The following is a speech made by Virginia State Senator Chap Petersen. Like as not the Democratic Party of Virginia, especially their supporters in the teachers unions, will try to primary him as a result.

I first heard about Petersen’s speech today on WMAL’s Mornings on the Mall. I will link to the interview when they post it.

Even though Petersen is a Democrat, Conservative Senator Mark Obenshain tweeted it.

However, except for the WMAL broadcast, this, VA Sen. Chap Petersen (D?-Fairfax City) Argues It’s Not Worth Closing Schools For 9 Year Olds Because Of the Death Of a 99 Year Old | Blue Virginia, is the only thing I have found that corresponds to a media publication. Even Blue Virginia could not bring itself to actually post the video.

Sad! Much of our news media and Big Tech now exist to stifle debate.

Do you want to know why your children are not in school? Petersen does not explain, but the problem is right under our noses. We have given our government too much control of our money. When we spend money, we “vote”. We encourage the people who provide us goods and services to sell us what we want to buy.

When we give our government control of our money, special interests compete for that money. The teachers unions are a huge special interest group, and they donate lots money and volunteers to the campaigns of politicians, influence peddlers. The teachers unions have an obvious self interest in controlling the schools, and they gain power over the schools through the politicians they buy. Thus, teachers unions control the public schools, not the parents of the children attending the schools. Thus, teachers unions hold leash that controls the schools our children attend, not the children’s parents.

Because they don’t control the money, give it to the schools they want their children to attend, parents have no good way of holding the people and the institutions who teach their children accountable. The result is that the teachers unions control the instruction of children.

When we insist that strangers have such a great power over other people’s children, they will abuse it. Either they won’t bother to properly teach children, or they will teach them beliefs that the children’s parents abhor.

Are you a parent or grandparent? You have a choice. You can vote for school choice (especially education vouchers) and put parents back in charge of the education of their children, or you can continue to vote for government-run education.

If you continue to vote for government-run schools, you can continue to pretend you are in control of how other people educate their children. Meanwhile, however, the parents who can afford it, including our rich politicians, will just smile at your foolishness and send their children to private schools.