Columnists

The month of September is national youth suicide prevention month. September also happens to be childhood cancer awareness month. What youth suicide and childhood cancer have in common is that they can strike any family, in any community, of any religion, race, economic status, or ethnicity. But while childhood cancer is usually not preventable, youth suicide is preventable. But to keep our kids safe, we, the adults in our community, must band together to create a culture that fostered acceptance, inclusion, and connection for all.

All over the country, COVID-19 cases are on the rise, and we are hearing that the virus is now attacking young healthy people, including children. The COVID-19 vaccine is highly effective at reducing the severity of illness from the virus, but, according to the Virginia Department of Health, more than 35% of children in Loudoun County who are eligible to receive the COVID-19 vaccine have not yet been vaccinated.

There has been a lot of noise in our community these past few months about public education. The volume of that noise has been amplified by the national news media who reward the loudest screamers with appearances on prime-time TV. So, why the kerfuffle, and what is really going on in our schools?

When public school teachers in the Commonwealth of Virginia refuse to honor a student’s asserted name and pronouns because it conflicts with that teacher’s religious beliefs, they are breaking the law and, soon, they will be violating the terms of their employment.