As if teachers aren’t suffering enough during Covid just trying to teach…A public High School Teacher I know is also going through “Equity Training” required by her school district. This is not a one or two hour seminar mind you; it’s training that goes on for hours, every month, and continues for many months. Given the scope and length, I do wonder if the training falls more into the category of “brainwashing”.
Some main points about “gender equity” went something like this…
- Binary thinking about gender identity is blatantly wrong. A core belief of this view is that a person determines their own identity which makes gender something “fluid”.
- This thinking especially applies to kids in school, so here is a thought to ponder. If a minor self-identifies as an adult then should society treat them as an adult, with the right to vote, get married, buy alcohol, cigarettes, etc.? Or should we “follow the science” and judge by something independent of bias & objective, such as…“age”.
- It is wrong to assign gender at birth; that decision comes later in life, therefore teachers have to present openness to exploration, be careful of gendered language, toys, even decorations of princesses can be considered offensive for a girl’s birthday.
- I predict legislation in the not too distant future that stops the assigning of gender at birth, leaving that part of the birth certificate blank.
- Using gender pronouns in class like “Hello boys & girls” is a micro aggression; it can contribute to student’s anxiety, depression and suicidal tendencies. Educators who do not conform to removing “gender biased” language from their speech are intentionally harming our young people.
- LGBTQ students must be more than just tolerated, they must be affirmed in their identity
- For example, use only the gender pronouns they prefer
- Teaching material showing “families” should be in various forms to “celebrate” & normalize all types of families. A language teacher for example, should provide multiple options of visuals to include two males or two females when teaching words for “parents” or “spouses” or “marriage”
- A question came up about if a person had religious objections to any of this.
- Answer: There should be disciplinary action. They were told in the legal presentation that they don’t have the right to religiously object since they work in a public school. If a parent, student or teacher objects, they can choose private education (which is ridiculous considering that the poor, which they also tout to be championing, don’t have this option).
- As I like to put it, “agree or be punished”.
And now, a reality check…
I was given more detail on the portion of the training that was about racism. HERE is a link to a 10-point summary that gives an idea of what the training was about. Below are some of the points in brief and I offer some thoughts.
#1 99.9% of people do not describe themselves as racist because they think that means being a Neo-Nazi or KKK member. However, the racism you keep hearing people talk about these days is far more than some limited dictionary definition, and we need to look at the bigger picture. Racism is about contributing to or looking the other way in the face of acts or systems that marginalize people of color. Racism is a systemic issue. So, if you are complicit in policies and systems that are oppressive to people of color, you are contributing to racism in this country. If you look the other way or deny that these systems exist, you are part of the problem.
” racism… is far more than some limited dictionary definition,”
People will change the definition of things to fit an agenda. It’s sometimes called “owning the language”; like the definition of “Marriage”. If whites acknowledge racism, but have a problem with the all-encompassing term of “systemic racism”, I suppose that makes them racist by definition. Now suppose a group of people acknowledged diversity, but would have a problem the term “systemic diversity”, or acknowledged canceling, but would have a problem the term “cancel culture”, how would they be viewed? As noble intellectuals perhaps?
Also, a lot of generalizations found in #1 and it’s easy to hide behind generalizations.
“complicit in policies and systems that are oppressive”.
If the idea of systemic racism is presented in a school system with the intention of educating and improving there should be specific examples given, but I’m told there were none.
- What specific policy?
- What specific system?
- What specific action was taken to be “complicit”?
Thinking means connecting things.
#2 There is no such thing as reverse racism. It’s just not possible, because as we’ve established, racism cannot exist without a history of systemic oppression and marginalization. Racism is rooted in privilege and power. People of color may hold prejudice toward white people or be biased against us. But prejudice and racism are very different things–it’s not just semantics.
Racism is rooted in a SYSTEM of white supremacy, so it’s about more than just how individuals treat one another. As a white person, you may bear the brunt of that frustration from a couple of individuals on occasion. You are not, however, the victim of reverse racism. There is no systemic oppression happening or larger patterns of mistreatment that are based on you having less power and privilege than people of color.
That is why racism does not “go both ways.” It goes in one direction: from the group who holds the power and privilege toward the groups who do not.
Again, redefine racism or racist to fit an agenda and it’s based mostly on the past.
To solve anything in our day and age, we’ll need to name the specific system and name the specific problem.
Example:
Chicago police department (system) shoots unarmed blacks (problem).
Then study the problem detail, and fix what needs fixing.
#3 There are different rules for white people and people of color when talking about race. No, you’re not imagining this. There ARE different rules, and this is not a secret. It’s because of these systems of power and privilege I explained previously. When you hear people of color talking about race (or just talking about life in general amongst themselves), the least helpful thing you can do is to try to police their tone or correct the way they express themselves. Instead, accept that their lived experiences are different than yours: they are treated differently and see the world differently.
“systems of power and privilege I explained previously”
Generalizations are used to explain other generalizations.
It’s akin to someone saying “My house is broken.”
- Question: What’s wrong?
- Answer: It doesn’t work, as I explained previously.
This doesn’t help. There is no explanation.
“accept that their lived experiences are different than yours: they are treated differently and see the world differently.”
Indeed. Shouldn’t everyone do this for everyone? Let’s be more inclusive…
#4 It is not racist (nor is it “creating division”) for people of color to talk about how they experience the world differently than white people. Colorblindness is not a thing to aspire to. I see a lot of white people try to shut down these conversations by saying, “Why do we have to make everything about race?”, as if brown and black people need to pretend race doesn’t exist and stop focusing on our differences. Don’t defend your point of view by claiming to be colorblind and saying “I don’t see color!” You do see color, unless you have a literal visual impairment.
So we should focus more on our differences to bring unity & justice? When has that ever worked in human history?
This should be our approach and our goal…
“There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free person, there is not male and female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus.” Galatians 3:28
Ironically, we as Christians are called to do “die to self” and not focus on our own identity apart from being God’s children, which is something precisely counter cultural.
#5 at the end…We (whites) have always known we belonged and were valued and held power and authority. That’s the basis of white privilege. Our viewpoints and accomplishments have never been in danger of being overlooked and ignored, so we don’t need any special protections, recognition, or careful consideration for being white.
I can’t help but wonder how many millions of whites don’t feel like they belong, or are valued, or have power or authority, not because they are white, but for other reasons. Perhaps they are overweight, deformed, unattractive, have a speech impediment, etc. These are outward signs that cannot be hidden. But I suppose these other reasons don’t matter much because as mentioned in #4…“we have to make everything about race”.
#7 Develop a listen-first ethic when a conversation turns to race, rather than insisting that race is irrelevant. Remember that YOUR perception of when race applies is going to be different than a person of color’s perspective.
I know this is hard to understand, but maybe if you’re a female, you can relate to another example. How many times have you heard men say things that are dismissive or subtly disrespectful toward women and they don’t even realize what they’ve said is cringe-worthy?
Men have the privilege of “not seeing” misogynistic undertones in certain situations because misogyny doesn’t affect them personally (hence the term ‘mansplaining’ was invented.) White people have the privilege of “not seeing” race in an issue because it doesn’t affect us personally. That does not mean it doesn’t exist and people aren’t really experiencing it.
Listening is always good, but it’s suspicious to claim a kind of omniscience; that you can see what others don’t see. Any group can make this insinuation about another group, because none of us can see everything.
“Men have the privilege of ‘not seeing’ misogynistic undertones in certain situations because misogyny doesn’t affect them personally”
How many times have I noticed women making cringe-worthy comments about men right in front of me, in the media and in entertainment? How many shows and movies portray men, husbands and fathers as complete buffoons? Perhaps the author has the privilege of “not seeing” these undertones because they don’t affect her personally.
#10 We can unite as a nation when we acknowledge problems do exist, and they exist because our systems were never designed to treat all people equally. In nearly every state, our founding fathers determined that only white men who owned property could vote and have a say in how the country operates.
The system was never, ever designed to give equality to the poor who didn’t own property … or women … or indigenous people the land was taken from … or Africans who were brought here in chains and forced for generations to provide free labor that created financial prosperity for white families.
The system is unjust, but it’s not broken. It was built this way. Unity and healing come when we dismantle the current system and build a new one. We can heal when we acknowledge the reality of people of color and other marginalized groups in this country.
Healing comes when we as white people start to see our own privilege and dismantle systems built on white supremacy that hold our lives and rights as being greater than those of other people. That’s going to be a long, painful, messy process, because when you’re used to privilege, equality feels like oppression.
“The system is unjust, but it’s not broken. It was built this way. Unity and healing come when we dismantle the current system and build a new one”
Seems like no progress at all since 1776. And again we are given sweeping statements, like “dismantle”.
- What specifically do we dismantle?
- How do we dismantle in a “long, painful, messy process”?
Could this be construed as inciting violence???
What say you?
Times are ripe for anyone with a teacher’s license or certification to open a house school and tutor.
There used to be a time when it was said that those who seek equity must do equity. SJWs never seem to get around to doing equity.
DJH:
Don’t look at me. I’m getting ready to retire. And I teach is Catholic school! Please understand that many of us teachers in the tenches pay no more attention to the poseurs who run these sorts of training than we do to ads for Cubi.
“teachers in the trenches…”
I’m told that one of the first things all teachers & administers were asked to do is to put their preferred pronouns in their email tags. This would make others more comfortable sharing pronouns that don’t match their bodies. But so far, very few in the district have done this, so maybe it’s a sign they don’t buy it (completely)
It’s not just schools of course. I think of my wife’s job at a major banking institution. Three times now they have had town hall meetings for different departments where white employees have been called on to more or less acknowledge their privilege and then give an example of where they have been part of systemic racism in our country.
“Equity Training” is a fascist language inversion to make evil appear good. No one would submit to fascist programs of racial violence and destruction against the society we love. No one wants to be trained how to be a racist. But … who can argue against “equity”; training in being just, kind and good.
They, the globalist Chinese sponsored fascists (blending “private” industry, government, military), are redefining language to redefine our social reality so that we do willingly to ourselves what in prior days would have required total war to compel us unwillingly.
This disease has infected my beloved Company. It is compulsory. And it is accompanied by shock troop fellow employees who insist on group-think, isolating those (like myself, and many others) who believe in true racial harmony and common, traditional American aspirations of justice for all.
They bring hatred for the white race. And penalties for the crime of being white. They are killing my company, and it is so sad – profitable for over 20 years straight and a true joy my entire professional life. Resentment and suspicion of each other and retribution.
All we can do is hold the line. Wherever we may be, hold.
So Satan isn’t happy any longer with just whispering temptations into your ears. Now he’s demanding that you stamp your letterheads and begin your salutations with perversions of God’s natural order.
We are in open warfare with evil–and the first rule of warfare is to “know your enemy” so our thanks to the left for helping us do that.
A previous company for which I worked about a decade ago tried this equity training nonsense. I kept on getting the answers to the questions on the computer-generated quiz wrong because I refused to acquiesce to the racism and sexism inherent in godless damnable liberal progressivism. There are only TWO sexes: male and female. God created man as Adam and Eve, NOT Adam and Steve. All men – human beings – are created equal in dignity; God gives not one hoot about skin color. But that said, people are created unequal in function and talent, regardless of race or sex. That’s just the way it is. Use what talents God gives you for His glory and love of neighbor. That’s a radical thought nowadays. I suspect my current company will initiate this equity training soon since it’s a Biden Administration hallmark and we’re dependent on US DOE funding. I hope I have the courage to say “no” regardless the consequences. Soon those of us who adhere to Judeo-Christian values will find ourselves unemployed. The reason (at least in my industry) will be this: “Do you believe in that Biblical mythology? Then you can’t be trust in the nuclear power industry.” I actually had a former co-worker – a young millennial – tell me that. Never mind that I was safely operating a nuclear reactor in a sealed metal tube 1000 feet beneath the ocean’s surface decades before he was even born so that his parents’ freedom would be protected.
When they say “we will teach your children about racism” what they mean is “we will teach your children to hate white people.” At this point they are so blatant about it that I don’t even have to connect the dots to show that their only goal is to attack white people.
And yet culturally we have been so conditioned to be sensitive to racism that even with the knowledge that “anti-racism” means nothing more or less than “anti-white” many parents will still be reluctant to pull their kids from such courses.
Incidentally, while it is true that the left is racist, it is a rhetorical error to focus on that point in a debate. The reason for this is that if you make the issue “racism” they will cloud the matter by throwing in their own criteria such as seen in point 2. Instead of talking about racism they’ll talk about “systems”, “privilege”, “power dynamics” and so on. If you try engaging them on those topics they’ll just shift the definitions again. For example if you start exploring what “power dynamics” means in cases where a poor white person is attacked by a black celebrity, star reporter, politician or CEO, they will shift to saying that power doesn’t literally mean actual ability to influence the world, but includes unseen benefits from your racial privilege. If you try engaging them in this way you’ll never get out of the weeds, and bystanders have become so accustomed to terms like “systematic racism” that they’ll assume the leftist has a point.
Instead focus on the fact that they are anti-white, anti-Christian and anti-tradition. These things are much easier for a bystander to verify because the left gloats about being these things. And when you confront a leftist on these matters they don’t have the option of deflecting the issue. For example if you said that they were against white people they can’t say “no, I actually think white people are great” because doing so would make them a heretic among their peers. So instead they are forced to double down, which just further illustrates your point to bystanders.
“I actually had a former co-worker – a young millennial – tell me that. Never mind that I was safely operating a nuclear reactor in a sealed metal tube 1000 feet beneath the ocean’s surface decades before he was even born so that his parents’ freedom would be protected.” You should have turned around to that person and cried “ageism”. It’s a thing you know. That would have closed his know-it-all mouth.
When I’ve been in that situation I’ve generally shut down the problem by remaining firm in my Christian belief. Ex:
“I can’t believe that there are people in academia who still believe in bronze age fairy tales.”
“I’m a Christian.”
“Yeah, but you just do it for appearances, you don’t actually believe in that stuff.”
“I believe in God, Jesus, the Holy Spirit and the teachings of the Catholic Church.”
“But you can’t really be sure of that stuff. I mean, you’re only giving it some credence because you were brought up that way, right?”
“I have rationally investigated the teachings of the Church and found them to be more likely than the alternatives.”
“Well, okay, sure…”
Then the conversation changes topics.
Most people, especially millennials, are too cowardly to actually stand up to someone who doesn’t back down. Much better to do that than to concede ANY part of their narrative frame.
Rudolph,
“if you said that they were against white people they can’t say “no, I actually think white people are great”. Right, I think they’d say something like, “We’re not against anyone, we just need whites to get-woke”. It’ll take a lot of poignant questions with honest answers to get beyond that. Name-calling, shaming & canceling is the path of least resistance.
We are now at the point where even saying “we’re not against white people, they just need to get woke” is pretty risky on the left. The (literally) politically correct thing to say is “white people need to get woke because whiteness is so horrible that they need to do the most to make up for it.”
Child Privilege: having parents who are married and are after you to do your homework.
Systematic racism: saying the above is “acting white” (it’s actually more Asian) and to be avoided.
Nearly 5? years ago a school district in southern california introduced something like this for their school. A black female teacher tried to leak the contents but no one picked it up. Only a local radio host did and it blew up.
Stuff they taught: Black people have no concept of time, so its okay for black children to come to class late. Black people have no concept of whispering, so its okay for black kids to be loud. The school even wanted to punish asian students “more strictly” as “equity” for past strict punishments on black students. So if a black student is being disruptive, ignore him but if an asian kid is being disruptive, suspend him.
These types of lessons have always been here…
Shut the teachers’ colleges and quit paying attention to the dunderheads they graduate.