Protestors outside Sen. Argall's office object to civics bee question
A group of about 10 protestors gathered outside the Pottsville office of State Sen. David Argall (R-Rush Twp.) on Wednesday in objection to Argall's recent question to a sixth-grade student during the local round of the National Civics Bee.
The protestors held signs referring to the question that Argall posed on the topic of book banning, when he asked the student if pornographic magazines should be allowed in kindergarten.
Argall, a Republican who represents Schuylkill, Carbon and southern Luzerne counties, has since apologized for the question, admitting that it was inappropriate for the setting and that he made a mistake in asking it.
But the fact that Argall asked it to begin with shows that Republicans politicians on the local, state and federal levels are so used to relaying MAGA talking points that they now do it without considering the audience, said Claire Kempes of Pottsville, who helped lead the protest.
'We really oppose book banning, and we oppose the way that Sen. Argall handled that question,' she said. 'They (Republican lawmakers) are scared to death to speak truth to power anymore. They use 'Maga-speak' even when talking to an 11-year-old kid.'
Argall's Pottsville office was closed for a staff event midday Wednesday when the protest occurred, according to a sign on the door.
Argall's office did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Protestors gather for a rally against Sen. David Argall's civics bee question outside the senator's office on Centre Street in Pottsville, Wednesday, April 23, 2025. (MATTHEW PERSCHALL/MULTIMEDIA EDITOR)
The civics competition was held April 16 by the Schuylkill Chamber of Commerce at the Penn State Schuylkill campus in Schuylkill Haven.
A North Schuylkill sixth grader told the panel about her essay topic — book banning. The girl was referred to as Mary A. since the National Civics Bee has a strict policy stating that competitors should only be identified by their first name and last initial.
When it was Argall's turn to talk to her, he noted the issue was relevant and widely debated in the state Senate. He then repeated to Mary a question that he said was brought up to the Senate recently:
'Should pornographic magazines be allowed in kindergarten?'
Mary asked the senator for clarification: 'What does that mean?'
Argall replied, 'Pictures of naked people.'
Mary said that she doesn't believe such materials should be allowed in kindergarten and clarified what she meant by her topic of book banning.
'I don't think certain things like that should be allowed in schools for younger people, but that's a big difference than other books about … other people — people trying to be themselves — books like that are getting banned,' she explained. 'But I do agree that books like that should not be in elementary schools and kindergarten.'
After the event, Mary's mother, Erin Anderson, said in a public Facebook post that the question 'was both wildly inappropriate and ridiculous.'
Anderson said the discussion had no place at the civics bee, noting that her daughter's paper had nothing to do with pornography.
'I don't know when Mr. Argall last stepped foot in a library, but they aren't providing pornography,' Anderson wrote. 'Discussing this with my 6th grade daughter on a public stage shows a shocking lack of decency.'
The post gathered a huge online reaction, with most joining in the criticism of Argall.
Argall posted an apology on Facebook and emailed it in response to a question.
'During last night's local round of the National Civics Bee, I posed a question as a volunteer judge to a participant that was not age-appropriate for this setting,' he said. 'I apologize to the young lady, her family, and all the participants who worked hard to get to this point, with excellent presentations by the students who submitted entries on book bans and many other important subjects.
'I was attempting to ask if some books and magazines are not appropriate for some age groups, a subject which has received considerable attention in the General Assembly in recent years. In hindsight, my obvious mistake was in citing an example that was itself not appropriate for this age group, a mistake which I will not make again.'
Colleen Kucirka of West Penn Township was among the protestors on Wednesday, holding a sign that said, 'Ban porn questions at the civics bee, not books.'
Argall's question was embarrassing not just for the student and her family, but for all of those attending the event, and it forced parents to answer questions about pornography from their children, she said.
Kempes agreed, and again said Argall's question was part of a larger problem in today's politics.
'It's scary,' she said. 'People need to be paying attention. We are.'
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