As Twitchy reported, Attorney General Merrick Garland sent a memo to the FBI directing it to coordinate with local law enforcement “to facilitate the discussion of strategies for addressing threats against school administrators, board members, teachers, and staff.” Sen. Josh Hawley questioned Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco about the memo, saying “if this isn’t a deliberate attempt to chill parents from showing up at school board meetings … I don’t know what is.”
We’ll include the video again for anyone who missed the part where Hawley said he wasn’t talking about violence.
Josh Hawley RIPS the FBI over new efforts to target parents:
"I'm not aware of anything like this in American history… You're using the FBI to intervene in school board meetings." pic.twitter.com/JjoFMKtZUq
— The First (@TheFirstonTV) October 5, 2021
American Federation of Teachers President Randi Weingarten, who loves nothing better than a good ratio, tweeted that right-wing politicians who say the Justice Department is going after speech are “defending violence against teachers and school boards.”
Violence isn't speech. When you see right-wing politicians saying the DOJ is going after speech, just note who they're defending. They're defending violence against teachers and school boards. https://t.co/jCenzT6Gxy
— Randi Weingarten (@rweingarten) October 5, 2021
No, they’re defending parents and their right to be heard without being called “domestic terrorists.” Violence isn’t speech …
And speech isn’t violence.
— Stan Kerr (@spjk) October 6, 2021
Speech isn't violence, either, but here we are.
— The Reasoned Center (@ReasonedCenter) October 6, 2021
I heard silence was violence
— Dave Danna (@DaveEDanna) October 6, 2021
— 🇺🇸 (@Dee2021dee) October 6, 2021
Show me violence against teachers and school boards at meeting. I haven't seen any. I've just seen people angry and expressing their anger with words.
Words aren't violence.
— Bradley R. Mitzelfelt (@bradrmitzelfelt) October 6, 2021
Violence isn't speech, it's true. But where is the violence? There is only speech you don't like.
— Torchiest (@Torchiest) October 6, 2021
In your world, speech you oppose is violence and violence you support is speech.
— Freethinking Jewess (@freejewess) October 6, 2021
Can you be specific about all this violence?
— stevemur (@stevemur) October 6, 2021
Can you provide even *one* example of violence, or even a credible threat of violence, committed at a school board meeting? Since most of these school board meetings where all this purported "violence" is occurring are recorded on video, that shouldn't be too difficult to produce
— Andrew Parker ن (@Andrew_Parker7) October 6, 2021
The school board members at the district I teach at showed us an email from their regional union rep, instructing them to not entertain questions from parents. They are also instructed to be very liberal with labeling public meetings as 'dangerous'. It's beyond crazy.
— kl_indeed (@indeed_kl) October 6, 2021
https://twitter.com/registeredtext/status/1445530877035888642
Give. One. Example.
— Dilbert O'Reilly (@dilbert_o) October 6, 2021
Poppycock. People have been complaining about what their children are being subjected to. You want to stifle that. In the highly unlikely event that things become physical, the local authorities can step in.
— James Rogers (@pmojh3) October 6, 2021
Randi hates parents who are concerned about their kids education and want to be involved in the curriculum. She hates Republicans and Republican parents who threaten her lackluster unions power. #RESIST
— FJB🇺🇸 (@girl19_country) October 6, 2021
It’s a very deliberate threat and meant to squash legitimate first amendment protected grievances. You know this, but you are a dishonest political activist.
— Hey You (@rjh9aer) October 6, 2021
@rweingarten is a liar pic.twitter.com/JtdMSyJEAO
— FJB🇺🇸 (@girl19_country) October 6, 2021
This is 100% about shutting down speech and you are fully aware of that.
— Lawrence Fassler (@LawrenceFassler) October 6, 2021
What frightens me is that a person supposedly very intimately involved with the education system can't understand how inserting the FBI into a situation like this is a really bad idea. I now understand why our kids don't know history.
— MetsMan7186 (@man7186) October 6, 2021
Nobody has attacked a school board.
We have every right to challenge elected officials.
We have every right to challenge teachers.Those are our kids. Do the right thing and there will be no problems.
— Hondo McClain (@HondoNelson) October 6, 2021
You’re telling Randi Weingarten to do the right thing?
Find us a “right-wing politician” defending violence against teachers and school boards.
Related:
Sen. Josh Hawley calls Merrick Garland’s memo to the FBI ‘a deliberate attempt to chill parents from showing up at school board meetings’ https://t.co/AxSEQK4L1C
— Twitchy Team (@TwitchyTeam) October 6, 2021
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