Political Quotes

“Madam President, earlier this month, Attorney General Garland released a memo instructing Department of Justice employees to respond to increasingly passionate school board meetings across the country. That memo talks about working to stop the violence and the threats of violence. That part of it is very fine, but unfortunately the memo makes it sound like the Department of Justice might want to go after much more than just violence. Over the last year, school board meetings have turned from relatively calm, local affairs to often boisterous meetings that are seen across the country. This began with parents who were upset after schools were being closed last year well after we learned that they could safely reopen in spite of COVID-19. Then these meetings grew to include pushback against mask mandates for students and against school districts adopting a curriculum known as critical race theory. There are many parents across the country who are upset about these things, and that is their right, to be upset about them and to talk about them all they want to--after all, freedom of speech, freedom of assembly. So here is the issue. The Attorney General's memo spoke of violence and threats of violence. Make no mistake about it--violence should never be used to get what you want in politics. It is illegal for a good reason, and making real, true threats is illegal as well. They scare people, and that is not right.…”