McConnell writes AG Garland letter defending parents' right to tell 'local schools what to teach'

[Yo_Mama_Been_Loggin]

Source: The Week

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) on Saturday appeared to briefly step into the Virginia gubernatorial race, which has turned its focus to a debate over "parents rights" when it comes to education.

In a letter to Attorney General Merrick Garland, whom McConnell once blocked from getting a Supreme Court confirmation hearing, the senator said he was concerned that the Justice Department has "directed federal law enforcement to partner with state and local governments to address" violent threats of administrators, teachers, and others who work in the public school sphere across the country.

McConnell dismissed the idea that Garland's view on the situation reflects the reality on the ground. Instead, McConnell painted the debate as a civil one, "the very basis of representative," and said parents "absolutely should be telling their local schools what to teach." "I hope you agree with me that the kind of grassroots interest parents have shown throughout the country in both the methods and substance of their children's education is to be commended and encouraged," he wrote.

But McConnell didn't stop at praising the parents pushing back against their local education officials, however. He also criticized those officials, particularly in Virginia, for launching "shocking efforts ... to organize the intimidation and harassment of parents who have the temerity to want a better education for their children."

Read more: https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/mcconnell-writes-ag-garland-letter-defending-parents-right-to-tell-local-schools-what-to-teach/ar-AAPju4i

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Hey Moscow Mitch this is not free speech:

[bucolic_frolic]

1. He blocked Garland and now he's going after Garland? Is this posturing for bigger issues

such as who Garland indicts, holds in contempt? This seems to me a really weird issue to dive into, from this article it's not clear who's making the threats or their nature. Is it coded language for the Fundamentalist turnout in VA governor's race?

[sinkingfeeling]

2. Kind of a different GQP take than their famous 'No Child Left Behind' policy.

That's when the feds taught teachers and schools to teach for the test.

[LogicFirst]

3. Who will take all of these teaching demands and boil them down to the ones that can taught?

It would seem that a teacher with 120 students would have to write 120 independent learning plans.

[TomDaisy]

4. great. I will tell my local school to teach that McConnell is an asshole

[muriel_volestrangler]

5. Sign of how far the far-right has plummeted: CBS News report on parent protests is age-restricted

by YouTube because, as far as I can tell, of the combination of violence and bad language. McConnell is defending something reckoned so extreme that YouTube has to hide it from children.

[maxrandb]

6. I've seen the Trumpkin...err...Younkin ad

They pick Terry McAuliffe saying "I don't think parents should be deciding what's taught in schools" from about a 5 minute answer to a question about intimidation and threats of violence at local school board meetings.

If I ran the McAuliffe campaign, I would just do an ad where you play the January 6 mob, interspersed with clips of these rediculous, frothing at the mouth dipshits threatening school board members, and then I would say;

"I don't want these violent seditionist deciding who is going to run our country, and I don't want these violent parents deciding what is taught in schools"

[Mad_Machine76]

13. How's that race going BTW?

[The Fifty Stateman]

7. Well that's just Jim-Dandy Wonderful, ain't it?

Parents of Scientology, rejoice!

[lastlib]

8. I hope after blocking a SCt nomination, McTurdle got reply....

...to the tune of "Proceed with self-fornication. With a pitchfork. Sideways." I would be disappointed with anything else.

Hey, MoscowMicth, you traitorous leech--Proceed with self-fornication. With a pitchfork. Sideways.

[LastLiberal in PalmSprings]

9. So the same loud assholes who are anti-vax, anti-ACA, anti any teaching of slavery,

and anti-anything else that doesn't fit within their narrow frightened world view will be at every school board meeting yelling and making it impossible for any meaningful discussion to occur. It will become rule by he mob, which is just the way TFG and his followers like it. If it scares you, hunt it down and kill it. TFG has already given his blessing to "Second Amendment solutions." Imagine the January 6 mob in charge of school curriculum. Actually you don't have to imagine it -- one element of the GQP strategic plan is to run for school board positions, which have traditionally been non-confrontational and easy to win a seat on. And they are doing it.

[Lonestarblue]

10. So according to Mitch parents have the right to force schools to teach white supremacy,

along with the right to refuse to obey laws (it’s okay to overturn fair elections when your side loses), deliberately spread a pandemic that kills fellow citizens, and proclaim that all black and brown people are criminals. Or are they already teaching that in the segregated “Christian” charter schools that we taxpayers fund so their children can grow up to be racist little shits?

Honest to God, I’m beyond fed up with these ignorant jerks.

[OldBaldy1701E]

11. 'Grassroots interests'

Is turtle-speak for 'threaten to murder anyone who dares question them in their desire to infect not only themselves but countless others who had no choice in the matter solely because they HAVE to do whatever is the opposite of the Democratic response and to make sure anyone who points out reality or science is soundly beaten and tossed into the back of a pickup and driven out of town'. I hate to break it to the Red Shelled Turtle (so identified by the clear star and sickle pattern on its pale ass) but the curriculum at a public school is to be based on science, not on whatever tea leaves you happen to be tossing that day. Also, I feel pretty sure that those mobs of rednecks are not advocating for a 'better education for their children'. That reptile is always living up to his name, isn't he?

(All due respect to leaf readers.)

[bucolic_frolic]

12. If the parents are so f'in brilliant why don't they teach these things themselves instead of

subjecting everyone to their warped perspective on reality?

[Mad_Machine76]

14. Hopefully

Most people can distinguish between concerned parents showing up for school board meetings to calmly and rationally present their concerns and requests and showing up and being rude and abusive and threatening. Right?

[Mad_Machine76]

15. Not that I'm surprised

Republicans are going to conflate the two

[keithbvadu2]

16. Many of our right wing brethren want to put public prayer and the Bible back in the schools.

Many of our right wing brethren want to put public prayer and the Bible back in the schools.

They have no qualms about using the gov't to foist their own religious beliefs on the children in public schools without letting the parents decide how they want their children raised.

[SouthernDem4ever]

17. McConnell proudly leads a party of morons

i hope Garland remembers that when taking anything he has to say into consideration.

[geretogo]

19. All the schools need to do is teach the truth about the two parties and the kids would have nothing

to do with any Rethuglicon .

[twodogsbarking]

20. He has said things that are equally as stupid.

No surprise here.

[Skittles]

21. LOL

we all know what racists want their kids to "learn"

[NullTuples]

22. Not all media sources mention that he's fighting for white supremacists

and transphobic religious extremists - but I repeat myself.