To the Editor:
Do you want your young children, grandchildren, or anyone’s children taught that, not due to their own actions, speech, or thoughts but, simply because of their race or gender:
– They are racists, sexists, immoral, and/or unworthy of respect?
– They should be made to feel uncomfortable, ashamed, or otherwise distressed about who they are?
– They are oppressors of others?
– One race or gender is inherently superior or inferior to others?
– They should confess that they are horrible (e.g., racists, sexists, rapists, immoral) people?
– There’s something wrong with them and their family if no family member is gay, bisexual, transsexual, or of a different race?
– New Hampshire and the United States are fundamentally racist or sexist?
These kinds of things are being taught to children in our schools as part of “Diversity,” “Inclusion,” “Equity,” “Social Justice,” or similarly named training.
[Note: We do not profess to have any particular expertise in the field formally known as Critical Race Theory. We have, however, for more than half a century, studied the systems and structures which have perpetuated a cruel power structure which former U.S. Representative Ron Dellums once called “government of the people, by the powerful, for the rich.” In our view, racism is the single most important weapon wielded “by the powerful, for the rich,” in order to maintain control of the government and the economy—to whatever extent there is any difference between those two things. – The Ed.]
Such teachings are child abuse! Don’t let your children be subjected to these vile attacks. Children have enough problems without blaming them for the actions of others.
[Note: Oh the children! By all means bring out the children! Children do indeed “have enough problems”—especially in a state which refuses to provide them with an adequate education, because the only fair way to do so would require taxing the income, or the wealth, of the powerful. God forbid that “the children” should grow up with the truth—how, then, could they end up like you? – The Ed.]
Similar “Diversity Training” is sometimes imposed on white employees who must confess their racism, advantages, oppression of others, and responsibility for the acts of others without regard to their own actions, speech, or thoughts…if they want to keep their jobs.
[Note: It’s fascinating: in your view—which appears to reflect perfectly that of the Heritage Foundation, the American Enterprise Institute, Hillsdale College, &c., &c., ad nauseam, everything always comes down to the atomized individual. There is no such thing as a society, only isolated consumers in a “free” market.
The issue here is not, “Is person A bad? Is person B good?” The issue is that our government, our economy, and our society have been engineered in such a way that Black people, Hispanic people, Asian people, women, disabled people, and numerous other categories of people have been given short shrift—and the time for putting up with that is over.
So put your ego aside—it’s not all about you. – The Ed.]
There are few things worse than falsely accusing an innocent person; that is why bearing false witness is prohibited by the Ninth Commandment.
[Note: It’s none of your business, but we happen to worship the Flying Spaghetti Monster. Thanks to the First Amendment, your Commandment has no power here. – The Ed.]
Behind all these innocuously named trainings is Critical Race Theory (CRT) which essentially says that white people cause all the world’s problems and are born as evil oppressors of others. [Wrong twice.]
When did Americans accept the idea that one person or one group of people is responsible for other peoples’ misdeeds? We didn’t and we don’t! Blaming people for the deeds of others is wrong, unjust, divisive, and un-American. [Spectacularly wrong.]
But dividing Americans is the purpose of these innocuously named (CRT front) trainings/teachings; they are attacks on “E Pluribus Unum.” United, Americans protect their freedoms. When divided, radical leftists can destroy our Constitutional Governments and our Rights, and impose radical leftist policies on the American people. [Wrong squared.]
We know that the goal of CRT training is political rather than helping race relations because CRT training isn’t about “The Golden Rule,” it’s about requiring whites to be “Anti-Racist” which requires supporting the far left’s political, essentially Marxist, ideology and far left politicians. [Wrong issue.]
Citizens of every race in countries which have implemented the far left governments desired by CRT supporters flee those countries to come here. We should learn from observation and these immigrants to reject far left policies and any subtle subterfuge like these CRT based trainings used to undermine our freedoms. [Irredeemably wrong, but spatial limitations preclude a correction.]
Don Ewing
Meredith, N.H.
Don:
Thank you for providing a vivid demonstration of why the bill you clearly support must not pass. It’s unfortunate we had to riddle your letter with so much nitpicking, but hey—it was you who forced those nits upon us. Overlooking them would have been a dereliction of our duty.
This situation would be hilarious, if it were not so tragic: in our ongoing culture war, the side that sneers “snowflake,” yatters about “cancel culture,” and denounces “big government” now wants the state to pass a law protecting them against—God forbid—someone telling the truth.
Take it from us: not only is it possible to admit that you have benefited from structural racism, it is downright liberating.
As this state’s pioneering printer, Daniel Fowle’s success was built on the bent back of an enslaved African man named Primus. Everyone who has benefited in any way from this paper—its two dozen subsequent editors, most of all—owes an unpayable debt to Primus. One thing we can do is give him the truth.
The Editor