Newsline

Newsline , Society

Issue of Parental Rights Resonating with Voters in Final Days of Fall Campaign

Posted on Monday, November 7, 2022
|
by Shane Harris
|
5 Comments
|
Print

AMAC Exclusive – Shane Harris

Rights

Last Thursday, hundreds of parents, educators, and concerned citizens gathered in Goldsboro, North Carolina, for a “Rally to Save our Schools” hosted by 1776 Action, a group founded in the spirit of former President Trump’s 1776 Commission to protect parents’ rights and promote “honest, patriotic education.” With Republican Senate candidate Ted Budd and North Carolina Lieutenant Governor Mark Robinson in attendance, the event highlighted that education and indoctrination in schools remain top concerns for both candidates and voters, even while economic issues dominate.

As schools resumed session in August and September, education once again exploded into the national spotlight, just in time for the final push to Election Day. A majority of Americans in both parties say education is important to them in deciding their midterm vote, and more parents say they are likely to vote in Tuesday’s elections than said the same four years ago.

Hoping to capitalize on the continuing backlash against woke curriculum and a lack of transparency when it comes to education policies, conservatives have looked to build on the momentum that helped lead to a wave of electoral success in recent months. Throughout the country, conservative candidates for school boards and other state and local posts promising to give parents more input and remove Critical Race Theory and radical gender theory from schools have won a string of victories, nationalizing the fight against far-left ideologies in K-12 classrooms.

In Virginia, Republican Glenn Youngkin made education the centerpiece of his winning campaign last year, proving that the issue can be a winning one for the GOP. In the final weeks of that race, 1776 Action hosted a similar rally at which Youngkin spoke and promised to restore “excellence” to Virginia’s schools. Youngkin also signed the group’s “1776 Pledge,” in which candidates and officeholders affirm that they believe several basic truths about the country and education, including that “the United States of America is an exceptional nation whose people have always strived to form a more perfect union based upon our founding principles” and that “our children and grandchildren should be taught to take pride in their country, to respect our founding principles of liberty and equality, and to have a sense of American history that is both truthful and inspiring.” Pledge signers also promise to “promote a curriculum that teaches that all children are created equal, have equal moral value under God, our Constitution, and the law” and “prohibit any curriculum that pits students against one another on the basis of race or sex.”

Republican Ted Budd is now hoping that his signing of the “1776 Pledge” and participation in 1776 Action’s “Rally to Save our Schools” will also be followed by an electoral victory on Tuesday. Budd, who is vying to hold a key GOP Senate seat, has made parents’ rights a major focus of his campaign, in particular sounding the alarm against sexually explicit content in schools. At the 1776 Action event last week, Budd asserted that “parents – not the government – should control the direction of their children’s education.” He went on to state that “it is the responsibility of schools to prepare our kids to lead productive and successful lives after graduation, not force-feed them the latest woke left-wing propaganda. Critical Race Theory and similar false and destructive ideologies have no place in our classrooms.”

The rally also featured brief remarks from Sandy Smith and Bo Hines, the Republicans running to represent North Carolina’s first and thirteenth congressional districts, respectively, and two more pledge signers. Both Smith and Hines reiterated that students deserve an education free from partisan bias and inappropriate content, and promised to pursue federal legislation that codifies parents’ rights when it comes to their children’s education.

Lieutenant Governor Mark Robinson – another pledge signer – also spoke at the event, earning a standing ovation from the crowd on hand. “We’re going to protect our kids and we’re going to get our kids right, come hell or high water,” he promised. “Our schools should be focused on preparing our kids for successful lives. But too many are being abused by activists intent on waging an ideological crusade. It’s completely inappropriate and only vigilant parents can stop it.” Robinson, whom many in GOP circles view as a rising star within the party, has focused heavily on cultural issues like woke indoctrination in schools since his election in 2020.

1776 Action is planning to host a similar event in Lancaster, Pennsylvania on Monday night with their national spokeswoman and former U.S. Senate candidate Kathy Barnette as a headliner. Barnette also spoke at the North Carolina event, where she urged attendees to get involved in their local schools and vote for candidates who commit to protecting parents’ rights. “It’s hard to believe just how corrupted and misguided much of the educational bureaucracy has become,” she said. “It’s time for serious leaders who will use their platform and the power of their office to stand up for parents and children.”

Shane Harris is a writer and political consultant from Southwest Ohio. You can follow him on Twitter @Shane_Harris_.

Share this article:
Subscribe
Notify of
guest
5 Comments
Most Voted
Newest Oldest
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments
Rik
Rik
2 years ago

You mean, Parental Rights means more than Parents have the “Right” to pay for their children UNTIL they turn 18 years old!

anna hubert
anna hubert
2 years ago

Our schools and student been falling behind for long time It’s no secret Johnny can’t read Only now that that curriculum became so completely off the wall crazy and dangerous it became an issue Teachers union is a powerful tool of democrats Many teachers should not be near children Unless that is addressed not much will change

Kim
Kim
2 years ago

Parents not only need to demand their input be heard, but also to demand to be notified of any interaction between students and school counselors on topics of a sexual nature. I’ve heard stories of schools stepping in where only parents and guardians have the right to guide their children, arranging doctor visits and advising on gender reassignment surgery without parental consent. That’s crazy…grossly overstepping the bounds of public education.

Everyone, please vote on Tuesday. Remember the long-standing values that built America and shaped it into freest nation on the planet. Take back your freedoms, and take back your parental responsibilities.

GTPATRIOT
GTPATRIOT
2 years ago

Didn’t resonate enough. The Repubs got their butts beat today.

A row of supercomputers running simulations of quantum cryptography algorithms to test their efficiency and effectiveness
President Joe Biden, son Hunter Biden and sister Valerie Biden walk across the South Lawn of The White House on July 28, 2024 in Washington, DC. President Biden is returning from a weekend trip to Camp David. (Photo by Michael A. McCoy/Getty Images)
President-elect Donald Trump shakes hands with Dana White during the UFC 309 event at Madison Square Garden on November 16, 2024 in New York City.

Stay informed! Subscribe to our Daily Newsletter.

"*" indicates required fields

5
0
Would love your thoughts, please comment.x
()
x

Subscribe to AMAC Daily News and Games