From: Joy Lawler
Columbus
In response to Kathleen Smith’s letter about critical race theory (“Substance of critical race theory demands we see racism,” May 21), I have one question: what on earth are people so afraid of?
The hysteria surrounding CRT is astounding. CRT is not taught in American schools before college, but that is not the real complaint. The complaint is about the teaching of true American history, or even mentioning racism, for fear it will make white children feel badly about themselves. Does anyone truly believe white children are that fragile?
In Germany, the Holocaust is required curriculum, and their children end up knowledgeable and determined to never let it happen again. In the US, apparently our kids are supposed to be taught that it is racist to even mention slavery or the horrific racism we still live with today.
The oldest trick in the American playbook is for rich white people to keep poor white people from noticing their poverty by making them mad at Black and brown people. It still works. There have been numerous mass shootings of people just because they are persons of color (Buffalo, El Paso, Charleston, to name a few). Kyle Rittenhouse has been called a hero for killing people who were protesting the police killings of Black people. And now Americans are getting sicker and poorer and more wretched while the rich get richer.
Fixing racist policies helps white people too, but as long as rich politicians and TV commentators can rile up white people with ridiculous notions like CRT, or even better, great replacement theory, white folks just keep voting for them. Enough!
Children in this country are being executed for the crime of going to school. The right to control one’s own reproductive choices is going away. Global warming has reached alarming proportions, creating extreme weather events all over the world. And politicians like Greg Pence won’t even vote against price gouging by oil companies but they will vote to keep baby formula from babies. The Indiana legislature won’t even protect our right to vote, but they will make laws against trans children.
And the thing that gets some people so exercised is the fact that our children might be taught actual American history?
For those of you who have had enough, who are tired of being manipulated by rich Republicans, I urge you to make sure you vote, this fall, for Democrats. The Democrats are not perfect, but they are all we have standing between us and the totalitarian hellscape the Republicans are offering. We are running out of time.
Editor’s note: This letter is paid political content. It is not authorized by any candidate or candidate’s committee.
