Apparently it only takes a few thousand people to make Phil Berger move to protect our young people.

But there is a caveat: those thousands of people have to show up at school board meetings.

Concerning House Bill 324, the senator commented, “Try to convince the thousands of parents who are showing up at school board meetings around the state. Are they just making up what they are talking about?”

The irony that Berger claims to be spurred into “ensuring dignity” by a few thousand people is not lost on the thousands of people who have rallied peacefully over the past few years in Moral Monday Marches and in rallies for public education that brought tens of thousands to the Capitol.

Apparently, those people should have marched at an school board meeting and not actually come to Berger’s office personally because shouting at school board members about red herrings with narratives supplied to them by political operatives is more truthful than actual facts, figures, and first-hand accounts from people who actually are on the front lines in public schools.

If anyone who has not believed that school board elections are some of the most important that can take place in any state or locality, he/she should now. Furthermore, that important office now has become one of the most dangerous. The yelling, posturing, and shear disrespect that has been evidenced by videos and reports are not isolated.

People armed with disinformation and a visceral need to have their vision of normalcy realized in a day when we all need to be vigilant is hurting not only our ability to overcome this pandemic, but is making it acceptable to treat public school officials with contempt and disrespect.

Schools will suffer. Students will suffer. Communities will suffer.

And Sen. Berger is encouraging it.

“Try to convince the thousands of parents who are showing up at school board meetings around the state. Are they just making up what they are talking about?”

– Senator Phil Berger