AMERICANS WON’T DO THOSE
JOBS.
WE’VE GOT TO PUT AMERICAN
WORKERS FIRST AS WE ALL
AGREED.
LET’S MOVE ON.
AT THE RALLY LAST NIGHT THE
PRESIDENT SAID THIS ABOUT
EDUCATION.
>> IN MAJOR CITIES PUBLIC
SCHOOLS RUN BY DEMOCRATS, OVER
TWO THIRDS OF STUDENTS ARE
FALLING BEHIND IN READING AND
MATH AND I THINK THE NUMBERS
ARE WORSE THAN THAT, BUT
DEMOCRATS WOULD RATHER DENY
THESE CHILDREN THE FUTURE THEY
DESERVE THEN ALLOW THEM TO
ATTEND THE CHARTER, PUBLIC,
PRIVATE, RELIGIOUS OR
INDEPENDENT SCHOOLS OF THEIR
CHOICE.
REPUBLICANS BELIEVE ACCESS TO
EDUCATION IS A CIVIL RIGHT,
IT’S A CIVIL RIGHT.
>> THAT WAS A FANTASTIC
COMMITMENT FROM THE PRESIDENT
LAST NIGHT.
I THINK HE NEEDS TO PUT IT
CENTER STAGE IN HIS REELECTION
CAMPAIGN.
MAKE AMERICA GREAT MEANS EQUAL
OPPORTUNITY FOR EVERY AMERICAN
OF EVERY RACE AND THAT MEANS
SCHOOL CHOICE.
JOINING ME NOW TO DISCUSS MY AUTHORS OF ALWAYS A SOLDIER
AUTHORS OF ALWAYS A SOLDIER
AND TURNING POINT ROB SMITH
AND EDITOR AT LARGE KIRA
DAVIS.
GREAT SEE YOU.
WE WERE TO TALK ABOUT THIS
LAST WEEK BUT THE NEWS AGENDA
INTERVENED, GREAT THAT WE
COULD DO IT THIS WEEK.
KIRA, YOU HAVE USED EXACTLY
THAT LANGUAGE THAT THE
PRESIDENT JUST USE THAT THIS
ISSUE OF SCHOOL CHOICE IS
TODAY’S CIVIL RIGHTS ISSUE.
TELL US WHY YOU THINK THAT.
>> BECAUSE YOUR ZIP CODE
SHOULDN’T DETERMINE YOUR
EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITY AND
ONE OF THE REASONS I’M PRO
SCHOOL CHOICE IS BECAUSE I
HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO RUN AN
AFTERSCHOOL PROGRAM IN THE
INNER-CITY, AND I SAW WHAT
KIDS WERE DEALING WITH, AND I
SAW THAT IT’S ALL GOOD AND
WELL TO SAY WE NEED MORE
MONEY, MORE MONEY, BUT AT THE
END OF THE DAY WHEN WE GOT
MORE MONEY IT STILL WASN’T
IMPROVING THE OUTCOME.
I SAW PARENTS DESPERATE TO GET
THEIR CHILDREN OUT OF THOSE
SCHOOLS AND INTO BETTER
SCHOOLS, AND THEN TO BE LOOKED
AT BY BUREAUCRAT AND SAY WELL,
WE NEED TO GET MORE MONEY,
WILL DO ANOTHER BALLOT MEASURE
I WILL GET MORE MONEY AND
EVERYTHING WILL BE BETTER.
MEANWHILE THERE KIDS ARE AGING
OUT OF THESE FAILING SCHOOLS.
IT IS A CIVIL RIGHTS ISSUE BUT
PARTICULARLY IN THE BLACK
COMMUNITY THIS IS A HUGE ISSUE
FOR OUR COMMUNITY, AND EVERY
CHILD HAS THE RIGHT TO A SOLID
AND GOOD EDUCATION AND IT’S
BEEN MY EXPERIENCE THAT PEOPLE
WHO DON’T HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT
THAT DON’T EVEN THINK ABOUT
HOW AWFUL IT IS TO BE TRAPPED
IN THE COMMUNITY WHERE YOU
DON’T HAVE THE CHOICE TO PICK
ANOTHER SCHOOL THAT WILL SUIT YOUR CHILD’S NEEDS.
YOUR CHILD’S NEEDS.
WE WOULD NEVER EVER BE IN
FAVOR OF GROCERY STORES BEING
ZONED LIKE THAT.
YOU CAN ONLY GO TO THIS ONE’S
GROCERY STORE AND IF IT’S IN
YOUR ZIP CODE THAT’S THE ONLY
ONE.
WE WOULD NEVER DO THAT.
EDUCATION IS FAR MORE
IMPORTANT.
SO THIS IS ABSOLUTELY A SOCIAL
RIGHTS ISSUE OF OUR TIME.
THIS IS AN ISSUE OF BEING ABLE
TO CHOOSE OPPORTUNITY.
>> THAT’S EXACTLY RIGHT.
AS YOU SAID, ALTHOUGH IT
CLEARLY HELPS
AFRICAN-AMERICANS, WERE
TALKING ABOUT EVERYONE.
EVERYONE WOULD BENEFIT FROM
THIS AND THAT’S THE BEAUTY OF
THIS POLICY.
WE TALKED ABOUT THIS BEFORE,
AND YOU MAKE THE POINT, THE
REPUBLICAN PARTY, ALTHOUGH
IDEOLOGICALLY AND IN POLICY
TERMS COMMITTED TO THIS CAUSE
HAVEN’T MADE NEARLY ENOUGH OF
IT IN THE POLITICAL SENSE,
COULD YOU EXPLAIN THAT?
>> WELL, I’LL EXPLAIN THIS, I
DON’T THINK THEY’RE SAYING
ENOUGH ABOUT IT POLITICALLY.
IF YOU LOOK WHERE I AM RIGHT
NOW IN FLORIDA, GOVERNOR
RHONDA SANTOS GOT 18% OF THE
BLACK FEMALE VOTE WHEN HE WAS
RUNNING FOR GOVERNOR.
THE REASON HE GOT THAT
PERCENTAGE OF THE VOTE IS
SCHOOL CHOICE.
THAT IS A STAGGERING NUMBER,
PARTICULARLY FOR
AFRICAN-AMERICAN WOMEN VOTING
FOR REPUBLICAN CANDIDATE AND I
THINK THAT IS NOT SEIZED UPON
BY REPUBLICANS AND BY
CONSERVATIVES AND PEOPLE WHO
ARE PUSHING THIS MESSAGE OUT
THERE.
I AM A VERY BIG PROPONENT OF
SCHOOL CHOICE IN THE REASON
WHY I’M SUCH PROPONENT OF IT
IS BECAUSE I HAVE THE PERSONAL
EXPERIENCE OF HAVING GONE TO
FAIL PUBLIC SCHOOLS FROM AKRON
OHIO. I’M LIKELY PUT MY HIGH SCHOOL
I’M LIKELY PUT MY HIGH SCHOOL
OUT ON BLAB BUT IT’S GRADED F
BY THE OHIO PUBLIC SYSTEM.
IT HAS 6% OF PROFICIENCY, 18%
IN READING PROFESSING FEET.
I GRADUATED WELL OVER A DECADE
AGO AND THIS HAS NOT CHANGED.
I THINK ABOUT HOW MUCH MORE
OPPORTUNITY AND MUCH MORE
OPTIONS I WOULD’VE HAD HAD I
BEEN ABLE TO CHOOSE TO GO TO A
BETTER SCHOOL AND HAVE THAT
CHOICE.
I THINK WE ARE MISSING A MAJOR
CHANCE TO MESSAGE ABOUT
SOMETHING THAT IS REALLY
BENEFICIAL TO PARTICULARLY
AFRICAN AMERICAN FAMILIES WE TALK ABOUT SCHOOL CHOICE.
TALK ABOUT SCHOOL CHOICE.
>> AND LAST POINT, THE THE
POLITICS OF THIS, WE WERE
TALKING EARLIER ABOUT DIVIDING
LINES IN THE ELECTION.
THIS IS SUCH A CLEAR DIVIDING
LINE BECAUSE THE DEMOCRATS ARE TOTALLY AGAINST THIS, MAINLY
TOTALLY AGAINST THIS, MAINLY
BECAUSE OF FUNDING.
THEY’RE COMPLETELY OWNED BY
THE PRIVATE SECTOR UNION,
ESPECIALLY THE TEACHER UNIONS
ARE DEAD AGAINST THIS SO FOR
REPUBLICANS TO CAMPAIGN ON
THIS IS A MASSIVE
OPPORTUNITY.
>> IT’S HUGE.
THEY SHOULD’VE BEEN DOING IT A
LONG TIME AGO BUT IT IS WHAT
IT IS.
YOU HAVE TO MAKE THE DEMOCRATS
TAKE A POSITION ON THIS
BECAUSE THEIR POSITION IS
WRONG AND THE RIGHT POSITION
IS ACTUALLY PART OF THE
REPUBLICAN PLATFORM SO GO
AHEAD AND LET THEM BACK
THEMSELVES INTO A CORNER.
MAKE JOE BIDEN DEFEND WHY A
YOUNG BLACK MOTHER IN THE
INNER-CITY DOES NOT HAVE THE
RIGHT TO MOVE HER CHILD TO A
SCHOOL THAT SAFER AND HAS MORE
EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES.
LET BIDEN DEFEND THAT.
THEY CAN’T AND THAT’S WHY
THEY’RE ALWAYS DISTRACTING.
THIS IS AN ACROSS-THE-BOARD
WINNER.
ROB POINTED OUT EARLIER WITH
WHAT HAPPENED IN FLORIDA,
OVERWHELMINGLY, ESPECIALLY
MINORITY PARENTS ARE IN FAVOR
OF SCHOOL CHOICE AND IT’S
REALLY A BIPARTISAN ISSUE.
I’VE SEEN PEOPLE CROSS THE
AISLE TO VOTE FOR IT.
THERE IS NO LOSING ON THIS.
EXCEPT FROM A POLITICAL
PERSPECTIVE IT A GOOD GUY
VERSUS BAD GUY WHICH IS WHAT
YOU WANT.
THERE’S NO BETTER SITUATION TO
MAKE THE DEMOCRATS THE BAD GUY
IN THIS THAN MAKING THEM
DEFEND WHY A CHILD CAN GO TO A
GOOD SCHOOL.
>> THANK YOU FOR THAT GREAT