Critical race theory

[razz]

People have been learning about being fed to the lions and crucified forever from a very early age. While I agree that it would be nice if we all agreed to let children be children, but violence is part of our world and has been for millennia. It is only a very small part of the world population that is so sheltered as to not encounter violence from the time they were able to walk. Hate, judgement and cruelty are part of the human experience, sad to say, and inexperience or innocence are no protection.
I just wish that the delivery of the information about violence includes a balancing compassionate approach on how to cope with the negative.

[iris lilies]

I believe that's correct, although Harvey Milk's sexuality does come into play when nearly 45 years later he's still being martyred. No one would remember him if he were straight.

Thanks to Alan for bringing his usual clarity to an issue. Yes, “martyred” is the concept here.

As I careened around the web last night sampling headlines and first paragraphs in articles about Harvey Milk, I saw NPR make the point of Milk’s assassination being tied to the shooter’s conflict with Harvey on LGBTetc. issues. Oh also we should see Milk’s killing as part police brutality*, that came up on another website.

But thanks to bae, This is been a good exercise for me to examine what really happened and then how through the eyes of history concepts about that event are changed.

*Dan White worked, seemingly briefly, as a police officer.

[JaneV2.0]

I don't know; she brought it up and asked me if I knew who Harvey Milk was and I said to my son, "not the Harvey Milk " and he said, "Yeah," and I said, "Yes, I had heard of him," and started talking about the sewing project I had brought to show her, since I really didn't want to go there,....

That reminds me of sitting in the back seat of our car reading a newspaper and asking my parents what "rape" meant. I was six or seven. I knew it was nothing good, but I didn't learn what that day. Aside from one horrible (adult) book called The Last of the Sea Otters which seemed to feature a lot of death by orca, I don't remember being much affected by mayhem in the news. Maybe all the bloodshed in traditional children's stories inured me...

[iris lilies]

I'd love to see some very specific examples of the troubling curriculum being presented in our public schools. I spent much of the pandemic helping daily with a 4th grade public school class, in a dual-language program school, in a very "woke" district, and I didn't really see anything worth yammering about(*) on FoxNews or CNN.

(*) Other than my observation that teachers are dreadfully underpaid for what they are expected to do.

I dont have any very specific examples because I’m not concerned about what teachers are teaching. If I gave that impression, sorry.

Is there someone here on this board, writing on this thread, to whom your comment is directed? I’m not going to talk about specific issues because I’m not going carry the water for those who are arguing this point of view.

[iris lilies]

That reminds me of sitting in the back seat of our car reading a newspaper and asking my parents what "rape" meant. I was six or seven. I knew it was nothing good, but I didn't learn what that day. Aside from one horrible (adult) book called The Last of the Sea Otters which seemed to feature a lot of death by orca, I don't remember being much affected by mayhem in the news. Maybe all the bloodshed in traditional children's stories inured me...

There was a well-known award-winning book for youth (might have been a Newbury winner?) old now, that includes a scene where a young girl is attacked. She was likely raped. But the scene was not specific and all young readers really need to know is that she was attacked physically.

can’t think of the title, but it was for older youth at the time.

I think there is no monolithic answer for what scares children and what children should be exposed to in the classroom about violence. To the extent they can, parents need to know their children and know what’s coming at them that might harm them. I’m talking here about little kids 3-4-5year-olds because they’re scared by the weirdest things. There are some scary picture books out there!

[bae]

Is there someone here on this board, writing on this thread, to whom your comment is directed? I’m not going to talk about specific issues because I’m not going carry the water for those who are arguing this point of view.

Not at all. I just hear natterings in the infosphere about all the critical race theory things being taught to our children, and I never seem to see any specific details from the natterers. Leading me to conclude...things.

[Jane v2.0]

Apparently the Republican party is advising its adherents to flog the social issues:

The Republican Study Committee's unsubtle memo was quite literally titled, "Lean into the culture war." The document added, "We are in a culture war ... we are winning." (MSNBC)

[nswef]

IL I think it was Julie of the Wolves. I used to read Newberry Winners to my 4th graders, but had to choose the winners before the 70s as they became too serious for me. Not that they weren't excellently written stories with well developed themes. Too old for reading aloud.

[bae]

Interesting op-ed:

https://ctnewsjunkie.com/2021/06/28/...appropriation/

[catherine]

I thought the last paragraph was particularly interesting:

Just six months later, Rufo tweeted this triumphant declaration: “We have successfully frozen their brand – ‘critical race theory’ – into the public conversation and are steadily driving up negative perceptions. We will eventually turn it toxic, as we put all of the various cultural insanities under that brand category.”

Nice that he made it so transparent that all the messaging out there in the news is meticulously crafted to deceive. And I'm not saying the Right is the only villain in this regard, btw.