Leadership means showing up, not staying silent when kids are targeted

Shanti Landon says she stands for conservative values and the future of our youth. But leadership is not defined by what you say; it is defined by what you do when it matters most. In moments when our community's children needed support, that leadership was nowhere to be found. When students in our community took the initiative to start a conservative club, they did exactly what we should be encouraging young people to do: engage, participate and exercise their voices. Instead of support, they were met with harassment and bullying. My son and his fellow club officers, who are 15- and 16-year-old kids, were threatened online to the point a police report had to be filed. Let that sink in. Children in our community were targeted for their beliefs, and the response from an elected official who claims to champion those very values was silence. No outreach to the students. No communication with parents. No acknowledgment of what these families were going through. Unfortunately, this is not new. When concerns were raised about The Gathering Inn near Lincoln schools, the community experienced the same pattern with Landon: avoidance, lack of transparency and a failure to engage. At some point, we have to stop calling this a coincidence and start calling it what it is, a pattern. Contrast that with the leadership we did see. Holly Andreatta consistently reached out to check on the students and their families. She showed concern, presence and accountability, which are the very things our community should expect from those in positions of leadership. This is the difference between claiming values and living them. Supporting our youth is not a slogan. It is not a campaign talking point. It requires action, especially when it is uncomfortable, politically inconvenient or requires stepping into difficult situations. Leadership means showing up. Leadership means listening. Leadership means standing with families when their children are being threatened, not staying silent and hoping the issue goes away. Our kids are watching. They are learning what leadership looks like from the adults we elect and the way we respond in moments like this. Right now, the message being sent is unacceptable. If we truly care about the future of our community, then we must demand better, not just in words but in action. Because our children deserve leaders like Andreatta, who will stand up for them, speak out for them and show up when it matters most. Branden Culp Lincoln Anderson rank left out of story Dear Editor, What a beautiful article you had that covered the burial of Auburn's beloved Bud Anderson in the April 1 issue of the Auburn Journal ("Hero's burial," page A1). Whoever wrote the article evidently was not aware that in December of 2022, a general from the Air Force in Washington came out to the Aerospace Museum at McClellan Air Force Base in Sacramento and in a special ceremony Bud was promoted to Brigadier General for his service and for being an exemplary mentor to young people across our nation. It is just a shame that your article did not recognize him as a Brigadier General. It was long overdue and much deserved. Nancy Van Howd Auburn