We lived through the shootings Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene lies about — her conspiracy theories threaten our students’ education and safety
By Abbey Clements, Sarah Lerner and Randi Weingarten
Two of us are survivors of two of the worst school shootings in American history, and the other is the president of the American Federation of Teachers. Combined, we have more than 50 years of experience in the classroom. We know firsthand the toll of gun violence. We understand too well the destructive role conspiracy theories play in attempting to silence survivors and end efforts to make America safer from gun violence.
We are appalled by the state of the Republican Party and are deeply concerned that its ongoing identity crisis will continue to have dangerous ripple effects in our communities. After GOP leaders drove a lie for months that the 2020 presidential election was somehow stolen — and even as Republican ties with extremist groups are under scrutiny — they now must decide, for the safety of all Americans, whether they will continue to embrace and side with the extremism and conspiracy theories set ablaze by their politicking.
Over the last few weeks, we as a nation have been bombarded with images and voices of opposition to reality, opposition to truth, opposition to safety and opposition to democracy.
While we are only three of many joining the chorus of voices that have called on the Republican leadership to stand firmly against the disinformation and conspiracies that have led to such violence as the Capitol riots, we believe, as educators, it is especially critical for us to speak out to say that Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) should not serve on the House Education and Labor Committee.
Greene propagates conspiracy theories and has harassed Stoneman Douglas High School shooting survivor David Hogg in person and online. Yes, it is important that Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell spoke out against Greene, but where is the Republican choir? Mostly silent. Greene is not a lone wolf; she is protected by most of her Republican colleagues, including House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.), who has yet to publicly repudiate her words and actions. It is sickening to conceptualize that a voting member of the House Education and Labor Committee could be someone who has openly perpetuated violent conspiracy theories and harassed survivors of gun violence — not to mention having intentionally spread disinformation to sow distrust and hatred.
Because of Leader McCarthy’s refusal to take action, the US House of Representatives will vote on Thursday whether to remove Rep. Greene from her committee roles because of her continued espousing of conspiracy theories around school shootings.
Let’s be clear: Conspiracy theories are intended to manipulate opinion away from fact, and claims that mass shootings are staged are perpetuated by gun extremists for a specific reason: to silence the powerful voices of survivors of gun violence who are at the center of the gun safety movement. Firearms are the leading cause of death in children and teens in America. That fact should cause the average American to be outraged over this public health crisis, but data itself doesn’t move the public in this polarized world. It is hearing the words of mothers, fathers and children who have experienced violence, tragedy, fear, loss and pain firsthand that truly leads to understanding and encourages voters to demand change. Gun extremists refute, bully and deny these experiences to squelch calls for change, including policies to keep weapons out of capitol buildings across the country. In the weeks since the insurrection on Jan. 6, many GOP lawmakers have been so brazen as to bring weapons into the Capitol, refusing to let their bags be searched by Capitol Police or to go through newly installed metal detectors — which children have been having to do for years in schools.
Conspiracy theories that normalize gun extremism were a cause of the Jan. 6 insurrection. Former President Donald Trump’s incendiary, racist rhetoric was a call to action for white nationalists, and it left our country and U.S. Capitol vulnerable to vigilantism and violence. When paired with disinformation and narratives meant to drive division, the results are toxic and tragic. On Jan. 6, congressional staffers and legislators ran for their lives and had to find safe places to hide; they cowered under seats and behind barricaded doors, just like we did with our students in Newtown, Conn., and Parkland, Fla.
Even after such a traumatizing event, there were still those in the GOP who went back to the House floor to vote to overturn the 2020 election. They themselves have now been added to the club of gun violence survivors, but instead of chastising the insurrectionists, they call them “patriots.”
Our democracy is at risk due to the normalizing of lies shielded by the patriotic-sounding sound bite of “protecting our freedom.” If Republicans in Congress really want unity and broad-based freedom, they will cast out the insidious forces within their party, like Greene, who are willfully distorting the concept of freedom.
Communities of color are particularly at risk due to the dangerous rhetoric repeated before and throughout Trump’s presidency, from “birtherism” to “otherism.” From over policing and the school-to-prison pipeline, to racist stand-your-ground laws, families in Black and brown communities are even more susceptible to vigilantism and violence. We should be outraged to hear that Rep. Cori Bush (D-Mo.) asked for an office change due to bullying and berating from Greene and her staff, and that Greene attempted to force Reps. IIhan Omar (D-Minn.) and Rashida Tlaib (D-Mich.), both Muslims, to retake their oaths on a Bible. Our democracy and the lives of Americans are at stake when lies are normalized and disguised as protecting patriotism and freedom.
Our students are paying attention. They have endured endless lockdown and active-shooter drills, which have been shown to have an effect on children’s well-being. In October 2018, we gathered with 100 educators and students from across the country to draft a Students’ Bill of Rights at the Student Gun Violence Summit. The document has 14 asks, including increased mental health programs, eradicating systemic oppression, enacting common sense gun laws, and more.
We teach our students to seek out the truth, to research facts and ideologies, and to listen to primary sources. We teach them to debate when faced with opposing ideas, formulate their own opinions and not support others whose beliefs are not in line with theirs, even if it means calling them out, respectfully. We ask the leaders of the Republican Party to resist this downward slope of extremism, to call out lies and denounce conspiracy theories for the sake of our children, institutions, progress and the future of our democracy.
To our fellow survivors of gun violence across the country, and the families of those killed and injured in our tragedies and in the endless numbers of other tragedies that have occurred, we hear you, we see you, and we will keep speaking out for a safer country. We will continue to elevate your stories and your truths, especially during Gun Violence Survivor Week (Feb. 1–7).
Abbey Clements continued to teach at Sandy Hook Elementary School for a few years after the tragic shootings on Dec. 14, 2012, and now teaches at another elementary school in Newtown, Conn. She is an advocate for gun violence prevention.
Sarah Lerner teaches English and journalism and is an adviser for the yearbook at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Fla. She is the editor of the book Parkland Speaks, published by Random House. You can follow her on Twitter @mrs_lerner.
Randi Weingarten is president of the 1.7 million-member American Federation of Teachers, which represents teachers; paraprofessionals and school-related personnel; higher education faculty and staff; nurses and other healthcare professionals; local, state and federal government employees; and early childhood educators. The AFT is dedicated to the belief that every person in America deserves the freedom to thrive, fueled by opportunity, justice and a voice in our democracy.
