Yesterday was a roller coaster ride of emotions as I spent the entire day at the capitol testifying in committee hearings. This part of the legislative year could be dubbed “the killing season” with all the great Republican bills dying premature deaths. Although it’s frustrating and infuriating to witness the lack of common sense or real empathy in the majority party, we can muster the fortitude to carry on by some of the encouragements I witnessed yesterday.
Senator Alan Lowenthal’s SB 1322, the bill that will allow communists to teach in public schools, passed the Senate Education Committee with flying (red) colors. The bill passed despite the moving testimony of my friend Alex Pop, a Romanian immigrant who was imprisoned for simply speaking out against the communist government in his country. Yesterday Alex celebrated his nineteenth year of escaping to America and freedom. Alex’s two sons will attend the Naval Academy and West Point and his daughter is Miss Northern California. Alex is the perfect example of the American Dream—he went from a communist prison for speaking against the government to actually addressing the government in the state capitol yesterday.
My heart swelled with pride for our nation as I listened to Alex speak. But cold reality set in as the vote was taken and the bill passed 5-3 on a party-line vote. It really is shocking to hear California state senators proclaim that communism is no longer a threat to our nation and we need to allow communists to teach our children. At least Republicans still understand that ideas, especially a violent idea like communism, have consequences and we are doomed to repeat history if we don’t learn from it.
Later that afternoon, I was in the Assembly Education Committee to support Assemblyman Bob Huff’s AB 2085 and 2086, two bills that will return the education code to its state prior to SB 777’s passage last year (the homosexuality promotion in schools bill) and require parental notification if controversial sexual topics are discussed in the classroom. Over 50 citizens from all across the state sat in the committee room for 5 hours, waiting to express their support for these two bills. It was incredible to see so many mothers, fathers and children, who took the day off from work and school to travel hours to the capitol. These were average citizens motivated by love for their families, our state and our freedom.
Perhaps the most appalling revelation of the day was learning that the California Teachers Association and the California Federation of Teachers support SB 1322 and oppose AB 2085/2086. Yes, these teachers unions want the government to hire employees who advocate the violent overthrow of our government. So let’s recap: communists teaching homosexual curriculum in public schools is okay, but informing parents about what their children are being taught in public schools is not okay. That makes perfect sense, at least in the fool’s paradise that is the capitol.
Even though there were a lot of disappointing results yesterday (I only mentioned three out of many), I’m still encouraged when I see people like Alex Pop and the 50 citizens who testified. They are America. They are why it is so important that we keep spreading the message of freedom that founded and sustains this great nation.