Jenn Leeper Passes the Test

One sure sign I’ve become a “real dad” is when I spend hours in the seemingly impossible task of trying to figure out what content in the vast media landscape is okay for my six-year-old daughter. The parenting philosophy for my wife and me is to limit screen time whenever possible but that, if there must be something on, then at least make it something that is not terrible. So as I sort through programs like Peppa Pig, Bluey, Paw Patrol, Ada Twist Scientist, and the innumerable variants of Barbie shows and movies, I find myself wondering “is something like this, at the very least, not doing her harm by watching?”

Which is not to say that my daughter always agrees, as our hours of negotiation on the subject can attest. But I keep coming back to the same points: does the show create a space of anger or fear? Does it make you mad? Does it push people apart instead of bringing them together? Does it single people out or judge them unfairly? Does it encourage the viewer to learn or grow or, or does it try to tune out new ideas and give in to the viewers worst instincts?

If I hold my daughter’s television intake to this standard, then it would be hypocritical of me to not hold the people running for office to the same test.

That is why I urge Fairfield voters in the 132nd District to support Jenn Leeper for re-election.

Sure, it might be tempting to vote for someone who roils the town in anger or acts out on social media with vitriol with the goal of tearing us down instead of raising us up. Someone who might leave us all feeling mad instead of proud and encouraged. But such a candidate would not pass the test for me.

Jenn does.

Jenn is the type of representative that our town knows can do the work. She stays busy connecting and promoting our communities to make our town better. She tackles important topics with care and helps our town and state grapple with our biggest challenges.

Jenn’s leadership on student welfare is a perfect example. Before going to Hartford, Jenn served on Fairfield’s Board of Education and, with that experience, she has been elevated to the co-chair of the legislature’s Education Committee. In that role, and long before, she has taken the time to thoughtfully study and engage with experts on classroom issues with the kind of seriousness that, as a father of three children, I can appreciate.

I am a voter in the 133rd District and, as such, I will be proudly supporting my state representative, Cristin McCarthy Vahey, another great leader for this town. But I would ask anyone living in the 132nd District to support Jenn.

I was born and raised in Fairfield and I am grateful that we have a leader in Jenn who makes me proud each and every day to continue to call this town my home. Jenn believes in this community as much as I do. She understands why this is such a great place to live.

And if my daughter and I can ever move past the debate about television shows to a discussion about civics, community, values, integrity, and hard work, I know the leader I can point to as someone who passes the test.