On a J. Evans Pritchard scale weighing the depth of hypocrisy against the extent of all the pain and problems it causes, Cooper’s veto of the school reopening bill is hard to beat.
Consider his public statements a month ago at a press briefing he announced to “strongly urge that all schools provide in person learning for their students.” For context, it was a Tuesday after (a) NC parents made national news over the weekend rallying outside the governor’s mansion to demand schools be reopened and (b) legislators announced the popular, bipartisan bill to do just that.
In the other instance, he is explaining his opposition to that bill. He has strongly urged something else entirely; i.e., that wayward Democrats had better fall in line and realize their first priority is to the Party, not to constituents, and definitely not to parents and students.
I’m mixing Cooper’s quotations around a bit. See if you can tell the difference anyway:
• “Our number one priority has been getting our children safely back into the classroom.”
• “I veto the bill.”
• “We know school is important for reasons beyond academic construction. School is where students learn social skills, get reliable meals and find their voices, and teachers and staff play an important role in keeping students safe by identified cases of abuse, hunger, homelessness and other challenges that students face outside of school.”
• “The bill threatens public health.”
• “We’ve learned much more about this virus, and now it’s time to get our children back into the classroom.”
• “I veto the bill.”
• “Research done right here in North Carolina tells us that in person learning is working and that students can be in classrooms safely with the right safety protocols in place.”
• “The bill threatens public health.”
• “I’m joined by our state education leaders to strongly urge that all schools provide in person learning for their students.”
• “I veto the bill.”
• “Students who are ready to return to the classrooms should have that chance.”
• “I veto the bill.”
