This commentary is by Marianne Ward, a lifelong Burlingtonian whose three sons attended public schools. She is retired from social work.
The majority Democratic Party authors who penned “Public schools demand critical thinking” cannot simultaneously promote critical thinking or critical race theory and state, “Whatever critical race theory was originally, it is now presented as a composite of right-wing conspiracy theories focused on undermining a fundamental public good.”
At the very least, given their admitted lack of knowledge about critical race theory, their commentary should be taken with a huge grain of propagandized salt.
I am not a Republican and I do not defend their methods for advocating against critical race theory. Nor is it reasonable to assert that their intentions are to undermine a public good.
Scarier than challenging critical race theory is that the authors seem to believe that there is only one acceptable way to think about that theory; otherwise, you deserve to be accused of something nefarious, made to look like political idiots and shamed in a public commentary.
My understanding is that critical race theory starts with the premise of teaching from a race-based perspective — seeing everything through the lens of skin color. That sounds like a heavy dose of narcissism and not very psychologically or spiritually healthy.
If the starting point for the authors, teachers and school boards is that this country is inherently racist, convinced that only they have it right, that is indoctrination, not education, and should be a nonstarter. What if parents don’t believe we are an inherently racist country and teach their children likewise? Will their children have to be removed from the history lesson, class or even school because their parents are teaching them differently? That is not a stretch. Teachers are being told to get on board or you’re out.
It is indisputable that education demands critical thinking. As do age-appropriate teachings on racism and our country’s ugly history. Unlike the extremely blinding emotionality inspired by the killing of George Floyd, it needs to come from open-minded, intelligent, non-propagandized, non-agenda-driven officials and educators. Not the likes of BLM propaganda.
Some years ago, I attended a number of workshops on racism. I was indoctrinated in being inherently racist because of my skin color. I drank the Kool-Aid and for a lot of years. After, I wondered critically about it.
Today, I believe that the indoctrination is shameful, unethical and should give justifiable deep concern to parents of white school-age children.
Immediately following the killing of George Floyd at Zoom council meetings in Burlington, some young speakers, admittedly “graduates” of the same “toxic whiteness” workshops I once attended, declared that they were ashamed of being white. It was stunning and deeply troubling.
Politics aside, parents must learn about critical race theory from a broader perspective than virtue signaling, vote-seeking, ideological politicians. We cannot remain silent and allow white children to be shamed for the color of their skin.
In very liberal states like New York and elsewhere, liberal parents, professors, intellectuals, journalists and historians are pulling their children out of public and private schools because of critical race theory teachings and writing about it. Several have spoken out about their children being given meter charts to chart their white privilege.
White-shaming children is not only unethical, it is immoral. For the first time ever, I find myself considering school vouchers.
Following that commentary by the Democratic Party representatives, on Aug. 20 VTDigger printed an article on the critical race theory “information sessions” being held around the state. While the reporter made a point of highlighting in this article some participants’ comments in a biased way that would paint them all as idiots, the reporter did not print the statement by the parents who stated that they were told by their high school boy that the class was made to watch CNN news in the morning.
While the liberal media presents those who are opposed to critical race theory in a very negative light, it needs to be viewed with skepticism. Certainly, the theory’s opponents do not have it all wrong.
FAIR (Foundation Against Intolerance & Racism), a newly formed group of liberal intellectuals, was mentioned by some who oppose critical race theory in the video that accompanied the article. They are an impressive group of intellectual liberals seeking to educate, among other topics, on how critical race theory is being taught in classrooms and free speech rights.
Honest and transparent education on this issue is not going to come from the media. There are many podcasts on YouTube that do a far better job.
