Ep. 46 "Our Children and Country" - Guest Senator Bill Stanley

In September, NWEF held an awareness Luncheon titled, “Our Children & Country” where concerned citizens, school board members, and parents gathered to learn more about the mission, vision, and impact of Noah Webster Educational Foundation. Today’s episode gives a sneak peak of the great content that was shared by two of our speakers, one of which was Melvin Adams himself! 

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– WHAT IS THE NOAH WEBSTER EDUCATIONAL FOUNDATION? –

Noah Webster Educational Foundation collaborates with individuals and organizations to tell the story of America’s education and culture; discover foundational principles that improve it; and advance practice and policy to change it.

Website: https://www.nwef.org
Reach out: info@nwef.org

Transcript

STANLEY: I’m senator Bill Stanley, I represent the 20th district which soon may be turning into the 7th district after redistricting. [00:37:30] I was put in the 20th district because the democrats were determined to gain the majority in the Virginia senate. 

And when I met Melvin Adams, we were replacing a very good senator who ran for congress and won, and Melvin and I actually ran against each other in a primary. And what we proved even though I won is that friends who have the same kinds of ideas can run together and still run on those ideas [00:38:00] and then from there, no matter who the victor is, we still run together because it is the results that matter most. 

And that’s what this foundation’s all about. Why does it matter? What differences can it make? Too often we’re told by the media and everyone else that you can make no difference. “Sit back, we’ve got this.” That is what has gotten us in this position on this very day. [00:38:30] 

I’m looking around here. We all have jobs. We have families. We have things that we take care of and that’s what the liberals and liberal media depend on us for. To go back, we may make a stink, we may say, “Hey that’s not right.” But then we kinda recede as the tide. 

We go back to our lives and just want to be left alone. We want our freedom. But we don’t understand sometimes and sometimes forget what Thomas Jefferson Said to us all as he made this great nation. [00:39:00] Yes! I said, Thomas Jefferson. I know I’m not supposed to say that anymore, but he said, “Vigilance is the eternal price of liberty.” 

And vigilance is what the Noah Webster Educational Foundation requires us to do. It is the vehicle, that vigilance that he speaks of. Do you know how I know? As a state senator for the past two years, I’ve watched a liberal majority in the House [00: 39:30] of Delegates, the State Senate, and the Governor’s Mansion run rough-shod over the commonwealth of Virginia. 

We were in a special session, and I was talking about this for 185 days, after the George Floyd death where we heard how bad we are in the commonwealth of Virginia and how bad the police were.

And there, they were chanting to defund the police. 

We radically changed the enforcement of our laws. And we also did was pass a policy [00:40:00] that required all school systems to pass a transgender equity policy. And thank God most of them had not, by the way. 

And I’ve been called by many of them. They said, “You must adopt policies, the first policy is 1) don’t allow bullying, 2) keep your students' records private.” That’s policies, you’re done. You don’t have to do it anymore. 

What it did was set off the firestorm we now see today. [00:40:30] Because at my other full-time job, I’m an attorney. My law office is right here in Moneta. I came here to practice law with my mother, who, like my father, read Up from Slavery by Booker T. Washington and believed that education was great, not only equalizer but could break the cycle of poverty as it did for him, which gave me the opportunities I now have, praise the Lord for that. 

But more importantly, as an attorney, [00:41:00] I like to fight for the little guy. And I have the honor and privilege, unfortunately for the circumstances, of representing the smith family. Smith seems to be a very general name to many of us. But it’s not to the people of Loudoun County. 

For the Smith family, their daughter attended a high school in Loudoun county, was in a restroom, and because of their transgender policies, a male student who decided for himself that day because he was gender fluid, [00:41:30] that he would put on a skirt, that he was a woman and therefore entitled to walk into that bathroom and he brutally attacked the Smith’s daughter. 

In fact, we probably would not have heard about this, we’re all in the pandemic, and this law we just talked about is being debated. It would be the most radical law in the Loudoun County School Board. And the Loudoun County officials said, “Mr. and Mrs. Smith, do not talk about your daughter's case, we are handling it.” [00:42:00] 

And then something happened at that June meeting. The superintendent was asked by a school board member, “Is it true that a person utilizing the transgender policy was wearing a skirt, walked into the women's bathroom, and sexually assaulted one of our female students?” 

And the superintendent said, “No, that never happened.” Scott Smith stood up, and by the way, Scott Smith was a democrat, and said, “That’s a lie.” [00:42:30] and the transgender activist grabbed him in that school board meeting and spun him around and as he turned, the Loudoun County Sherriff’s department tackled him to the ground, bloodying his nose. 

You’ve seen that picture of Scott Smith on the ground with his nose bloody and his shirt halfway up, being arrested, and manhandled. For what? For being a parent. [00:43:00] It’s the iconic photo of what the liberals call a domestic terrorist. 

They called him a domestic terrorist for doing just that: standing up for his daughter, wanting the truth to be known, and speaking out against a policy that put his daughter in harm's way. Because they were picking politics and equity over truth and the safety of our children. [00:43:30] 

He was arrested and charged with obstruction of justice, and disorderly conduct. Ladies and gentlemen, originally he had another attorney at the time he was convicted of those charges. He appealed. But the interesting part was, George Soros in an election not too long before that had given hundreds of thousands of dollars to a commonwealth attorney, Buta Biberaj, to change the equity of how the laws were enforced [00:44:00] in Loudoun County. 

She decided for herself that she supported the parents that were for the trans policy, that were doxxing the parents that stood up against that policy, including the Smith family, and ultimately, she decided (even though she had 27 or 30 lawyers in the commonwealth attorney’s office) she was going to prosecute Scott Smith herself. And she asked for jail time at the same time she let out a person who’d beaten his wife to a bloody pulp, on personal cognizance bail, [00:44:30] who then later killed his wife. 

And yet, she thought this parent who had stood up to the falsehoods being taught in the school, the policies that were misguided that would put their kids in harm’s way, because they knew best about their children—should go to jail. 

He hired me. And we’ve been winning ever since. [00:45:00] In May, we got the obstruction of justice charge dismissed. And then I moved to have the Geroge Soros attorney pulled off the case because she’s biased. What she does is she has the effect of us having a lack of trust in the impartiality of that institution, known as the prosecutor’s office. 

And so the judge said exactly that and removed her from the case. And now we will go get justice for Mr. Smith. [00:45:30] The moral to this story brings me right back here to the Noah Webster Educational Foundation. 

Because if Scott Smith had not stood up for his daughter, if he had not turned from a passive father listening into an activist, had not become the symbol of all of us parents who wish that we had the guts that he had that day to stand up for what’s right. [00:46:00]

Because usually we sit in inactivity, then we would probably not know the degree to which our school boards have been pushing an equity trans policy that is dangerous, we would not find that sexually explicit books are in our libraries, we would not know that CRT is being taught [00:46:30] to our children, where white children are now the oppressor and black children are the oppressed, creating more racism. 

We’d probably not know that unless an activist parent gets involved. [00:47:00] This right here, Noah Webster Educational Foundation allows all of us parents and individuals to get involved, to stand up like Scott Smith did, and to say, “Enough!”

They are expecting us to go back as the receding tide. That we’ll make a fuss for a little while but they’ll take control again and I tell you, not on my watch. Not on your watch. That’s what makes this educational foundation so important. 

Here’s why: number 1) it teaches all people, all parents, everybody who lives [00:47:30] in this community, how to become an activist. And not only how to become an activist but to take control of the destiny of their children’s lives by running for school board or the board of supervisors, the House of Delegates, State Senate, for Governor. 

Education breaks the cycle. That’s what Melvin and Sandy Adams are doing. And that’s why we proved… once again, I read your brochure, that great things happen at Golden Corral! [00:48:00] On a napkin. 

We don’t have that in our lives, we don’t have these organizations that are filled with the Holy Spirit and move and are determined to overcome what we’ve been facing for so many years. 

The light is shining upon transparency is now upon us. Light is the greatest antiseptic. But we must do something once that transparency is revealed, once that light is on there. [00:48:30] We can't stand by, we must be active. Action, action, action is required. Nothing less, or they will win. 

And we have now found that they have been winning for generations, right under our noses. We passed a law in 2013 by Senator Bryce Reeves (great senator) that said, “Parents are the determinant of a child’s rearing and education.” That is being completely ignored by the general assembly, so long as there is a Democrat Senate, [00:49:00] which we have 21:19. 

Steve Newman sits on the committee 8:5, Ed and Health because it has matters of life and matters of education even though it’s 21:19. But the things that will make a difference are institutions like Noah Webster Educational Foundation: remember, tell the story of America’s education and culture to identify foundational principles and improve them, and advance practice and policy, to change it. [00:49:30]

A more succinct statement could never be made for a mission statement. That’s why we need this to be the call to action. Action in words, deeds, support. Whether it be financial or time. It has to be, it’s so important. 

And, as my wife likes to say, for the last 12 years she’s been holding one politician accountable, [00:50:00] and she does, organizations like these not only train our future politicians, they hold politicians accountable. Because so many times, as we said earlier, there are so many activists, and I believe it came from probably SteveNewman, that is up there pushing this reckless liberal agenda. Who speaks for us? 

Who speaks for us with a voice and the power enough to move the mountain? [00:50:30] To change votes? To scare off people from offering these dangerous policies? And that’s also what the Noah Webster Educational Foundation will create. Because it will create activists, educated activists, that can change things. 

I will end with this: my father died a month after I graduated from college. [00:51:00]  Education was everything to him. And I’ll always remember his words to me. They’ve guided me in life and they’ve guided me every day when I’m in the Senate. And I fight for those principles which Melvin and Sandy have fought so hard for and are led by. 

One day when I was younger and naive, I said to my father, “Dad, I’ve determined for myself” … you know, I wanted to be something great, I want God to give me that one talent that I could have and not just be really good at but be great at. What I said was, “Dad, there’s no way to change the world. [00:51:30] And if you can’t change the world what makes you great?” 

And he simply said this to me. He said, “Son, whatever you do with the talents you were granted, and the ability God leads you in, if what you do using those talents changes the life of one person, you’ve changed their world. And in turn, you have changed the world.” 

All of us sitting here today have that ability through the support of this foundation. [00:52:00] To change maybe one person’s life, one student's life, but mostly more students’ lives and more people's lives. And when you change their lives you’re going to change the world. 

We don’t have enough of these out there. That’s what makes the Noah Webster Educational Foundation so important. And it’s so critical that we have everybody’s support. Melvin, Sandy, you have mine. I’m grateful for your friendship, your vision, and how God has led you. You’re an inspiration to us all. [00:52:30] Let us now forget: if not now, when? 

If not us, then who? Because they’re in our backyard right now pushing us around and this has got to stop. Right now. I will not put up with this any longer. I will not stand for this. But this is the vehicle where change can be made, things can be accomplished, and we can have a society [00:53:00]  of morals and virtue, and decency like our founding fathers intended. 

Let us move forward together, arms linked, with a purpose and a fire in our belly and a gleam in our eye that we will win. God bless you all, thank you for listening to me. God bless the Noah Webster Educational Foundation. [00:53:00] 

MELVIN ADAMS: My job today is to introduce you to the case document that’s on your table. So if you haven’t pulled it out, please do. 

While you’re doing that, I’d like to introduce you to my wife and life partner, Sandy. We’ve been married for over 40 years, and so a big part of [00:58:00] the why behind Noah Webster Educational Foundation is found on the first inside page. So if you haven’t read that, you can find out more about that there.

The rest of the why is because we have 6 grown, married children. And we have 20 grandchildren. And because we care about children all over the country, that includes your children [00:58:30] and grandchildren. The reality is, all of us must care about our children. Because there are many influences today working against them. 

You’ve heard some of it already. I want to ask you this question: what world do we want to leave to our children? [00:59:00] Never have we been closer to another revolution. Our country is divided by ideology. We see rampant lawlessness and corruption. 

And our children are being used and abused for social experimentation. While there are many influences, sadly, much of this reality [00:59:30]  lies squarely at the doorsteps of our schools. 

A brief study of the founders of this significant, although imperfect, union of almost 250 years, makes it clear that liberty has been the principal guiding light for our constitutional republic. Liberty to dream the impossible. To speak, [01:00:00] believe, and worship as we see fit. To work hard, have personal values, and a family. Own a property and pass it on to those we love. 

And they saw the power of loving one’s neighbor as themselves. And uniting to build strong communities and a better world for all. [01:00:30] Right now as you think about this generation and future generations of children and grandchildren. I’d like you to ask yourself two questions: what will their America be like? [01:01:00]

That’s the educator, right? I’m circling. You heard that a minute ago, I’m coming back to it. What will America be like? The second question: will they enjoy the liberty and the opportunity that we have known? I believe that you and I can have a powerful influence on the answers to those questions. 

In fact, it is our responsibility. This country came to a critical tipping point in education last year [01:01:30] when COVID brought our children and their classrooms into our living rooms—exposing both abuse and indoctrination. Many parents, now outraged, are fighting back. 

But how we fight matters. There are two things that matter most when it comes to understanding and improving education. Two things: [01:02:00] leadership, whose ideas? Is it parents and citizens? Or is it bureaucrats with a political agenda? 

The second key thing is legislation. What policies govern? So we should always be asking, “Is this policy [01:02:30] best for our children and our country?” Well, strategy matters too. Three words sum up our strategy at Noah Webster Educational Foundation. Educate, collaborate, mobilize. 

I’m sure you’ve all seen the popular man-on-the-street interviews where people don't know the answers [01:03:00] to basic questions. I mean, honestly, they’re funny! But they’re also incredibly sad. They’re sad because they tell us volumes about our education and culture and they make it clear that basic civics and foundational education are missing in way too many of our schools. 

That needs to change. [01:03:30] But hear me: it won’t change until citizens, especially parents, grandparents, educators, and legislators understand the truth and learn how they can be leaders to keep their schools accountable and their legislative bodies focused on better policies. 

Citizens should also know how [01:04:00] they can run for office and serve their communities. You see, knowledge is power. So we have to educate. I’m not talking now about the children, I’m talking about us. We have to educate. And that’s a big part of what we do. 

The second strategy: is collaboration. [01:04:30] You probably remember the statement, and who actually made it, “It takes a village to raise a child.” Well, I’m not sure about that, but I do know that it requires collaboration to form and maintain healthy communities. 

One could also argue that collaboration is key to good politics. [01:05:00] So you say, “Really? What is collaboration?” Well, collaboration is working together to shape and promote ideas and actions, as the senator was saying, that gain consensus and broad community support. That leads to beliefs and behaviors that form our culture. 

To see the changes that we need, we have to collaborate. [01:05:30] Noah Webster is actively forming collaborative relationships with individuals and a growing number of influential organizations across the country, to form strategies that improve educational opportunities. 

I could talk for a long time and give you illustrations and examples, but time doesn’t allow it. So we move on to the third word in our strategy. [01:06:00] And that word is mobilize. That’s a word we don’t often associate with conservative causes. 

 But it is absolutely necessary if we want to have influence. Bottom line: societal and political change happens when people are mobilized. In other words, brought together around common goals. Numbers, both in terms of dollars and votes, [01:06:30] matter when it comes to having influence. 

Now, Noah Webster Educational Foundation is a 501c3 public charity. In other words, gifts given to this organization are tax-deductible. We are here to serve the better good of the community. Our focus is to help educate the public [01:07:00] on issues and ideas. 

Not more than 10% of our work can focus on mobilization or action for change. That’s why we intend to start a 501c4, where gifts are not tax deductible, under which we can influence more action and mobilization. 

So we’ll have the 501c3 that [01:07:30] really works on educating and collaborating for the cause. And then we’ll have the c4 that is specific about mobilizing communities to get out and make sure the change happens. 

All of our programs are driven by this strategy. To educate, collaborate, and mobilize. [01:08:00] Alright, we were talking about that book. So if you will, on the next page you’ll see some of our impact. You’ll see a strong focus on educating and collaborating. 

We work very hard to lead with strategic, evidence-based, content. We’ve got a great team of writers and researchers and I’m just so proud [01:08:30] of the work that they do. Here’s the thing: it’s about finding those best practices. It’s one thing to talk about the problems, and we do, and bring solutions. 

But it’s another thing to bring things that aren’t really on anybody’s radar that actually bring improvement to the education and formation of our children and youth. We address 5 critical [01:09:00] areas in education. 

Here’s what we talk about: the role of instruction, parents, government, faith and morality, and appropriations (how is the money being spent?) These big issues touch everything related to education. And so that’s why [01:09:30] we educate around these things. We’re pleased with what's being done but frankly, the requests coming in from across the country are much greater than we can achieve at our present level.

We work in Virginia, we’ve done work in Ohio, and several other places. Contacts are coming in from many states. Some were working remotely with, others need a more active presence. [01:10:00] So we have to scale. And that’s we’re sharing our plans and vision with you. 

Noah Webster said, “Every child in America should be acquainted with his own country. He should read books that furnish him with ideas that will be useful to him in life and practice. As soon as he opens his lips, he should rehearse the history of this country.” [01:10:30]

He also said, “The virtues of men are of more consequence to society than their abilities. And for this reason, the heart should be cultivated with more assiduity” (in other words, fervent attention) “than the head.” Focus on the heart more than the head. Both are important, obviously. [01:11:00] 

So now take a quick look at the next page, the centerfold, where you’ll see our vision and mission and a few of our many testimonials. In the next pages, we look ahead through 2025 and share goals in three categories: one side shares the goals in words, the other in graphs, if that helps you. 

So three things. Our programs are specific work [01:11:30] that directly educates to influence educational leadership and policy. The second area is capital projects. That’s the start of a long-term plan, that we’ll delve into more fully later, for an educational center to support program growth and in-person training.

And the last is an endowment. To start securing the long-term viability of our investments [01:12:00] together. Programs, Capital Projects, and Endowment. Let’s look very quickly now at our campaign budget. The most significant portion of our budget will be directed toward our Programs. 

They are target-specific and you will see financial goals for each year. Future programs include the 501c4 that I spoke about [01:12:30] that we hope to get done in this window of time. These programs are ultimately all about equipping America’s youth so that they develop into well-educated, responsible, hard-working adults, and good citizens. 

Intellect without a basis of morality is counter-productive for a healthy society. Will you give me two more minutes? [01:13:00] I’m going a little longer than I thought. Thank you for that yes. I want to tell you a story, we’ve heard several stories, and this one happened hardly an hour from here. 

A young girl, her name is Sage, was being raised by her grandmother. By her own testimony, in 8th grade, all the girls in her school were claiming to be either [01:13:30] lesbian, bisexual, or trans. Pressure at school was intense to declare pronouns. Let me tell you something, this is happening all over the country. 

I’m going to take one quick rabbit trail. Fairfax county’s board has spent months trying to figure out a pronoun policy. [01:14:00] Is that what a school board really ought to be doing? Give me a break. But you see pressure at the school was intense to declare identity and pronouns. So she finally decided on trans and took a boy’s name. 

However, neither she nor [01:14:30] the school told her Grandmother who was raising her. Who continued to call her Sage and understood her to be her daughter. The school initiated a lawsuit against the grandmother and took Sage from the home. She was put into state care as a male, with the boys, [01:15:00] and so of course, she was abused by the boys. 

And actually, she was eventually sex-trafficked. Sage had her life destroyed. Ironically, I’m not sure if she can read or write, do basic math, or if she has a love for her country. [01:15:30] Somehow, I doubt it. 

You see, the focus of our programs is not on growing institutions, but on on growing people. These programs, working together with the recently motivated public, can and will bring changes desperately needed by our [01:16:00] children and our country. 

It’s not enough to curse the darkness, we have to bring solutions. Now, we didn’t get here overnight, and we won’t change everything overnight, but with a clear plan, consistent long-term effort, your support, and God’s blessing, [01:16:30] we will have a significant impact. I hope you will join us. Thank you so very much.