A mother of a 10-year-old boy has condemned Rep. Virginia Foxx (R-N.C.) for a harsh letter criticizing her son's essay on electric vehicles, accusing the child's teachers of indoctrinating him.
Foxx's Letter to Christian Mango
In a letter posted by his mother, Emily Mango, on Instagram, Foxx wrote, "Ask your teacher to explain propaganda to you." The 82-year-old representative continued, "While I will never be able to know, 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. How sad."
Mother's Response
Emily Mango slammed Foxx's response as "a demoralizing, reprehensible response" in a subsequent Instagram post. She praised her son's teachers as "amazing teachers who are lifelines for these kids" and told Foxx that "teachers don't deserve the contempt and disrespect you have shown."
Background of the Essay
Christian, a fourth grader, had been assigned to write a persuasive essay on a topic of his choice and mail it to an influential decision-maker, according to his mother. He researched electric vehicles and proposed a $5,000 tax rebate for new EVs. He told a local outlet that EVs are "better than normal cars. They're better for the environment. They pay less. And there's no gas."
In his essay, Christian wrote, "Maybe there is still a chance for 6.5 million people to not die anymore and for the weather to get better just maybe glaciers stop melting."
Foxx's Detailed Response
Foxx began her letter cordially but argued that Christian's proposal "means that the federal government must take that money out of the pockets of hardworking people who may not have the means to buy an electric vehicle in the first place." She warned about the rising national debt, telling the 10-year-old, "YOU and your classmates will be responsible for that debt."
Foxx cited articles from conservative outlets, including The Washington Times headline "Losing its cool? Climate movement takes hits as Trump wages onslaught, leftists pivot," before accusing Christian's teachers of failing to teach him independent thinking.
Public Reaction
Emily Mango concluded her response by telling Foxx, "You crossed a line when you attacked a child and attacked teachers. You don't deserve to be on a Committee for Education when you talk to children like this and think so lowly of teachers." She added, "Please set a better example."
