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Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsEric Boehlert: How the media's helping GOP fuel critical race theory hysteria
https://pressrun.media/p/how-the-medias-fueling-critical-raceHow the media's helping GOP fuel critical race theory hysteria
Right-wing witch hunt
Eric Boehlert
3 hr ago
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Across the country, Republican legislators and officials in more than 20 states, who often have no grasp as to what CRT is, are forbidding educators from teaching it. And across the country educators are confirming CRT isnt being taught. (The theory, often taught at the college and grad school level, details how racism and white supremacy are systemic in American society.) This years runaway, manufactured, red-state frenzy is reminiscent of the Red Scare that swept through the country during the Cold War.
Back then at least, the Soviet Union was an actual foe and represented a military threat to American security. By contrast, the mobs forming to make sure CRT isnt taught in schools seem to have no idea or dont care that CRT isnt taught in schools. The whole controversy is fabricated, and its getting a ton of media attention. Its the kind of media attention that plays right into the hands of conservatives.
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The conservative ignorance surrounding CRT is overwhelming, and its purposeful. Journalists have a responsibility to ask every Republican fanning the flames of hysteria to explain, in their own words, what critical race theory is. And if they cannot, journalists need to walk away.
It was actually a local caller phoning into a Nebraska radio show who pressed Republican Gov. Pete Ricketts to define CRT, after he urged it be banned from state schools. His word-salad response made clear he had no idea what the academic and legal theory is:
The Republican Noise Machine is demanding critical race theory be banned, but has no idea what critical race theory is, or that its not taught in American schools. Thats the news story that requites attention.
genxlib
(5,507 posts)That an organized, manufactured reaction to a mythical racial threat by media, politicians and think tanks is pretty fucking emblematic of systemic racism.
live love laugh
(13,009 posts)tulipsandroses
(5,094 posts)taught in college. Ask them which K-12 school specifically teaches CRT. Not what you think it is. Perhaps get a college syllabus and ask them where in an American public school that curriculum is being taught. Follow up with why choose this theory to have a problem with? In college students learn all kinds of theories. The bane of many nursing school student is Nursing Theory. Not only is it important to learn about biological diseases, medications, nurses must also grasp important nursing theories to provide better care. These theories have to do with people, their environment, society and how that all ties into patient's illness, their perception of the illness, and their ability to recover from illness.
I mentioned theories in sociology in another thread, someone else mentioned theories in anthropology.
Not only do I find this CRT backlash racist. I find that it is more of the dumbing down of America. A push back at the elites. Because anyone that bothers to educate themselves is elite.
Solly Mack
(90,740 posts)Instead of reporting on the ignorance as if it is valid, they should be challenging the ignorance for the bullshit it is.
Caliman73
(11,694 posts)Even folks on our side like Randi Rhodes are chipping in. I agree with 95% of what Randi does and think that she is one of the smartest people in media. However, she has been going on about "what a horrible name Critical Race Theory is". Even as she acknowledges that the name and concept has been around since the 1970's and defends the concept, she says it is a bad name, like "Defund the Police" was a bad slogan.
I never heard ANYONE talk about the name CRT or bring the theory up before the latest right wing tantrum and it has been here since before I was born. Now, Randi Rhodes is saying that the name and optics suck? Why? Because right wingers say so? Critical Race Theory takes its name from Critical Theory (though its development comes from a different place). Like other Critical Theory concepts, it is the analysis of power structures and systems and how they affect the people who live within them. That is it in its simplest form. Rather than study how individuals experience the society around them CRT and other Critical Theory concepts talk about how ideas pushed by those in power, shape the experience of people.
Unfortunately, liberals, in the interest of "fairness" and objectivity, will allow right wingers to frame arguments. We give them (conservatives) too much power to distort words and corrupt concepts and then try to fight them on their terms. They do not deserve ANY respect about their ideas, unless their ideas have some merit. If they can't even understand, or are unwilling to accept the actual ideas behind CRT, then they should not be given the time of day to argue against it. We should not be doing their work for them.
StarfishSaver
(18,486 posts)Even people on this board are doing it.
The fact that some people are equating an academic discipline created and developed by respected scholars over a period of decades for the purpose of helping the legal system and other areas of society better understand and address institutional racism in America with a poorly-thought-out, imprecise slogan thought up by some random activists a year or two ago speaks volumes.
monkeyman1
(5,109 posts)StarfishSaver
(18,486 posts)Corgigal
(9,291 posts)and again, the media is getting played. Dont engage these silly racist GOP people. Its a theory, its taught at college level, grown adults can be taught and discuss. They already have thinks tanks ready for the next one.