It seems that Republicans are launching another salvo in the culture wars, this time armed with “critical race theory.” In an oversimplified nutshell, the theory is a deeply academic look at how racism that has been baked into our nation is still impacting us all today.
Republicans are, of course, lumping anything related to diversity or equity into the demon plot of critical race theory. This is not a theory that is taught in schools, like (gasp!) evolution, it’s more of a wonky academic thing we probably wouldn’t have even heard about if it weren’t for Fox News.
This would all be just a silly sideshow if it weren’t for the fact that over a dozen state legislatures across the country are working to pass bills that clamp down on teachers’ academic freedom. In some cases, teachers are forbidden from teaching anything that could result in a student feeling “discomfort” or “guilt.” So much for the supposed love of small government and rugged individualism of Republicans.