Republican Senator Tom Cotton (Arkansas) yesterday attacked the credibility of a leader of a major teachers union, saying she, “does not even have children of her own. What the hell does she know about raising and teaching kids.”
The educator in question is Randi Weingarten, the President of the American Teacher Federation. Weingarten is also openly gay and married to another woman.
Weingarten backed Democrat Terry McAullife in his bid to once again become Governor of Virginia and appeared at one of his recent rallies.
Asked about this on Fox News yesterday, Cotton blasted Weingarten’s credentials, saying, “Isn’t it amazing that Terry McAuliffe ends his entire campaign with the head of the teachers’ union.”
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Education has been a key issue during the Virginia gubernatorial election.
“Randi Weingarten is a joke,” Cotton continued. “Randi Weingarten does not even have children of her own. What the hell does she know about raising and teaching kids?
“That is probably why she was perfectly fine to shut down schools for two years and force kids to wear masks because she didn’t have to deal with it at home.”
Related: This GOP lawmaker just called marriage equality a “plague” that’s ruining society
Aged 63, Weingarten has worked in education for 35 years. She was the first to respond to Cotton’s comments. She asked if he was taking a dig at her sexuality. She also asked if Cotton was aware she had step-children.
“Wait…Did I misread this or did Tom Cotton just say any teacher who is not also a parent shouldn’t be able to teach? Really? Is he now disqualifying every nun from teaching? Or is this simply a new divisive & hateful homophobic slur against LGBTQ teachers?”
I guess Sen Cotton hasn’t done his homework and doesn’t know I have step-children, grandkids & nieces and nephews. They would certainly be surprised by his comments. As would the many students I taught ( and loved) at Clara Barton High School in Brooklyn.
— Randi Weingarten (@rweingarten) November 2, 2021
Weingarten went on to say, “Millions of people who raise and teach and care for America’s children are not parents. Parents everywhere rely on their expertise. Parents everywhere rely on the profound commitment we all must have to other people’s children, their health, well-being, and potential.
“We owe them—teachers who are parents, and teachers who are not parents—our thanks, not insults.
“Parents and educators are partners, and must work together to help our kids thrive… stop the dog whistles Tom and help us help our kids recover.”
Cotton’s comments are reminiscent of another Republican. JD Vance, a GOP candidate for the Senate in Ohio, said in July that a lot of the problems in the US are down to the “childless Left”. He highlighted Pete Buttigieg (then without kids) as an example of someone who didn’t “have a stake” in the future. Vance went as far as saying people with kids should be allowed more votes: one extra for each child they have.
Related: Senate candidate says childless people like Pete Buttigieg should have fewer votes
The race for the Virginia governor post has been a bitter one, with much discussion around the teaching of critical race theory in schools and the degree of influence parents should have over what their kids are taught.
At the time of writing, it appeared almost certain that Republican candidate Glenn Youngkin had succeeded in his bid to become governor, beating McAuliffe. Fellow Republican Winsome Sears also won her race, becoming the first Black woman to hold the position of Lieutenant Governor in the state.
Cam
Republicans have been attacking the idea of Public school for years. They want them to disappear for two reasons.
The poor people will home school their kids in religious fundamentalism, and only the wealthy will be qualified to go to college because only they will be able to afford to send their kids to expensive private schools.
Gadfeal
By logical extension of that philosophy,
* no senator or representative should be allowed to vote on defense items or make binding decisions on military action unless s/he has been in active duty.
* no person who has never experienced pregnancy be allowed to vote on laws affecting pregnancy
* no congressperson should exist among those who display primary alliegiance to any group, philsophy, or social affiliation before/in conflict with the Constitution
Cam
You said “* no person who has never experienced pregnancy be allowed to vote on laws affecting pregnancy”
Mic Drop.
NateOcean
That’s like saying that “doctors who have never had cancer, should not be oncologists”.
Or, “people without brains should not be allowed to be politicians”.
Kangol2
There is no “critical race theory” being taught in elementary and secondary schools, let alone colleges, but even if there were, don’t conservatives believe in “free speech”? Or is only certain non-violent speech “free,” while other kinds of non-violent speech is not?
And yes, the conservative war on public education has a long history. Nevertheless, the US public education system was a model for much of the rest of the world, and educates more children by many orders of 10 than private and sectarian schools. This one reason right-wingers have tried their best to undermine and destroy public schools.
Max
these Republican “parents” would rather listen to the lies their leaders tell instead of bothering to verify CRT isn’t taught in schools at those levels.
lemmings. every single one of those pathetic moms and dads.
Mack
I don’t think people without brains should be Senators, but here you are Senator Cotton.
Heywood Jablowme
Tom Cotton = Scarecrow (Oz)
The Scarecrow hoped the Wizard would give him a brain. Instead, the Wizard just gave him a diploma. (From Harvard?) The similarities are uncanny!
DCFarmboy
I highly resent this attack on the good Sisters who educated me. These nuns were wonderful. Cotton is a bigot.
scotty
people without kids should be exempt from school taxes .
andy0529
No person that’s been to the bar “Nelly’s” and just recently got married to a beast should be making these statements.
Invader7
@ Tom Cotton : A lot of people who are breeders should be sterilized.. Then we wouldn’t have you, Tom Cotton .. Cotton has those DEAD, vacant shark like eyes. Super creepy ..I bet he wears a NAZI uniform and imagines being gang banged by NAZI Storm Troopers !!!
KyleMichelSullivan
In my opinion, Tom Cotton is a closet case doing all he can to keep from being found out. It’s almost pathetic how obvious he is.He needs a good daddy to take him in hand and show him what he’s missing. Then maybe he’ll loosen up and stop with the junior high school insults and attitudes.