Segregation never, integration now.
As the nation was made aware of the injustice and inhumanity of segregation the force of what is right and true prevailed. Segregation came from an ugly time when one segment of society saw another as less than and undeserving. Worse, they were offended by their presence like a disease not yet contracted. Segregation was seen as natural and essential. It has been almost 70 years since the US has declared segregated schools unconstitutional and insisted, sometimes with force, to integrate. Our education system is arguably not the best or sufficiently funded, but it does unite us and create an opportunity for all American children to have a chance for success in life. I believe that, with rare exception, all Americans would never consider, what was then referred to as white/colored, segregation of schools again. Which is why I am so troubled by what is transpiring in our country.
How a snowflake divided our nation:
We have seen the rise in claims that being offended is sufficient reason to overrule majority opinion, often without basis or merit. These snowflakes are weaponizing American culture and True patriotism in an attempt to divide us.
CRT drove a wedge in this nation. We saw school boards flip and mobs overrun meetings to ensure CRT is never taught in schools. There are school districts scanning all texts to ensure that CRT is not included in any way. This led to the WOKE scare.
Ron Desantis’ general counsel Ryan Newman defined WOKE as “the belief there are systemic injustices in American society and the need to address them.” This statement is obvious and agreed to by most people; the deck is stacked against us. So why is WOKE an exception? Because it calls into question the status quo, a world carefully constructed and protected from opposition or question. Knowledge is power and those that desire absolute power attempt to control all knowledge.
Book banning is becoming an increasingly common strategy. School districts and entire state education systems from Kindergarten to College are removing books or blocking access because of government mandates. Our government is telling us what we can read and what colleges can teach? Richard Nixon said that you can not legislate what people think, but you can legislate what they do. Our governments are now trying to do both.
LGBTQ kids are the new villains. The mere thought that there may be an LGBTQ kid in a classroom has moved Governors, state legislators and school boards to ban the mention of their existence and remove any and all indications. The existence of a child is seen, by some, to be so vile that the legitimacy of their existence must be canceled. Every fear based cause must have a villain and these people have chosen our children as theirs.
The last election cycle the republican platform demanded disbanding the Department of Education, breaking the teachers unions and using federal dollars for school segregation. Now the demand is McCarthy era tactics of patriotism classes for teachers.
Make no mistake these happenings are intended to condemn our public schools system with the end goal being taxpayer funded segregation. What was once white against colored is not ultra right wing conservatives against this great nation.
We will not allow these people to groom our children into their view of the world or weaponize American culture and true American patriotism in an attempt to divide us. Those of dubious intent will always try to divide while those strong of purpose will try to unite. We are stronger together than apart.
Doug White