Larry Belusz
Jefferson City
Dear Editor:
While I was pleased to see a front page article in the Sunday paper about the ongoing debate on teaching critical race theory (CRT) in JC schools, I was just as displeased on the lack of full disclosure on the subject as presented by Jefferson City High School English teacher Abigail Nahlik. Nahlik said CRT is just another "lens" to help students learn analytical thinking - nothing could be further from the truth. If you believe that, then I have a bridge to sell you.
What Nahlik leaves out in her support for teaching CRT (which is currently not supported by the Missouri Learning Standards) is CRT's focus on white people as oppressors of people of color. This forces her students to hold themselves accountable for the lack of equity for other groups simply because they are white. Analyzing literature through this lens results in self-hatred for their "whiteness," feelings of guilt for the "sins of the past," and a push for violent activism to change America. Thus, the real goal of CRT is to teach "action civics," better known as "protest civics," and encourage young people to become leftist protesters as we saw in the nightly rioting and burning throughout 2020 in Portland, Oregon. A number of teenagers and their high school teachers were arrested for their part in assaults, looting and burning - do not think it can't happen here.
They always say to "follow the money" - in a proposed rule, the U.S. Department of Education indicated it will use taxpayer money for history and civics grants that prioritize the belief America is systemically racist. The rule references President Biden's Inauguration Day executive order that states how our country is plagued by "systemic racism." There are now four bills that propose to expand federal funding for civics in America's classrooms, the largest of which is the Civics Secures Democracy Act ($1 billion a year). And of course, the teacher's union will support all such grant proposals to include and ensure more anti-racist training for white teachers and students.
It's time for the parents of Jefferson City to get involved and take charge of their children's education - get on the internet and learn the whole ugly truth about Critical Race Theory, not just the sugar-coating.