Home » Podcasts » Congressman Knight Talks To Santa Clarita Valley Students
A group of Santa Clarita Valley home-school students were treated to a civics lesson from their congressman Tuesday at the Huckleberry Learning Center at Valencia United Methodist Church.
A group of Santa Clarita Valley home-school students were treated to a civics lesson from their congressman Tuesday at the Huckleberry Learning Center at Valencia United Methodist Church.

Congressman Knight Talks To Santa Clarita Valley Students

photos by Heather Harbin

A group of Santa Clarita Valley home-school students were treated to a civics lesson from their congressman Tuesday at the Huckleberry Learning Center at Valencia United Methodist Church.


Sponsored Articles


Don’t miss a thing. Get breaking Santa Clarita news alerts delivered right to your inbox.

Congressman Steve Knight, R-Santa Clarita, visited a classroom of 15 for a “How Government Works” Class taught by Lori Rivas on Tuesdays from 11-12:30 p.m.knight class 3

As part of the class, Rivas invites members of the community to share their expertise and experience with government, and then the class engages in a question-and-answer session with the featured guest.

“Bringing in speakers is one of the most effective means for (engaging students),” Rivas said, “because the students see that our elected leaders are relatable — which then encourages the students to pursue their causes and issues in a real way.”

Knight talked about the role of Congress, why he got into politics and about the dynamics of how politicians get elected, before the class began to ask him for his take on current events.

For Knight, the trip was part of an effort by the recently elected congressman to get to know his constituency, and dialogue with those who live in his district but aren’t old enough to cast a ballot.

He wanted to visit at least 60 schools this year, he said, and explained to students about how voters’ perspectives are important in shaping Congress’ agenda.

knight classThe 11- to 17-year-old crowd questioned him on everything from Cemex to vaccinations to the Baltimore riots.

Knight discussed how he was an LAPD officer with three days on the force when riots broke out in Los Angeles in 1992. He encouraged residents to take an active role in their community and how it’s policed, but noted that, as what happened in Los Angeles, the destruction hurts those who live and work in the damaged communities the most.

In response to a vaccination question, he spoke to the importance of safeguarding society against certain illnesses, but he also wanted parents to always have the final say on their children’s care.

He discussed the frustration with partisan politics in Washington, where both parties seem to be in need of guidance at the congressional level, he said.

Part of his concern about the political atmosphere in Congress, he said, was a lack of leadership on both sides of the aisle, harkening to times when, regardless of party affiliation, there were clear-cut leaders “you’d follow into a fire.”

“I think it’s a little bit of a lack of leadership,” Knight said, adding “ I’m hoping over the next year you’re going to see some personality and charisma jump up and grab us, on either side of the aisle.”

As a Republican, he’d like to see a Republican president, he said, “But really I want a leader that just says, ‘We need to get some things done.’”

Do you have a news tip? Call us at (661) 298-1220, or drop us a line at community@hometownstation.com.

KHTS AM 1220 - Santa Clarita Radio

Congressman Knight Talks To Santa Clarita Valley Students

One comment

  1. Congressman Knight is a leader. He is our leader. I certainly support him. Now what kind of leadership will he show in stopping over sixty years of the abusive application of the state secrets privilege and related doctrine, act, regulation, executive order and related policy abuses?

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

*

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

About Perry Smith

Perry Smith is a print and broadcast journalist who has won several awards for his focused, hyperlocal community coverage in several different regions of the country. In addition to five years of experience covering the Santa Clarita Valley, Smith, a San Fernando Valley native, has worked in newspapers and news websites in Los Angeles, the Northwest, the Central Valley and the South, before coming to KHTS in 2012. To contact Smith, email him at Perry@hometownstation.com.