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It was our mantra in 2021, and Democrats appear to be just as opposed to it now as they were then: Parents Matter. In recent weeks, Democrats have made it clear that they have learned nothing from Terry McAuliffe’s defeat or their loss of the House.

We’ve seen it time and time again, and the run up to the 2023 election is no different. Democrats see parents as the enemy of education.

Speaking at an in April, two Virginia General Assembly Democrats opposed parents in their children’s lives at school.

Governor Youngkin sent down an amendment to a bill that would have required parental consent for minors to have social media accounts.

Not only would this ensure that parents can keep an eye on their children’s use of social media, but it would also have protected their data from ages 13-17.

But Democrats would have no part of it, killing the amendment outright on a party-line vote.

“I mean, it’s just all a part of this parental **** that they’re selling,” a Senate Democrat said in the recording.

“This is why we have to keep the Senate … because the House is in the hands of the Republicans, and they can push through all kinds of stupid things. We rely on the Senate to kill it all,” a House Democratic Member said.

The contrast could not be clearer: Republicans want to protect children from the harms of social media by putting parents in the loop.

Democrats think the idea of parental involvement is ****. They blocked legislation earlier this year that would have ensured that parents could control whether their children are exposed to graphic sexuality and violence in schools.

Democrats inexplicably opposed this legislation, arguing that parents should trust teachers and librarians to screen materials for children, even when presented with evidence that virtually pornographic materials are available in many school libraries.

It’s saying that this legislation was opposed by VEA. They continue to believe, along with Democrats, that parents are an obstacle to be overcome, not a partner to engage.

Parents should play a pivotal role in their children’s education. In fact, Virginia law reinforces that sentiment by explicitly stating “a parent has a fundamental right to make decisions concerning the upbringing, education, and care of the parent’s child.”

Democrats also blocked curriculum transparency legislation.

We have heard from concerned parents who feel that they do not know what is being taught, what is being read, and what problems their children may be encountering on a day-to-day basis while in school.

House Republicans have listened and acted. We supported several measures to increase access to information for parents.

This legislation would simply ensure parents are aware of explicit reading material that may be deemed inappropriate for children in school libraries.

Democrats clearly disagree with that sentiment, as they defeated the legislation in the Senate.

Our children are growing up in a different time then most of us did. That does not mean they cannot appreciate hard work, good manners, being true to your word and understanding time management. These foundations can be taught to children at an early age and stressed upon until the time they are adults. Are we really going to let social media replace the importance of morals in our children?

Del. Tommy Wright can be reached via email at DelTWright@House.Virginia.gov or (804) 698-1061.