THE GOP IS WAKING UP – OVERNIGHT:  The issue is growing hour by hour – a substantial backlash against the Justice Department's reckless attempt to monitor school board meetings, looking for evil "domestic terrorists," otherwise known as mom and dad.  Even the Republicans are noticing.  When that happens, it's really news.  From Fox: 

Republican members of the Senate Judiciary Committee sent a letter to Attorney General Merrick Garland calling on him to tell Americans that the Justice Department will not and should not attempt to silence people who vocalize opposition to their state and local school board policies. The letter was a response to a memo sent to DOJ employees that sparked concern federal authorities would investigate those who do just that.

Garland’s memo discussed efforts to have federal authorities intervene in order to combat violence, threats, harassment and intimidation against school officials. Republicans have expressed concern that this is too vague and broad and that it gives the impression that parents who strongly voice their opposition to policies will find themselves facing federal investigation.

"We are concerned about the appearance of the Department of Justice policing the speech of citizens and concerned parents," the letter, sent Thursday by senators led by committee ranking member Sen. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, stated. "We urge you to make very clear to the American public that the Department of Justice will not interfere with the rights of parents to come before school boards and speak with educators about their concerns, whether regarding coronavirus-related measures, the teaching of critical race theory in schools, sexually explicit books in schools, or any other topic. Furthermore, we urge you to instruct the FBI and the various United States Attorneys to make clear in the meetings discussed above that speech and democratic processes, like those that occur at a local school board meeting, must be respected."

The Republicans acknowledged that actual violence and clear threats of imminent violence "are not protected speech and have no place in the public discourse of a democracy," while stating that many examples that have been given were nothing more than "heated encounters."

Garland’s memo came days after the National School Boards Association sent a letter asking the Biden administration to help combat attacks, threats and intimidation against school officials. The letter called for the use of various measures including the PATRIOT Act – a tool used to combat terror – to address their concerns.

"‘True threats’ encompass those statements where the speaker means to communicate a serious expression of an intent to commit an act of unlawful violence to a particular individual or group of individuals," the Republicans’ letter said, referencing a legal standard established in a 2003 Supreme Court decision. "Parents who are angry at school board members, and even verbally attack them on a personal level, are not necessarily making true threats, and it is not the job of law enforcement – and cannot be the job of law enforcement, especially the FBI – to make sure parents are nice to their elected officials. They are certainly not domestic terrorists who require the use of tools such as the PATRIOT Act and the expertise of the National Security Division."

The GOP committee members pointed to how the NSBA’s letter referenced a news article in which several incidents were mentioned, such as large crowds showing up at meetings to address issues that were not on the agenda, and people refusing to to wear masks at a meeting in protest of a school district’s requirement for students to wear masks.

COMMENT:  It's a good, responsible start, but what is needed now is the Republicans moving to "own" this issue, and morph it with school choice, which could turn out to be the biggest issue of the 2022 campaign.  Remember, the loony Dems are attacking parents for caring about their children.  Why do I think that's a bad idea?

Thus far, by the way, the parent organizations that have taken on school systems are standing firm, and refusing to buckle or be intimidated.  They are brave, and in the great American tradition.  Come on, GOP,  let's make a movement out of this.  Maybe even a march on Washington.  I love it.

October 7, 2021