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This week’s Feedback Friday topic is:
Modern McCarthyism or American Family Values?
U.S. history buffs and, indeed, those of elder generations, can recall the Cold War era—the period of geopolitical tension between the United States and the Soviet Union, and their allies. Basically, a war between political/social/economic systems—capitalism and communism. In the 1950s—the first peak of this war—McCarthyism became household conversation. McCarthyism was a campaign against alleged communists in the U.S. government and other institutions carried out under Senator Joseph McCarthy in the period 1950–54. Many of the accused were blacklisted or lost their jobs, although most did not in fact belong to the Communist Party.
Today it can be argued that our nation, once again, is experiencing a Cold War and McCarthyism. This “war” is about Critical Race Theory (CRT), of which What’s Up? Media recently published (January 2022) an article attempting to objectively answer four basic questions: What is it? Why are we talking about it? Is CRT taught in classrooms? Should CRT be taught in classrooms?
The feedback on this article has been positive and negative. The critics have been, perhaps, the loudest in suggesting that CRT is a “critical theory” rooted in Marxism, which they believe is being indoctrinated within our public institutions—notably school systems. We heard this exact feedback from several readers who believe CRT is communism threatening their version of American family values—and that it’s blatantly working its way into public policy and practice. When asked for examples, critics broadly point to how the difficult history of slavery and equal/civil rights are taught in classrooms combined with current social justice initiatives/campaigns have white Americans questioning their role in racism—and that that alone is racist. Even Pulitzer Prize-winning classic literature—To Kill a Mockingbird for example—is fair game to target as CRT-intentioned. And public equity initiatives, such as affirmative action, are, in their words, inequity initiatives that divide us. They claim blind equality and opportunity should exist in our capitalist society, regardless of race, but attack initiatives that examine the roots of inequality within the U.S. And there are notable academics and/or scholars who argue these points effectively—notably James Lindsay, who cloaks his conservativism under a self-proclaimed atheist/liberal label to advance the discussion and debate.
This is all to say, or rather ask, is our country under communist attack via Critical Race Theory? Are schoolchildren being taught a “racist ideology”? Should discussions of race of culture be avoided altogether in our community institutions? Are we seeing a return to the 1950s? For better or worse?
Please help us learn more about the situation by sharing your thoughts.
What do you think and why?
Please share your thoughts by filling out this form. NEW: Today’s responses—and all future Feedback Friday responses—will be published in our Monday newsletters after the weekend.
