Between now and November 2022, you will be hearing a lot about Critical Race Theory (CRT). On Saturday night, former President Trump bashed CRT during his first rally since leaving the White House. Last week, Senator Ted Cruz (R-TX) introduced the "END CRT Act
Yet again, the GOP has conducted a master class in the politics of FEAR. Fear is one of the most powerful motivating factors in politics that I've seen in my lifetime. Those who vote to PREVENT something are much more passionate and stay 'on point' with greater frequency than those who espouse a supposedly beneficial thing. You can see it in even in the 1/6 insurrection - those mostly white people desperately wanted to overturn the results of the election because they're deathly afraid that they will become minorities in this country. They are TERRIFIED of losing their supremacy. DJT gave them the hope that he would suppress the minorities to the point where whites would remain the dominant 'race' regardless of numbers.
I'm not sure how one goes about motivating large numbers of people without using the same tactics, however. Even now, our greatest message to combat the lies regarding CRT is that the GOP will make our lives even more miserable if they're allowed to continue to demonize CRT. And that holds true in other areas as well... especially given the voter suppression tactics playing out across the nation.
That’s an excellent breakdown of how conservatives are using the concept of CRT to paint liberals as hateful and out of touch with the “average” (white) American. The question is, why aren’t liberals pointing out the lie every time they’re in front of a microphone or keyboard? Why is it so hard for liberals to come together on a message in the same way conservatives do?
Chris Rufo openly pointed out their strategy (which is essentially the same strategy they have been using for many years on numerous topics), because he clearly believed they could say “We’re telling you we’re lying to you, and you will believe it anyway.” They can exhibit this kind of arrogance because they know how ineffective the opposition will be.
It’s partly a structural disadvantage — I think liberals on the whole want the truth even if it’s uncomfortable, whereas a significant percentage of conservatives and Republican voters want a comfortable lie — but it’s also a matter of strategy and discipline, in the sense than conservatives have those things and liberals by and large don’t seem to.
When we finally get to place where we understand that "race" is an idea, a myth, that began long ago to describe people who lived in communities or areas that had the same facial and skin types, but different than ours, that "race" is a false concept imposed over the basic fact that there is one race, the human race, then we will begin to see each other as human beings, of one race, and treat people as individuals.
This will take a very long time because the myth of race is very ingrained and old.
We are painfully on the way to the next step in our evolution on the planet. We are moving forward in some way by even having the discussion out in the open.
Fact: there is one race, the Human Race.
Let's hope there is still some habitable space left on the planet when we finally get over the myth of race. Let's work toward that.
Serious question: How is pedophile Matt Gaetz still speaking on anything? A drunken child molester is still in congress while Al Franken resigned over a 30 year old photo? What is going on in the world and how are people still willing to work with Gaetz? He belongs in prison, not congress.
Thanks for you clarification, perhaps regarding all points, this note is the advice we should internalize, "James F. Keenan, SJ, writes: “By participating in the life of mercy we can discover the dignity of the human person that sparkles oftentimes when they are most vulnerable. This is a lesson that we are called to learn, a lesson that lasts a lifetime.” The feeling of ferocity that sometimes comes through our arguments can deflect our points.
Just as with the “Black Lives Matter” and “Defund the Police”movements, proponents are their own worst enemy when they use an apparently hash-tag friendly label that actually is open to misinterpretation. In the case of CRT, “critical” highlights the importance of thinking critically and not just accepting historical explanations as fact. Critical thinking is a crucial element of any good education (and woefully inadequate in too many US curricula, apparently). Critical thinking also is the enemy of Trumpism, and Republicans, in general, so any strategy that prevents it supports their agenda.
Judd I can send you my school division's curriculum changes presented at our last school board meeting which was a Sh*t Show due to the conservative backlash commenters.
The Virginia Dept of Education has mandated the changes due to passage of state code by the Virginia General Assembly. In order for the school division to receive it's 26million in state funding, it must comply.
Here it is called the 1619 initiative but the far right speakers at the school board meeting referred to it as Critical Race Theory, over and over. Virginia has made national news with some crazy school board meetings recently.
After reading all 27 pages of curriculum changes and publishing it for readers, I didn't see anything but the truth.
The changes level the playing field and are inclusive of those left out of American History. You know, back when it was Great.
In my opinion, that is why the white folk are mad. What we in Virginia have been taught was none of the above in the 20th and early 21st centuries.
But more nefarious is the push for growth of minority rule on local, state and national levels. We had a near miss in the spring on our Supervisors. The far right threatened to up end the school board this very same meeting. And it ain't just here. I will send you the word doc on the mandated curriculum changes.
Would you use CRT to define the current wave of voter suppression as a social construct ?
These are artificial categories that society is constructing.
While I'm certain that CRT delves into much deeper thought and study, does voter suppression in the guise of voter integrity provide a simplistic view of CRT ?
Yet again, the GOP has conducted a master class in the politics of FEAR. Fear is one of the most powerful motivating factors in politics that I've seen in my lifetime. Those who vote to PREVENT something are much more passionate and stay 'on point' with greater frequency than those who espouse a supposedly beneficial thing. You can see it in even in the 1/6 insurrection - those mostly white people desperately wanted to overturn the results of the election because they're deathly afraid that they will become minorities in this country. They are TERRIFIED of losing their supremacy. DJT gave them the hope that he would suppress the minorities to the point where whites would remain the dominant 'race' regardless of numbers.
I'm not sure how one goes about motivating large numbers of people without using the same tactics, however. Even now, our greatest message to combat the lies regarding CRT is that the GOP will make our lives even more miserable if they're allowed to continue to demonize CRT. And that holds true in other areas as well... especially given the voter suppression tactics playing out across the nation.
Nicely articulated. Thank you
That’s an excellent breakdown of how conservatives are using the concept of CRT to paint liberals as hateful and out of touch with the “average” (white) American. The question is, why aren’t liberals pointing out the lie every time they’re in front of a microphone or keyboard? Why is it so hard for liberals to come together on a message in the same way conservatives do?
Chris Rufo openly pointed out their strategy (which is essentially the same strategy they have been using for many years on numerous topics), because he clearly believed they could say “We’re telling you we’re lying to you, and you will believe it anyway.” They can exhibit this kind of arrogance because they know how ineffective the opposition will be.
It’s partly a structural disadvantage — I think liberals on the whole want the truth even if it’s uncomfortable, whereas a significant percentage of conservatives and Republican voters want a comfortable lie — but it’s also a matter of strategy and discipline, in the sense than conservatives have those things and liberals by and large don’t seem to.
As a scholar and academic, I want to thank you for this article. You have explained CRT well. I can only hope this article is widely read.
When we finally get to place where we understand that "race" is an idea, a myth, that began long ago to describe people who lived in communities or areas that had the same facial and skin types, but different than ours, that "race" is a false concept imposed over the basic fact that there is one race, the human race, then we will begin to see each other as human beings, of one race, and treat people as individuals.
This will take a very long time because the myth of race is very ingrained and old.
We are painfully on the way to the next step in our evolution on the planet. We are moving forward in some way by even having the discussion out in the open.
Fact: there is one race, the Human Race.
Let's hope there is still some habitable space left on the planet when we finally get over the myth of race. Let's work toward that.
Sounds like Ted Cruz is confusing CRT with the Christian doctrine of 'original sin'.
Serious question: How is pedophile Matt Gaetz still speaking on anything? A drunken child molester is still in congress while Al Franken resigned over a 30 year old photo? What is going on in the world and how are people still willing to work with Gaetz? He belongs in prison, not congress.
Thanks for you clarification, perhaps regarding all points, this note is the advice we should internalize, "James F. Keenan, SJ, writes: “By participating in the life of mercy we can discover the dignity of the human person that sparkles oftentimes when they are most vulnerable. This is a lesson that we are called to learn, a lesson that lasts a lifetime.” The feeling of ferocity that sometimes comes through our arguments can deflect our points.
Just as with the “Black Lives Matter” and “Defund the Police”movements, proponents are their own worst enemy when they use an apparently hash-tag friendly label that actually is open to misinterpretation. In the case of CRT, “critical” highlights the importance of thinking critically and not just accepting historical explanations as fact. Critical thinking is a crucial element of any good education (and woefully inadequate in too many US curricula, apparently). Critical thinking also is the enemy of Trumpism, and Republicans, in general, so any strategy that prevents it supports their agenda.
Thank you. I feel better informed now.
Excellent work. Very helpful. Thanks.
Judd I can send you my school division's curriculum changes presented at our last school board meeting which was a Sh*t Show due to the conservative backlash commenters.
The Virginia Dept of Education has mandated the changes due to passage of state code by the Virginia General Assembly. In order for the school division to receive it's 26million in state funding, it must comply.
Here it is called the 1619 initiative but the far right speakers at the school board meeting referred to it as Critical Race Theory, over and over. Virginia has made national news with some crazy school board meetings recently.
After reading all 27 pages of curriculum changes and publishing it for readers, I didn't see anything but the truth.
The changes level the playing field and are inclusive of those left out of American History. You know, back when it was Great.
In my opinion, that is why the white folk are mad. What we in Virginia have been taught was none of the above in the 20th and early 21st centuries.
But more nefarious is the push for growth of minority rule on local, state and national levels. We had a near miss in the spring on our Supervisors. The far right threatened to up end the school board this very same meeting. And it ain't just here. I will send you the word doc on the mandated curriculum changes.
Excellent parsing of CRT. Thanks, Judd.
Judd,
Would you use CRT to define the current wave of voter suppression as a social construct ?
These are artificial categories that society is constructing.
While I'm certain that CRT delves into much deeper thought and study, does voter suppression in the guise of voter integrity provide a simplistic view of CRT ?
Maybe we will get lucky and he will have the big one!