Macron’s centrist alliance has more seats than any other group in the lower chamber. The no-confidence motions needed the backing of half the seats in the National Assembly to pass. The Senate, dominated by conservatives who back the retirement plan, approved the legislation last week. The no-confidence motions were filed by lawmakers furious that Macron ordered the use of special constitutional powers to force through an unpopular bill raising the retirement age without giving them a vote. “The government is already dead in the eyes of the French, it doesn't have any legitimacy any more.”įar-right leader Marine Le Pen said her group would file a request for the Constitutional Council to examine the bill Tuesday and possibly censure it. to bring both the government down and its reform down,” hard-left lawmaker Mathilde Panot said. (SOUNDBITE OF MIRAA MAY SONG, "INTERNET TROLLS") Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.The tight result in the first vote led some leftist lawmakers to immediately call for Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne to resign. They will meet with the hope of, if not agreeing about anything, at least hearing each other out. HAGI: The dialogue initiative will conclude with a public meeting of about 150 people tonight. Our kids deserve better, and what they have seen in the last several years has not been the best of us. She's a college professor with three kids in the system.ĭONICA HADLEY: We just - we need to do better. HAGI: To rebuild trust between parents and schools is what Donica Hadley is hoping for. That combined with the culture wars almost created a wedge between parents and schools. SHOWKER: I think kids being at home with lockdowns and doing all their classes online led parents really across the nation to be more cognizant of the instruction that was going on in the buildings. HAGI: Joe Showker is a retiree who says he's conservative with traditional family values that include being a good citizen and coexisting with people you disagree with. JOE SHOWKER: It was very productive and very, quite frankly, inspiring. One woman shared about her child attempting to take their life, and that's so hard to hear. One of her three kids is transgender.ĬECILLE DEASON: It's very emotional because these are real things that are happening to people. HAGI: Sometimes these conversations got tense, says Cecille Deason. On the opposite side, you have parents who are going to give their child full autonomy as soon as they're able to express themselves. He doesn't want anyone on the margins to be treated poorly, but he says many parents in the county want to retain control over their kids' gender identity.ĭAVE DEAN: Some parents, on one side, don't want their child to have any autonomy until they leave home. He's a lifelong county resident on the conservative side. HAGI: One of the ground rules was trying to understand differences rather than judge them. The retired English teacher says she leans lightly left and thought these conversations were constructive because they started with.ĭEE GRIMM: Personal stories and backgrounds because when you bring that to the table, suddenly people become human. Reporters were asked to leave for this part of the event, but later I called some participants, including Dee Grimm. HAGI: The group is about to respond to prompted discussion questions while sharing a meal. All of them came with various political viewpoints and religious values.īARNES: You'll notice also that there have been some communication agreements on your table. They sit at round tables in a meeting room at a small local college. HAGI: Barnes sets a calm tone as 80 people look on. Her job is to facilitate civil public discourse.ĬATHERINE BARNES: How do we hold on to that which is precious about values and traditions in Rockingham while at the same time adapting and growing in response to 21st century developments? HAGI: The yelling and screaming caused district leaders to hire a professional peace builder. UNIDENTIFIED PERSON #2: Stop with the socialist brainwashing of my children, and put God back in schools. UNIDENTIFIED PERSON #1: If God exists, God. RANDI B HAGI, BYLINE: School board meetings in Rockingham County used to erupt in screaming matches over pandemic restrictions, how racial history is taught and how to treat transgender students. From member station WMRA in Harrisonburg, Randi B. Rockingham County, Va., is in the Shenandoah Valley, and they're working to bring those who disagree about public education and transgender students to the same table and possibly the same page. As arguments continue to flare across the country about what is best for kids in schools, one community is trying to turn the heat down.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |