The Ironist presents an argument using that mighty tool known as verbal irony, or sarcasm. Irony has long served as both a weapon and a balm for those living in tough, turbulent times like our own.

       The afternoon of January 15, 2022 saw a cold afternoon in Richmond, Virginia. For many Virginians, the 30 degree weather perfectly described the state of which our beloved commonwealth was in; gray and cold. Then walks in the new Governor: six foot five Glenn Youngkin, who looks like he has a cabinet full of Rae Dunn pottery. 

       Since 2018, the state has been overrun with the radicalism of Governor Ralph Northam. For the past two years, Northam has kept our beautiful state in a chokehold with unconstitutional nonsense. Mandating face coverings, that have been scientifically proven to decrease the spread of a virus that has claimed over 900,000 American lives? Ridiculous and absurd.

       In November 2021, Youngkin defeated former Governor Terry McAuliffe in the Gubernatorial election. The win followed a live debate where Youngkin heroically fought off McAuliffe’s attempt to diminish the rights of parents statewide. Parents shouldn’t dictate their children’s education? Unbelievable. Force our children to learn the unfiltered and harsh reality of our nation’s past crimes against people of color? Disgusting. Unlike McAuliffe, Youngkin is a family man, who cares deeply about his children’s education, so much that he is willing to ban “woke” history in the Commonwealth. 

       According to an opinion piece from The Washington Post, the Youngkin children attended Georgetown Preparatory School, an elite private institution in Maryland. The school, which cost the Youngkin boys an estimated $765,000 to attend, actively incorporates an “anti-racist” rhetoric, which encourages educators to incorporate the “correct” history of the so called “brutality and racism” of America, into their curriculum. The governor was so in tune with his children’s curriculum that he even served on the school board who passed the new curriculum in 2019. We must applaud a man who diminishes the education for millions of Virginian students just so his own children can be ahead! In the governor’s eyes, only the children with money deserve an immersive education, and that’s how it should be. Equal and fair education for public schools? Ridiculous. 

       Glenn Youngkin won the Virginia election because he believed in “Parents’ Choice”, and it was well deserved. Parents absolutely deserve to make decisions that impact everyone but themselves! It’s their right! Who cares if someone else’s child is immunocompromised? My kid can’t breathe in a mask that has been proved to not affect oxygen levels whatsoever. Parents should be able to tell educators how to do their jobs, as they basically work for us. Overall, Youngkin is doing a fine job ignoring the calls of the citizens.