Last week, a 10-year-old boy was bullied, not by another student online, but by an adult writing on official government stationery. The boy is Christian Mango, a fourth grader at Canterbury School in Greensboro. The bully is 82-year-old Virginia Foxx, an 11-term Congresswoman serving North Carolina’s fifth district, who represents some 750,000 people, including young master Mango.
Here’s how it all went down. Christian was given a school assignment in persuasive writing, so he elected to write his Congresswoman to persuade her to support a $5,000 tax rebate for anyone who purchases a new electric vehicle.
Instead of saying how impressed she was with his concern for the environment, Foxx criticized Christian’s teacher for spreading propaganda. Her malicious missive didn’t stop there. Wrote Foxx, “My guess is that your teachers will not give you a good educational experience and help you learn to think, as they are too interested in indoctrinating you.”
What the f**k, Virginia?! We’re talking about a 10-year-old child, not someone at the EPA who just leaked government secrets to the Russians. This boy did nothing to disparage or attack you. He just wanted to engage you in a dialogue about a policy issue.
I don’t know Christian Mango, but it turns out that I do know about being 10 years old and writing something I thought was important. It was 1964, and my Cub Scout leader encouraged me to enter the Freedom Foundation’s annual essay competition. The theme of my paper was “Why I Love America.” Imagine my surprise when I received word that I had won. The award consisted of a bronze medallion with my name inscribed right under a profile of George Washington. I was on cloud nine because my parents, teachers, and scout leader all bragged on me. That’s how adults are supposed to act when a 10-year-old boy takes the initiative to write about his beliefs. Without that kind of positive reinforcement, a kid could become discouraged. Virginia Foxx should know that because she used to be a teacher.
Ms. Foxx appeared on my television show a number of times back when she was still new to the Washington scene. In those days, we got along quite well, so much so that in 2005, she presented a resolution to Congress that recognized Triad Today for our commitment to voter education. Interestingly enough, she also used that occasion to praise the news media for the crucial role it plays in society. It was a grand gesture from a woman who began her political career as a hard-working advocate for her constituents. Her tireless efforts in that regard harkened back to her youth when she worked part-time as a school janitor in order to help support her family. Somewhere along the way, though, Virginia morphed into a very angry person who is increasingly given to rude outbursts when anyone asks or says something that she doesn’t like.
Three years ago, I wrote a column titled “Time for Foxx to Retire”. In that article, I recounted how she had frightened senior citizens away from supporting the Affordable Care Act by telling them that Obama intended to establish “death camps” for older people. She once called the brutal murder of Matthew Shepard a hoax. She defended the actions of insurrectionists on Jan. 6 and, right afterward, threw a temper tantrum when asked to walk through metal detectors leading to the House Chamber. Two years ago, when fellow Republican colleague Byron Donalds was speaking with reporters, Foxx yelled at him, saying, “Get away from the damned elevator. Move!” And her bullying ways were also on display at an impromptu press conference for newly elected House Speaker Mike Johnson. On that day, a reporter from ABC News asked Johnson about his role in trying to overturn the 2020 election. But before the affable Johnson could even respond, Foxx pushed her way in front of the gaggle and shouted to the reporter, “Shut up! Shut Up!” This from a woman who once praised the fourth estate as a “guardian of democracy.”
Obviously, my column back in 2023 did not persuade Ms. Foxx to retire, but perhaps widespread negative reaction to her exchange with Christian Mango will succeed where I had failed. In fact, last week, Michael Garrett, who represents Guilford County in the state legislature, called on Foxx to resign. Writing on Facebook, Garrett said, “You do not slam the door on a child reaching for democracy…a child wrote you a letter…and you called his teachers liars. That is not policy disagreement. That is a loss of soul. It is time to go.”
For what it’s worth, I second that sentiment. First, because I know what it feels like to be a 10-year-old boy seeking validation from adults, and second, because as Capt. Woodrow Call said in “Lonesome Dove,” “I can’t stand rude behavior.” Virginia, I don’t know why you have become so angry and so intolerant, but at this point, I really don’t care. To quote Debbie Harry, “Don’t go away mad, just go away.”
(Way Past) Time for Foxx to Retire
Last week, a 10-year-old boy was bullied, not by another student online, but by an adult writing on official government stationery. The boy is Christian Mango, a fourth grader at Canterbury School in Greensboro. The bully is 82-year-old Virginia Foxx, an 11-term Congresswoman serving North Carolina’s fifth district, who represents some 750,000 people, including young master Mango.
Here’s how it all went down. Christian was given a school assignment in persuasive writing, so he elected to write his Congresswoman to persuade her to support a $5,000 tax rebate for anyone who purchases a new electric vehicle.
Instead of saying how impressed she was with his concern for the environment, Foxx criticized Christian’s teacher for spreading propaganda. Her malicious missive didn’t stop there. Wrote Foxx, “My guess is that your teachers will not give you a good educational experience and help you learn to think, as they are too interested in indoctrinating you.”
What the f**k, Virginia?! We’re talking about a 10-year-old child, not someone at the EPA who just leaked government secrets to the Russians. This boy did nothing to disparage or attack you. He just wanted to engage you in a dialogue about a policy issue.
I don’t know Christian Mango, but it turns out that I do know about being 10 years old and writing something I thought was important. It was 1964, and my Cub Scout leader encouraged me to enter the Freedom Foundation’s annual essay competition. The theme of my paper was “Why I Love America.” Imagine my surprise when I received word that I had won. The award consisted of a bronze medallion with my name inscribed right under a profile of George Washington. I was on cloud nine because my parents, teachers, and scout leader all bragged on me. That’s how adults are supposed to act when a 10-year-old boy takes the initiative to write about his beliefs. Without that kind of positive reinforcement, a kid could become discouraged. Virginia Foxx should know that because she used to be a teacher.
Ms. Foxx appeared on my television show a number of times back when she was still new to the Washington scene. In those days, we got along quite well, so much so that in 2005, she presented a resolution to Congress that recognized Triad Today for our commitment to voter education. Interestingly enough, she also used that occasion to praise the news media for the crucial role it plays in society. It was a grand gesture from a woman who began her political career as a hard-working advocate for her constituents. Her tireless efforts in that regard harkened back to her youth when she worked part-time as a school janitor in order to help support her family. Somewhere along the way, though, Virginia morphed into a very angry person who is increasingly given to rude outbursts when anyone asks or says something that she doesn’t like.
Three years ago, I wrote a column titled “Time for Foxx to Retire”. In that article, I recounted how she had frightened senior citizens away from supporting the Affordable Care Act by telling them that Obama intended to establish “death camps” for older people. She once called the brutal murder of Matthew Shepard a hoax. She defended the actions of insurrectionists on Jan. 6 and, right afterward, threw a temper tantrum when asked to walk through metal detectors leading to the House Chamber. Two years ago, when fellow Republican colleague Byron Donalds was speaking with reporters, Foxx yelled at him, saying, “Get away from the damned elevator. Move!” And her bullying ways were also on display at an impromptu press conference for newly elected House Speaker Mike Johnson. On that day, a reporter from ABC News asked Johnson about his role in trying to overturn the 2020 election. But before the affable Johnson could even respond, Foxx pushed her way in front of the gaggle and shouted to the reporter, “Shut up! Shut Up!” This from a woman who once praised the fourth estate as a “guardian of democracy.”
Obviously, my column back in 2023 did not persuade Ms. Foxx to retire, but perhaps widespread negative reaction to her exchange with Christian Mango will succeed where I had failed. In fact, last week, Michael Garrett, who represents Guilford County in the state legislature, called on Foxx to resign. Writing on Facebook, Garrett said, “You do not slam the door on a child reaching for democracy…a child wrote you a letter…and you called his teachers liars. That is not policy disagreement. That is a loss of soul. It is time to go.”
For what it’s worth, I second that sentiment. First, because I know what it feels like to be a 10-year-old boy seeking validation from adults, and second, because as Capt. Woodrow Call said in “Lonesome Dove,” “I can’t stand rude behavior.” Virginia, I don’t know why you have become so angry and so intolerant, but at this point, I really don’t care. To quote Debbie Harry, “Don’t go away mad, just go away.”