Over the weekend two elected officials in the Tunstall District of Pittsylvania County, Virginia issued a joint statement together about school issues that have been a subject of debate and controversy in the region and throughout the entire state. Their district lays right outside of Danville, Virginia. The two officials are George Henderson who serves on the school board and Vic Ingram who is a member of the board of supervisors. Their statement reads as the following:
The following is an cooperative letter from Vic Ingram, Tunstall District Supervisor, Pittsylvania County Board of Supervisors and George Henderson, Tunstall District Representative, Pittsylvania County School Board.
We both ran for our respective offices solely to serve the citizens of the Tunstall District and corporately the Citizens of Pittsylvania County. It is our desire to be open, transparent, honest and available to our constituents. We have an obligation to serve our citizens and to uphold our respective oaths of office.
With the current state of affairs one can easily see where we as your representatives are placed in a quandary. A divide if you will, between serving our citizens and children and being in compliance with mandates beyond our control. So let us address each specific issue.
Masks and Vaccines
We both believe that wearing a mask and taking the vaccine should be the total and exclusive right of parents. Unfortunately, when a higher authority requires that we are mandated to submit to a specific order you have no choice but to comply. Realizing that there are exceptions to this rule such as a medical exemption, parents should look into other possibilities.
To us, the biggest issue here is to take care of each other. Sadly, at the last school board meeting on August 10th, there were at least two individuals in attendance that we were told had tested positive for Covid-19, this is dangerous, reckless and totally unacceptable. So if you or a family member have tested positive, please be considerate of others and practice the prescribed safety measures. We further believe that the mandated safety protocol should be left up to each respective county. Comparing Pittsylvania County to Loudoun County is not a fair and equitable comparison. To achieve the change that is desired locally it has to start in Richmond and Washington. Whom we elect we are subsequently submissive to.
Both of our families have been tragically affected by this horrible virus. It is very real and deadly but unfortunately has been convoluted by politics. The bottom line is that we must work together, mask up when necessary and take the vaccine, if you choose.
CRT
We do not support the theory and subsequent teaching of Critical Race Theory. We believe that America is the greatest country on Earth and is not systematically racist. We do acknowledge that throughout the years we have made mistakes, whether it be in relationship to war or social issues. We believe that the difference between living in peace and total anarchy is law enforcement. Men and women who serve sacrificially to protect and serve us all. We believe CRT is divisive and should not be taught. We believe that teaching the proven and established history of this great land is critical. Teaching established history to future generations will convey an appreciation of where we have come and how to avoid future conflict. We believe that our children should be taught the factual side of history, both good and bad. Our history should not be changed or perverted. It should be taught with understanding, respect, and a passionate desire to continue to do better. No topic should be taught where children are encouraged to evaluate others based on their country of origin or the color of their skin.
Transgender Issues
We believe that in the beginning God created man and woman. We do not believe that God made a mistake when he created two separate genders. We are fearfully and wonderfully made for companionship and to reproduce thus allowing for future generations. We reject the social concept of transgender identities. We do not believe nor support members of a certain sex using the restroom or playing sports of the other’s gender. However, we will not discriminate against any student and will work to make reasonable accommodations for that individual. We acknowledge that our beliefs may not be acceptable to some, however; we are a democratic society and we must work for the common good of the majority. We will not yield and sacrifice our values and beliefs for a select few individuals.”
You can find this statement as originally posted, with contact information, on a Facebook post made by Vic Ingram here with this link.
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-Mike
