapter. The flyer targeted District 200 board candidates Nate Mellman and Josh Gertz.
Unfortunately, the article mislabeled as “pro-Palestinian” the social media activity of David Schaafsma, D200 board write-in candidate. The real problem is Schaafsma liked and shared posts exonerating Hamas. [1] Hamas is a terrorist organization. The Palestinians are a people, some of whom support Hamas.
Schaafsma was recruited to keep Mellman and Josh Gertz off the D200 board, due to their antisemitism complaint against OPRF. (Previously, three activists who pushed the Oak Park Village Board for a one-sided Gaza ceasefire resolution tried unsuccessfully to knock them off the ballot. Gertz and Mellman also tried to knock two opponents off the ballot, and were successful in one case.) [2]
By recruiting Schaafsma and campaigning against Gertz and Mellman, community left activists (not just DSA) politicized the D200 board race beyond local matters. Gertz and Mellman themselves ran only on positions about academic performance, fiscal restraint, and school safety. [3]
Arkin, Odell, and Williams-Lee were not elected only on their platforms regarding such concerns. The Gaza war was an issue from the start.
Sadly, DSA West Cook and local left activists also campaigned against library board candidates Brigell, Butman, and Suber — two librarians and a lawyer with relevant experience. With the election of their favored candidates, the new library board will be politicized as well. [4]
Judith Alexander
Oak Park