*By Julie Barrett, Founder, Conservative Ladies of Washington
Sometimes the most important thing for us is simply to know that our voices, our concerns have been heard…that what we have just poured out did not fall upon deaf ears.
“We Hear You.” Is that too much to ask?
Is it too much for parents (TAX-PAYING parents, I might add) to ask their school board and school administrators to communicate with us and to let us know that they hear us? Is it too much to ask that they validate the fact that we have concerns? They don’t have to agree, but the simple act of acknowledging our voices and concerns would go a long way.
Anytime a person feels ignored it causes tempers to rise, animosity and resentment. And when it comes to our children, we must be heard. Our protective parental instincts kick into high gear when we feel our children are in harm’s way and especially when we try to address these concerns and our voices are essentially ignored. We are given a platform to share our concerns with school boards only because they are required to do so. They are not required to give us a response.
The decent thing is to respond, whether in agreement or just acknowledgement that something was said.
But there is no decency on our school boards in public education across this nation right now. There is an agenda and if you are a parent who is not willing to go along with it quietly and willingly, you will not only not be heard, but you could likely be reported to the Department of Justice as a “domestic terrorist.”
Parents are rightly upset about a number of issues going on in our public schools (aka government indoctrination centers) right now. Whether it is Critical Race Theory (equity & diversity, racial education & justice, etc) comprehensive sex education, the LGBTQ agenda or Covid restrictions and mandates with masks and testing or like our family, concerns about special needs students receiving the recovery services to which they are entitled. There are countless concerns of parents right now in schools and most of them are completely ignored.
The concerns are ignored in favor of attending to the equity projects and inclusivity and progressivism being pushed in our school systems. This is the priority. Anything else brought to the attention of the school board is not worthy of attention. Not even just not worthy of attention, but if you don’t fall in line with the agenda of the progressive leftists in the education system, you now have the potential to be labeled a “domestic terrorist.”
When you compound these parental concerns with school boards who will not respond and completely ignore the communications from these parents, you are going to end up with frustrated and angry parents. Ignoring parents is resulting in passionate speeches and letters in school board meetings all over America. This does not make us domestic terrorists. The government can call it whatever they want, but good parents are not going to back down and give up fighting for their kids because of some threats by partisan hacks (eh hem, the AGINO Merrick Garland) appointed to positions of authority that intend to trample our constitutional rights. Good parents will keep showing up to the school board meetings. We will keep speaking truth. We will continue to be dignified and rational and non-violent – because violence is not our M.O. We are not like the left. We do not want violence. We also do not want our children indoctrinated and we have every right to stand up against that.
Over the last couple of days as I’ve reflected on the letter from the Department of Justice to the NSBA about how parents will be “handled,” I thought about the many letters I have submitted on behalf of my own 4 children to the school board. I’ve never once received a response. I’ve sat through school board meetings as letters from parents were read aloud and not one letter was acknowledged by any board members. They read the letters and move along to the next thing. This is very insulting to parents who take the time to voice their concerns about their student’s education. I don’t doubt that many school boards operate like the one in my school district. It is no wonder parents have no patience left.
The letter from the DOJ is a fear tactic. It is intended to scare law abiding citizens into silence. They want us to sit down and shut up. We have every right to attend these school board meetings and to have our voices heard. We have an obligation to speak up for our children. Now is not the time to back down, it’s time to double down. We must remain calm, we must articulate our concerns in a non-threatening, non-combative way. We must use facts and truth as our weapons against the lies and deception being used by the schools. And mostly, we suit up in the ARMOR of GOD, be strong and courageous and never give up.
