THE POWER OF THE TEXT CHAIN
As a writer, speaker and truth teller - I am just the messenger.
Elizabeth Gilbert, The Author of the instant hit Eat, Love, Pray and Big Magic, wrote:
Recognizing that people's reactions don't belong to you is the only sane way to create if people enjoy what you've created, terrific. If people ignore what you've created, too bad. If people misunderstand what you've created, don't sweat it. And what if people absolutely hate what you've created? What if people attack you with savage vitriol, and insult your intelligence, and malign your motives, and drag your good name through the mud? Just smile sweetly and suggest – as politely as you possibly can – that they go make their own art. Then stubbornly continue making yours."
"You are free, because everyone is too busy fussing over themselves to worry all that much about you. Go be whomever you want to be, then. Do whatever you want to do. Pursue whatever fascinates you and brings you to life. Create whatever you want to create — and let it be stupendously imperfect, because it's exceedingly likely that nobody will even notice. And that's awesome.
I know the second I hit send or post or publish anything, I no longer have control of my message or how it lands on the receiver. That is the tricky thing about the black font on the white screen. The massive email I sent the other day brought up a lot of questions for some of my readers, so I would like to clarify the gray area with a long personal narrative.
I received this question yesterday,
"It sounds like you have decided not to trust Julie anymore, and I question why that is the case. It can't be just that she supports the bond, or is that it?"
The question came from a woman I admire because she is sharp as a tack and doesn't sugarcoat anything. She's a straight shooter who calls things as she sees them.
I also received another question that deserves a public answer: A friend wrote,
"Wasn't Julie Hamill our Save PV Schools candidate? Why don't you talk to her about SOS and find out what she was thinking when she decided to support it?"
To answer these questions, I must first answer, "Who is SavePVSchools?"
We are the conspiracy theorists, anti-vaxers, domestic terrorists, fringe radicals, white supremacists, anti-maskers, people in need of reprogramming, danger to society, science deniers, uninformed lynch mobs, bigots, homophobic, transphobic, bullies, crazy ladies, weirdos, selfish people, grandma killers, stupid, deplorable, Christian Nationalists and Nazi Sympathizing book burners...
Just kidding!
We are none of these things. The names are labels placed upon us by people we once considered friends, family members, school board members, school teachers, left wing radical beasts, President Joe Biden, GSA political activists and the Propaganda Makers backed by billionaires (Mainstream Media)
WHO IS SAVE PV SCHOOLS?
Save PV Schools began as a support group, book club, and Wine club—lots of wine. Each of us shared one thing in common—we all opposed the lockdowns, some of us earlier than others. For me, I protested the lockdown on Day 1 of two weeks to flatten the curve.
After a few months in of the lockdowns, one day, I was walking and talking to God. I prayed for guidance and for some new friends. I kid you not, Danica Keese texted me as I was praying. I didn't know her too well at the time. She wrote, "Hi! I was just thinking of you. Some Moms are getting together for a book club. Would you like to join us?" I texted back, "Is it on Zoom or in-person." She wrote, "In Person!" I texted, "Yes Please! Where and when and what book?"
While some Moms in Palos Verdes were having zoom book clubs and calling it, "The New Normal," and reading, "Fifty Shades of Grey,"
we were getting together like real normal in person and reading books like:
Our friendship was forged in the common belief that the shutdown was not only a threat to our immune systems, our social networks, our friendships but a threat to America and all that we stand for and believe in - FREEDOM.
After meeting for months we decided it was time to host a rally. We threw our first Mask Protest in June of 2021. It was a couple days before the mask mandate was supposed to be lifted for the vaccinated. While tons of people cheered us on from the strand; others asked, "Why are you doing this? LA County is lifting the mask mandate in a couple of days?" To that, we said, "They won't lift the mandates until they get everyone vaccinated."
Then we hosted the next rally on August 11, 2021. We spoke with the Superintendent prior and he assured us it was our right to protest. We did not anticipate what would happen next. We had a fabulous rally. People came from all over Palos Verdes and neighbors from the South Bay showed up. We peacefully marched to the District Castle. At first, they wouldn't let us in the doors. Then, The Superintendent said it was ok to come in. Board Member Rick Phillips (the one below on the right with spare masks dangling from his chin like a bib) refused to approve the Agenda.
Long story - short - Ami Gandhi, Linda Reid, Rick Phillips and all of the staff walked out on us violating their Oath Of Office to Defend and Protect The United States Constitution. Only Board Member, President at the time, Mat Brach and the Superintendent stayed back to consider another view.
The District was live-streaming the meeting to the public. Rick Phillips and Megan Crawford re-entered the meeting via zoom to scold us - saying we were spreading misinformation. Megan Crawford said, "The people not wearing masks are going to get the people wearing masks sick. It's not fair." At that time - the only ones wearing a mask were Brack and Cherniss - and, they were behind plexiglass.
Shortly after, the agents from Big Brother entered via the telescreen someone cut the livestream - when they cut the livestream they violated the Ralph M. Brown Act.
al. Gov’t. Code § 54953(a). The overriding mandate of the Brown Act is relatively simple — all meetings of the board shall be open and noticed to the public, and all persons shall be permitted to attend any meeting of the legislative body of a local agency, subject to exceptions described in the Government Code.
I won't repeat every story from that day forward (the details of our lawsuits and video history is stored on this site)- except to say we formed a tribe on that day. Everyone who sat in that meeting - knew what was happening was wrong and a clear violation of The United States Constitution. Our School Board was engaging in viewpoint discrimination. Not only did they try to silence us, but school board member Linda Reid (according to two sources from the PVE police department and PVE city council) tried to get us arrested. This incident only served to strengthen our unity and determination to get the truth out.
Knowing the townspeople and District would spin the story, I went online to build a website. I searched:
"SAVETHECHILDREN, SAVEOURCOUNTRY, SAVEOURSCHOOLS, ETC...The domain names were taken. SavePVSchools.com was available, so I grabbed it and uploaded all the footage from the meeting to save our history.
We began meeting regularly. Our friend Mo Kim had an idea—he wanted to document everything so we could share our side of the story. Notice in the film how many faces we had to blur out because people were afraid of losing their jobs and becoming targets of the radicals who wanted us to line up and do as we were told.
We started going to school board meeting after school board meeting advocating for mask and vaccine choice. Covid is mentioned over 1,730 times on the PVPUSD District Media page.
Facilities is mentioned is mentioned 461 times.
Two years later, as we were watching a meeting from home, Julie Hamill entered via Zoom. When we heard she was a lawyer advocating for lifting the mandates, we set out on a mission to get her to run for the School Board. At the time, we had 30 moms in a SAVEOURCOUNTRY text thread.
Individually, we emailed her asking if she would consider running.
When she announced her candidacy, we jumped on the Julie Hamill train. We reached out to EdFirstPV. At the time (2022), EdfirstPV formed a Political Action Committee (PAC). They paid for door hangers to promote Chan, Handjian, Hamill, and Vanderhal. We enlisted an army of foot soldiers to canvas every home on the many hills throughout PV. Together, we knocked on thousands of doors and delivered yard signs. One weekend, while Julie was on vacation, I went to her house, picked up a massive stack of yard signs, and delivered them all over PV. After we had spent thousands of hours canvassing for Julie, I got a text message, "Can we talk?"
I texted back, "I am available now." She said, "I just met with my campaign manager, who advised me to distance myself from Save PV Schools." She explained that to get elected, she just needed to put a picture in the Peninsula Magazine with her family and look like a happy Mom. At first, I laughed. I told her, "You are way more controversial than us! Everyone likes you because of it."
It was Tweet-Wars like this one - that had us all rolling in LOL's - Hamill would go toe to toe with the former school board member, Rick Phillips. She was so untamed on Twitter that Board Member Linda Reid blocked Julie Hamill. Neither Rick Phillips or Linda Reid had blocked me or Save PV Schools.
I tried to explain, "I think it's a mistake not to be who you are or to pretend as if you are agreeable." Her mind was made up. She would publicly not acknowledge our support but privately enjoy the rewards of an army of momma bears walking up hills carrying door hangers and street signs. As it sunk in, she was the only 1 of the four candidates who would denounce us; I texted the Momma Text Chain, "I am out! I am not supporting Julie!" Everyone freaked out, "OMG! Why? What happened?" We spent hours texting, and the tide in the text chain shifted. Everyone was with me. - They were out, too! The theme was, "You are either with us or against us!" Then, I received a text message from Julie, "I hear you are trash-talking me!" I was shocked, "How did she know?" Who told her?" - Someone in our circle of trust told her what was happening in our text thread.
I texted her back, "I am not trash-talking you." She insisted I was. I texted, "Let's talk." I called her and explained the situation. I told her, "I am hurt. I feel used." We talked for about an hour. Then, the team over at Ed First PV called me to convince me to continue supporting her, explaining, "She wants the same thing as us - to lift the mandates." I swallowed my pride that day and figured it was all for the "Greater Good." I relayed the messages to the thirty Moms in the text chain, and we agreed to support her.
In 2022, Hamill was the only one of the four candidates we campaigned for to win a seat on the PVPUSD Board. I believe she won because she's a fighter - not just a pretty face featured in Peninsula Magazine.
Up until a few months ago, Save PV Schools, me in particular have been Julie Hamill's greatest allies. I have spent thousands of hours watching school board meetings, screen recording clips the general public would most likely never watch and then posting them on SAVEPVSCHOOLS INSTAGRAM. When I meet people who follow our page, they almost always say the same thing, "OMG! I love your page. Thank you so much for what you are doing!" I always ask, "Do you watch the meetings?" They almost always respond, "Only what you post on Instagram."
I have sent out so many emails praising Hamill for what she has done well:
Coerced the Board to removed COVID-19 test kits from school grounds and from the Board Agenda.
Screenshot is below is from one of many flattering emails I sent to Save PV Schools' subscribers
In February of 2023, I sent the Board and District Administrators a detailed email regarding Sex Change Operations for children, the market value of puberty blockers and my concerns regarding allowing teachers free reign to promote Gender Ideology in the classroom. After I made a public comment regarding Too Bright To See, Democrats and Fringe Radical Gender Ideology Activists came at me and Hamill with pitchforks. Hamill defended herself. I defended Hamill in multiple posts but she continued to stand, as if she was alone, in the fight. Not one Board Member, not even Julie, attempted to explain the real nature of parents complaints: Concern over Sex Change Operations For Minors. No one defended me or attempted to offer any real clarity to the public - Namely Too Bright To See was never banned. Children can check it out in the Library.
Hamill made several campaign promises (they are no longer listed on her website).
Strengthening Academic Excellence
Improving Transparency
Amplifying The Voice of Parents
Establishing Proper Security Measures
Fiscal Responsibility (Holding The District Accountable for Managing Money - Not Homeowners)
FAST FORWARD TO 2024 - TWO YEARS LATER
I was in Anaheim with my daughter for a dance convention. A Dance convention is a three-day ultra-marathon. We get up at 5 AM, and the day ends sometimes close to midnight. The dancers dance up to ten hours a day - competing and learning new choreography in Ballroom, Hip Hop, Tap, Contemporary, Jazz, Funk, and Ballet. In between sessions, the girls text their moms for food orders or post on TikTok. Their cell phones provide them with comfort and safety - knowing Moms are only one text away.
When I read the agenda - I thought, "Who's stupid idea is this? $200,000 on cell phone pouches?" I texted Julie, assuming it was someone else's idea. Her response was dismissive - she texted, "I am trying to enjoy time with my family." She told me to make a public comment. Before that, she had told me she had never read public comments. I looked at her Instagram account, saw a post dated: March 30, 2024, and quickly realized Yondr Pouches was Hamill's idea.
I did as she suggested and submitted a public comment.
Hamill promised to amplify parents' voices and be a free speech absolutist. Whether she realized it or not, she was attempting to impose a way to cut off kid's communication with parents during school hours.
Hamill sent me a text, "I read your comment." And, she inserted a Kissing Emoji. My daughter was next to me in the car when I got the text. She shook her head and said, "You two are the screenagers!"
Then, in June of 2024, Hamill did a complete 180 degree turn on her campaign promise. She voted yes to placing Measure SOS on the ballot. I posted about it on Instagram. Then, I received an angry text from her. "Just fyi, if anyone wants to attack me I encourage them to recall me." I was confused and texted back, "I am not attacking you. Was this meant for me?" She texted back, "No it's for x who commented on your post." I went to find the post to read the comments and I did not see any attacks. Rather what I saw, were comments from people who were not part of our tight Save PV Schools tribe but rather a whole lot of women who also went door-to-door campaigning for Julie. One of them walked up and down hills with a wagon full of yard signs. The woman was justifiably angry because Julie went back on her campaign promise when she backed the Bond and "kicked the can down the road," to homeowners to pay off the District's new debts.
The woman reached out to me via private message and asked me to delete her comment. She also went on to tell me Julie sent her a very angry and threatening email. I thought, "So much for being a free speech absolutist. She only likes free speech when it is not critical of her."
A few days later I attended current School Board Candidate, Alexandria Blumer's Meet and Greet at Primo on August 9th. I paid $250, expecting a good time with food, wine and friends. Alex invited Julie as a special guest. Julie brought two of her three kids along to sit at the table with us. As we were talking, they were on their ipads. (How ironic). A lot happened that night - when the topic of the Bond came up, Julie name dropped several women I personally know and said they are "trash-talking me." - "Where did I hear that before? (same thing she said to me in 2022). I interrupted Julie and said, "Wait a minute. They aren't trash talking you." I tried to explain, "They are disappointed." Before I could say another word, she got up, stormed towards the door and said, "I am too angry. I am leaving." And, she walked out on us - Total Buzz Kill.
So, again, to answer the questions that started me on this blog journey down memory lane:
"It sounds like you have decided not to trust Julie anymore, and I question why that is the case. It can't be just that she supports the bond, or is that it?"
For three years, I have watched Board Meeting after Board meeting and shared Julie Hamill's views on Instagram, until recently.
As a political watchdog, I do my best to report things as I see them. In August, I drove to Texas with my oldest son to drop him off for his first year away from college. I should have done something fun but instead I checked out the PVPUSD "Closed Session Meeting." I made a post on Instagram on August 19, 2024.
After saying, "Bye for now" to my son, I was feeling severely depressed. I got myself together and resolved to soak up every second with my other two kids - knowing how fast time would fly by. I flew home from Texas, just in time to take my 11-year-old to his football practice. About fifteen minutes before my son's practice was set to end, I saw Julie show up. She didn't see me, but I watched as she chatted with another mom. She looked angry. I decided then that I didn't want to be involved in her Momma Drama ever again. I drove my son home from practice, and just as I was ready to cook dinner after a long, hard day of saying goodbye to my oldest son - and feeling the black hole of his missing presence in our home - I got a text from Julie.
We were both at Opening Day for Football a few days later. It was incredibly awkward after two years of what I thought was friendship; now, we were pretending as if we didn't see each other. I asked my husband, who is always brutally honest with me, "Do you think I was too harsh? Maybe I should have omitted the part about not wanting to be acquaintances. It's weird not even saying, Hi." He said, "I think you could have just not responded to her text." Then, I looked at my phone, and there were ten notifications from John Tabis on my Instagram account. He was commenting everywhere, telling people to go visit www.yesonsos.com. I didn't want to keep getting binged while I was trying to watch my son's game, so I blocked Tabis and then did my research later. I found out that not only was John Tabis Julie's good friend, but he was also part of the Peninsula Parents Facebook group and a big promoter of vaccines -the group Julie labeled "Covidians."
The push by the YESONSOS is no different than the push of the vaccines. Every single person who has posted a comment in opposition to the Bond has been met with vicious character attacks, public shaming, mocking and demands for mass compliance.
PVPWATCH, published several articles regarding the Bond.
PVP Watch Survey
MOTIVATION FOR THE SURVEY ON MEASURE SOS.
PVP Watch has received comments from readers with diverse opinions on the PVPUSD School Bond (Measure SOS) on this November’s ballot. We decided to survey the peninsula's voters to gauge their preference.
SCHOOL BOND (MEASURE SOS) – FOLLOW THE MONEY.
SCHOOL BOND (MEASURE SOS) – FOLLOW THE MONEY UPDATES.
Nextdoor, the communist social media platform, is full of vitriolic attacks on PVPWatch and on SavePVSCHOOLS. Neighbors claim, in response to legitimate concerns against the bond, it's all "Misinformation." Nextdoor Moderators are suspending accounts of anyone who voices opposition to the Bond. The YESONSOS is doing everything in their power to attack people's reputation and silence us. My account was suspended a few days ago.
The Covidians are using Julie Hamill as their poster child to support the Bond, and multiple people have contacted me saying, "I am supporting it because Julie is."
I responded that Julie still needed to fulfill her campaign promises to cut spending and achieve her goals of endowments or grants. However, Sara Deen, her colleague who is often subject to criticisms managed to get a $500,000 grant to fix bathrooms. I also point out that multiple budget advisory meetings were canceled and Hamill is on that committee. Most likely it's because the one person who oversees everything had two heart attacks.
So, while Hamill is no doubt a fighter, I think she's only friendly when you agree with her and, there's a reason she has been, as she said, "Iced Out," by the other women on the board. She doesn't play nice with others or work to find some common place in the middle. Passing a Bond is Hamill's easy out or as she calls it, "The Least Bad of Bad Options."
"Wasn't Julie Hamill our Save PV Schools candidate? Why don't you talk to her about SOS and find out what she was thinking when she decided to support it?"
On September 24, 2024, The Palos Verdes Peninsula Republican Women Federated hosted an event with featured speakers: Mayor of Rancho Palos Verdes, John Cruikshank (to discuss the landslide), Julie Hamill and Jeremy Vanderhal and Alexandria Blumer. Charity Malin often gives School News at meetings, so she reported on the Bond on that day. As Charity began to lay out what she believed was concerning language in the Bond Language, I was sitting behind Julie and two tables away from Charity. Julie was shaking her head back and forth and clutching the table. As Charity spoke, Julie interrupted her and said, "No." I watched as Charity seemed nervous, and nobody knew what was happening, but I was watching it all unfold. Before Charity was done speaking, Julie hopped up to the front of the room, grabbed the podium with both hands, and began rocking it back and forth. She ranted for a long time, saying, "Being on the Board has ruined my life!" She said, regarding her colleagues, "I don't trust any of them!" She said, "I am not serving again. After my term is up, I will be done!" Mo Kim was filming the event. I wanted to publish it, but he said, "I need to check with Julie." - I took that as one of the many examples of a lack of transparency. Like Jeremy Vanderhal, Julie has said in response to why they support the Bond, "I want to fix the schools for my kids."
Julie is asking Homeowners who don't have, as Vanderhal says, "Skin in the game," to pay the bill to fix the facilities because the District has failed to do it for years. The Debt Service is over $450 million to be paid off by homeowners for the next 27 years, and Julie said it herself: She's only sticking around for the next two years and has no plans to run again.
In conclusion, Julie Hamill was never a candidate for Save PV Schools. Hamill made it perfectly clear she would not stand with us publicly. She said from the beginning, "I run my own campaign. No one speaks for me." She is a chess player and uses people as assets for political game...It's great when she's on your side. But she certainly doesn't speak for us. She speaks for herself and her own interests.
The moms and dads I speak for - have pulled their kids from PVPUSD. I speak for my friend who homeschools her kids and told me, "Erin, I had to take out a loan just to pay my property taxes last year." I speak for my friend who told me, "We are house-poor. We paid for our house in cash because we didn't like debt but had nothing left. I can't afford this tax." I speak for my neighbor who pulled her kids from the District this year and sent them to a private school. She said, "I am Mexican! I am so tired of these white ladies saying anyone who votes for Trump is racist. We voted for Trump!" She had a lot more to say, but ultimately, people are sick and tired of having a woke mind virus shoved down kids' throats. I speak for my friend who told me about the masks, "I have PTSD from being raped. Anything on my face brings up that trauma." I speak for my friend whose child was emotionally abused by a Teacher, and no matter how many complaints have been filed - she remains gainfully employed and protected by the PVFA.
The bottom line is:
People who do not believe in the Public School System or use the Public School System should not be forced to fund it. They are already paying and should not have to pay one penny more. The best thing would be to make the Bond an opt-in. Those who vote yes can split the $450 million dollar debt and leave the no's alone.
People and Institutions won't change until they are forced to take a hard look in the mirror and ask themselves, "What role did I play in the Momma Drama?"
It's time PVPUSD saves themselves.
Comentarios