CUTLINE: Peggy Silva, a writing coordinator and literacy coach at Souhegan High School recently had her question read to Senator’s Barack Obama and John McCain Tuesday night by moderator and news anchor Tom Brokaw. The question was, “What don’t you know, and how will you learn it?” According to Silva she has asked this question of every candidate who has passed through Amherst in 18 years. She said she wrote it to ask responders to think and not respond with a canned or scripted answer. “I had high expectations for the responses, but the format did not lend itself to taking a pause and reflecting for a moment before speaking.” She said she was disappointed how both responded but proud, to have been selected to be part of the democratic process.

TECH SPECS: f/1.4, 1/200, ISO 400, 24mm

THOUGHTS: Nothing special about this photographically but I just loved the story behind it. Maybe it’s because I’m really paying attention to politics for the first time in my life. When I was watching the presidential debate the other night I was watching when this the toughest question was asked by a “Peggy” of Amherst, NH. The question was avoided by both. The second the question called out by moderator Tom Brokaw, I was like, “That must be a teacher’s question.” My step mom was a teacher so I can imagine. Sure enough when we found this lady by posting an anonaymous, “Who is Peggy?” on The Telegraph site this morning, by the days end we found her, and yes, she was a teacher. Go figure.

Tags: 2008, 2009, amherst, change, debate, peggy, politics, presidential, question, silva, tough