Over the past month, I have been participating in our local school board meetings. The experience has been anxiety-inducing and scary. The first time around my hands and legs were shaky, my voice tremulous. This time, I went with notes. I had trouble reading and facing the board. My hands still shook but it was better than the previous time.

Practice makes perfect, I hope. I plan to speak up when I can. You should too. Your voice is one of the basic building blocks of democracy. If you stay silent, democracy is chipped away in the darkness.