Senator Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) joined her Republican colleagues on the Senate Judiciary Committee, demanding Attorney General Merrick Garland withdraw the memo he issued that connected parents to domestic terrorists.
Furthermore, during the Department of Justice’s investigation, the organization used the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Counterterrorism unit.
The lawmakers also want Garland to confirm that the federal government does not equate concerned parents with domestic terrorists.
“Parents and other citizens who get impassioned at school-board meetings are not domestic terrorists. You may believe that, but too many people involved in this issue seem to think harsh words can be criminalized. Getting the FBI’s Counterterrorism Division involved in the matter only makes this worse—dramatically worse,” the senators wrote.
Blowback from Garland’s decision was swift and heavy, including during his testimony before the Senate committee. The National School Board Association (NSBA) apologized for a letter sent to the Biden administration that led to Garland’s decision.
However, multiple state school board associations have removed themselves from being aligned with the NSBA.
Garland has maintained that parents have a right to free speech, but critics argue his actions are different.
“However, it should be abundantly clear to you now that no matter what your claimed intention was at the time of issuing that memo, the subsequent reaction of American parents and the public shows it has had a clear chilling effect on them. Since you issued your October 4 memorandum, all of us have received hundreds of letters and emails from our constituents who are angry and concerned about the idea that the FBI will be tracking what they say at local school board meetings,” the letter continued.
The issue became a central campaign focus in many recent elections, including Republican Glenn Youngkin’s win in Virginia.
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Cooper Moran is a reporter for The Star News Network. Follow Cooper on Twitter. Email tips to [email protected].
The real issue is not parents who express concerns one way or the other over school policy, but as to whether these parents currently have children in the particular school district of the PTA meeting that they attend. The main problem with disruptive participants at school board meetings came from people who turned out not to have any of their children enrolled in the school district that had the particular school board meeting that they attended.
Also, it is one thing that parents with children enrolled at the place of their meeting to express what’s on their mind. It is quite another, however, when these same individuals make threats against other meeting attendees or moderators with whom they disagree. The Williamson County meetings had people who not only got out of line by making death threats against health officials who advocated mandates or with speakers who advocated Critical Race Theory. It is one thing to merely express disagreement with these things, but quite another to make violent threats against those with whom they disagree, especially when the people making threats do not even have children of their own attending these particular schools.
garland needs to resign. yesterday.
Marsha please demand your good RINO friend Mitch McConnell resign as leader! He does not represent hard working Tennesseans by always supporting Biden and raising the deficit! You have been in Washington since 2003 and you have lost your way concerning the people you represent! Marsha and McConnell are wrong for Tennessee. Marsha you have become a defender if the swamp!!
Alternate headline: Empty Suit Sends Empty Memo.
Marsha, what happened to ‘Repeal & Replace” when you were a Representative? Yet another empty promise.