Candidate for North Carolina superintendent calls election ‘American Revolution 2.0’

A North Carolina superintendent candidate says her comments about the Nov. 5 general election being “American Revolution 2.0” are a reference to the “war” that families are waging in and against public schools.

Michele Morrow, the Republican candidate to lead the state’s public schools, wrote in a late September message to Republican groups: “If we lose NC, we lose the White House and our future.” Our children are under attack. This is the American Revolution 2.0! Either we fight voluntarily now, or we will be forced to fight on November 6th. This is war, ladies and gentlemen! Which side of history will you be on?”

The message was posted on the Wake Forest Area Republican Club website on Sept. 30 and was attributed to her. It attracted the attention of political opponents, who criticized Morrow for statements advocating political violence.

Morrow, a former nurse and homeschool mother, is in a tough race with Democrat Mo Green, a longtime public school system administrator.

In a statement to WRAL News on Thursday, she attempted to clarify that she was only speaking figuratively in the Sept. 30 message.

“I am in no way calling for violence of any kind,” Morrow said in the statement. “Parents feel like they are at war with the failing school system, and students who are bullied and beaten at school also feel like their schools are a war zone. Our children are suffering and they need a school leader who will fight for them.” Bullying, sexual assault or violent attacks in our schools will not be covered up. My choice of words reflects the feelings of students and parents, and that is the fight I will continue regardless of whether I am elected principal.”

An Elon University poll in August found that 70% of North Carolinians have concerns about violence after this election or during the inauguration.

“Voters are very sensitive to candidates’ language that is associated with violence,” said Jason Husser, director of the Elon University poll.

“It’s been quite disturbing to people, especially given the events of January 6th to the assassination attempts on Trump and a lot of other bad things that have happened over the last four, four or five years,” he said, referring to the riots at the US Capitol on January 13th. 6. 2021.

Morrow, who was at the Capitol that day but says she did not enter the building, previously called for violence in social media posts after the 2020 presidential election. Morrow had called for the military to be used to keep former President Donald Trump in office. She previously called for the deaths of numerous Democratic and philanthropic leaders, including the pay-per-view execution of former President Barack Obama, so the government could make money.

She told The 74 – a national education news outlet – that the posts were written in jest.

David McLennan, a professor of political science at Meredith College, said Morrow’s recent comments are inseparable from her previous comments – or more generally from the comments of other Republican politicians or activists.

“The political discourse has become very extreme, including calls for violence from the former president and others,” McLennan said. “And I think that Morrow’s comments really concern people here because it’s not just an isolated case of a war on guards in the classroom, but as part of a broader approach to this election season – it’s really a war between different ones Beliefs.” systems and different cultures and that others have been more vocal in calling for violence.”

The superintendent position oversees the distribution of more than $13 billion in state and federal funds and supports the work of school systems across the state. Some parents told WRAL News Thursday that Morrow’s comments made them uncomfortable.

“Their approach was way too aggressive,” said Ajani Kapri, a father of two from Wake County. “Something like educating children cannot be called a war. It’s not a war. It’s more of a struggle if you want to put it that way, but the way you word things actually matters.”

Tomorrow’s message, dated September 30, urged her supporters in Wake County to attend a school board meeting to support her and a pastor known for disrupting school board meetings. She called it a “free” campaign “advertising” and asked people to buy campaign T-shirts in advance to coordinate. A few dozen people wearing Morrow shirts attended the meeting.

Pastor John Amanchukwu accused board members of violating state laws because books were available in schools. Board members said that was not the case and that the state law he was referring to does not regulate library books. Amanchukwu called for “justice” for a 10th-grader who withdrew from her Wake County high school after reading a paragraph in an English assignment that contained a description of incest.

Amanchukwu was eventually escorted out of the building and briefly handcuffed after he refused to leave the podium at the end of his three-minute public statement.

Morrow supporters filmed the incident and most of them left the meeting with Amanchukwu.

Morrow was at the meeting but left before Amanchukwu spoke.

“Wake County Public Schools has refused to respect the will of conservative parents and has chosen to advance dangerous ideologies rather than academic excellence,” Morrow said in Thursday’s statement.

The girl’s father later told WRAL News that Morrow never contacted the girl or her family.