Tilting at Imaginary Windmills

Once upon a time the two largest political parties disagreed and argued about actual issues. You could disagree with what either their positions were, but you could be sure that they were talking about things that were real. Economic issues, foreign policy, infrastructure, taxes - maybe they weren't sincere, or were in the pocket of big donors, but they fought about things that existed!

One of the things that don't exist that Republicans have made an issue of is Critical Race Theory. Critical Race Theory exists, but it is a legal hypothesis that is based on the premise that racism in the United States is less caused by individual acts of bigotry and more on structural and systemic considerations. This is taught in law school, not your local community college, not any high school, and certainly not elementary schools, despite what "parents rights" advocates and the right-wing politicians would have you believe. Despite its absence from any school curriculum that any child or any adult who is a non-lawyer is likely to encounter, Critical Race Theory has become one of the non-issues with which today's Republicans get their supporters excited about. School Board meetings are disrupted by angry parents and governors, who have no input whatsoever in what gets taught in school, campaign on it. 

In addition to the fact that Critical Race Theory isn't being taught in schools, what people think Critical Race Theory is, is inaccurate, a fantasy put forth by Republicans looking for a wedge issue. Fantasy Critical Race Theory includes the idea that all White people are racists, that they are born racists, that Black people should hate White people, that all White people are oppressors, that all Black people are helplessly oppressed, that today's White people are responsible for the past - it goes on and on. Republican led state legislatures and local school boards are banning the teaching of Critical Race Theory in public schools. One might wonder, since it's not actually being taught in public schools, and it's funhouse mirror version certainly isn't, why banning something that's already not there would be a problem. I'm glad you asked.

Republican politicians, along with confused and angry parents, have interpreted virtually anything in school history curricula that addresses racism, including slavery, Jim Crow, lynchings or segregation, as being Critical Race Theory. Some have even gone further, pointing to any mention of contributions by Black Americans, including celebrating Black History Month, as Critical Race Theory. The imaginary windmill that the Republicans are tilting at is a twisted, exaggerated, and false definition of a scholarly discipline. The real discipline isn't even in school curricula, but the do-your research crowd has been convinced that it is, that the false definition is the true one, and have lumped basic United States history that used to be noncontroversial in with their invented definition, causing a spike in the sale of pitchforks, scythes and torches among the angry villagers.  

This isn't the only make-believe issue that Republicans are running on. The lie of the stolen election and equating the acknowledgment that gay and transgender people exists with pedophilia are two other big ones. Causes you to wonder how they plan to govern when most of what they think needs to be addressed can only be found in their imaginations.