Critical Race Theory & Cancel Culture
Reasonable Americans know racism and slavery in past were horrible. Critical race theory (CRT) & cancel culture attack ethnic groups, casting blame on them for crimes centuries ago. It’s unfair - especially to innocent children shamed for sins they have nothing to do with. It only divides us more and undoes strides by Martin Luther King and the civil rights movement trying to rid us of segregation and bring people together.
CRT and cancel culture pose a threat to academic excellence. Biased teachers broadcasting extremist ideas are not how we want students to learn history. Books should not show bias or blame ethnic groups for events that occurred centuries ago. We should ensure history is taught accurately and ensure teachers are not harassed for teaching truthful history.
Corporations. We must prevent corporations, banks or institutions from using their influence to harm people. CRT tends to threaten free speech and let institutions block dissent. That will take us to a bad place. Federal government should prosecute violators of free speech.
Biased Books. Some schoolbooks may be so critical of American history so as to make people (and kids) feel blamed and responsible for awful things that happened decades or centuries before they were born. This is where books (and teachers) cross a line. CRT potentially breeds anger between black and white people, the consequence of recklessly taught history.
Teaching History. There are troubling aspects of American history, like slavery and shameful voting limitations. Truth must be taught, but children should also learn the good aspects of our history. For example, some books about World War II make it sound like we were a racist nation fighting a war to defend racism. True, there was racism at the time, but we had a justified cause: defeating Nazi Germany and fascist Japan, holocaust of 6 million dead Jews, attack on Pearl Harbor, bloodthirsty fascism, attack on democracy. Are these facts taught correctly?
Cancel Culture. Ignorance of history also poses danger. We hear about statues being torn down by angry mobs. This is an example of the danger of cancel culture. It’s one thing if statues of Confederate generals who fought for an ugly cause are torn down, but we also saw torn down statues of John Adams, a giant American figure and creator of our independence who never owned slaves and fiercely opposed slavery. One mob tore down a statue of African American and slavery fighter Frederick Douglas! Need more be said?
Cancel culture and the erasing of history are a dangerous path… perhaps it’s what George Orwell feared when he wrote “1984”.
Don’t erase history. Students need to learn the good, the bad, and the truth. If government interferes with academic independence, it may interfere with the proper teaching of history. But when extremists in schools let loose on opinions, it poses danger. We must be wary of both oppressive government and extremist teachers shouting angry and biased ideas.