A fourth-grade student in North Carolina sent a persuasive essay to his Congresswoman as part of a school assignment, hoping for encouragement. Instead, 10-year-old Christian Mango received a scathing response from 82-year-old Republican Virginia Foxx, who called his pro-electric vehicle essay 'propaganda.'
Essay Supporting Electric Vehicles
Christian, a student in North Carolina, wrote a letter outlining the benefits of electric vehicles and suggested a $5,000 tax rebate for electric car owners. His mother, Emily, told local news that Christian and his class wrote persuasive essays on topics of their choice and mailed them to decision-makers to be influential. In his essay, Christian argued that electric cars are better for the environment and can help fight climate change.
Harsh Response from Congresswoman
Foxx's response arrived days later, including links to Fox News articles and strong criticism. She said his tax rebate idea would take money from 'hardworking people' and linked six articles about the 'disastrous record' of climate change policies. She also told Christian that the US national debt must be paid off by 2038, adding that he and his classmates would be responsible. She wrote, 'Incidentally, please ask your teacher to explain propaganda to you. ... my guess is that your teachers will not give you a good educational experience and help you learn to think for yourselves, but instead will indoctrinate and brainwash you. How sad.'
Outrage from Mother and Public
Christian's mother expressed outrage, saying Foxx attacked his teachers, school, and education, referencing concepts like propaganda and indoctrination that a 10-year-old has not been exposed to. She called the response inappropriate for one of her youngest constituents. Christian said Foxx's attack on his teacher was wrong, as the school did nothing wrong.
Defense and Backlash
Foxx's office defended the letter, saying it revealed concern about indoctrination from those responsible for educating students. Foxx is running for a 12th term in Congress, endorsed by President Donald Trump. The backlash has been swift, with many on social media calling her response a hate letter and urging her to retire. One user wrote, 'I'm pretty sure an 82-year-old writing a hate letter to a 4th grader is more a sign of being propagandised than support for an electric vehicle tax credit.'
