We've come to live in a time where a person can publicly make a claim which verifiably runs counter to facts and reality, and instead of being rebuked entirely as nonsense, an alarmingly high percentage of the population is now likely to side with such a person instead. Actual facts no longer matter; anything that one believes to be true can simply be deemed the "real" facts, and everything else can be dismissed as fake news. While there is a structured and deliberate process behind scientific studies and academic research, those who say "do your own research" often wouldn't know where to start; to them, "research" means scrolling through Google or YouTube results until they find something which agrees with their preconceptions, and without regard to the credibility of the source. The list goes on and on.

I cannot put into words how concerning this shift in our society is. It has the potential to dismantle our most important institutions: education, healthcare, justice, and not least of all, democracy as a whole. I truly believe the threat of where we're heading is that great. But what the heck can we do about it?

The change which will bring us back to science, logic, and reason starts in our local governments, with the way we interact with others, and with the impressions we leave on each other. While a school board election might seem like an insignificant drop in the bucket towards moving forward, it is still something which must be taken seriously, especially when other candidates are intent on holding us back. Science and technological advancement got us to where we are today, and to disregard the centuries of scientific progress we've made will eventually result in collapse and catastrophe. This especially includes institutions like the school board, where decisions and policies directly shape the future of every generation to come. For this reason, we must be especially careful in who we select for these positions of trust, stewardship, and public service.

I will be the first to admit that I don't have all of the answers to all of our problems, and that you could fill many books with things I don't know (and they have - check out the Missoula Public Library!). While I do my best to educate myself on any given topic before I form an opinion, I'm also not afraid to defer to the experts if the subject is too complicated or nuanced. I believe that a big part of science, logic and reason is knowing what you don't know, after all.