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  • 2 months ago
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00:00Schools rebel after superintendent orders moment of silence for Kirk.
00:05An Oklahoma father has spoken out against a directive from the state's top education
00:09official that asked schools to hold a statewide moment of silence to honor conservative activist
00:14Charlie Kirk.
00:16The father described the plan as a violation of his family's rights and said he refused
00:20to allow his son to participate.
00:22Charlie Kirk, founder of the conservative student group Turning Point USA, was killed
00:27on September 10th during a campus event at Utah Valley.
00:31In a letter to parents, Walters asked schools to pause at noon on September 16th to honor
00:36Charlie Kirk's legacy, praising him as someone who empowered the next generation with courage
00:41and conviction.
00:42The directive drew immediate backlash from some parents and districts.
00:46Marshall Wayne Thomas, whose 16-year-old son attends Ardmore High School, said he was stunned
00:51after receiving Walters' email.
00:53I was really shocked and I was hurt because I think that Charlie Kirk was a rather controversial
00:58figure and a lot of people have a lot of mixed reactions, Marshall Wayne Thomas said.
01:03Marshall Wayne Thomas said he reviewed Charlie Kirk's public statements with his son before
01:07deciding.
01:09We watched some videos and reels and I asked for his opinion.
01:13He agreed it wasn't something he wanted to do or was ready to support, Marshall Wayne Thomas
01:17explained.
01:18They chose to keep him home.
01:20Ardmore Public Schools also declined to observe the remembrance.
01:24Other districts, including Edmond, Norman, Tulsa, Yukon, and Jenks, also declined to add
01:29an extra moment of silence.
01:31Since 2002, Oklahoma law has mandated a daily moment of silence in public schools, allowing
01:37students to reflect, meditate, pray, or sit quietly at their discretion.
01:42Walters defended his call for the tribute and told outlets,
01:45It speaks volumes that the same schools rushing to host pride parades, promote Black Lives Matter
01:51rallies, and strip American flags from students can't spare even a moment of silence for a
01:56man who dedicated his life to America, truth, and faith.
02:00Charlie Kirk inspired a generation to think for themselves, embrace free speech, and engage
02:05in meaningful debate, values that some school districts clearly don't want their students
02:09to hear.
02:10His brutal murder was an act of political violence, and refusing to honor him reveals just how
02:16out of step these districts are with Oklahoma families.
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