Some white people are saying that critical race theory ("CRT") should not be taught in schools because it teaches white kids to feel guilty and bad about being white.
In that case, we should also not teach kids feminist critical theory--which is very sneaky and insidious--and might come across in subtle ways, such as informing kids that women did not have the right to vote in the US until 1920.
That's kind of a jaw-dropper. How are boys and girls supposed to feel about that horrid little turd of American history?
Kids do NOT need to know that women could not own property (like, their own home) in their own name until 1839, when Mississsippi allowed that a woman could own title to property in her own name, but only with her husband's permission.
Because that's just embarrassing.
Little girls should not have to learn about Ruth Bader Ginsburg, who, while very cute and all, has a biography that includes a number of unfortunate facts.
For example, after law school, despite being #1 in her class, no law firm in New York would hire her.
Girls and boys don't need to be burdened with that kind of intel.
a) Boys might experience guilt by association.
b) Girls might wonder what the heck is wrong with New York City that it wouldn't hire Ruth Bader Ginsburg(!?).
New York City has enough problems. Now, in the 2020s, it shouldn't have to answer to the consternation of agitated young girls across the country who wonder why the heck New York wouldn't hire Ruth Bader Ginsburg(?!?).
We don't need no feminist critical theory.
We don't need:
Critical Race Theory.
Critical Gender Theory.
Critical Feminist Theory.
Modern Critical Theory. (Metanarratives! Rationality!)
Post-Modern Critical Theory. (Foucault! Lacan!)
It's all. Very. Uppity.
Why so critical? Don't you like your country?
Can't we just all agree to get along?
Water under the bridge!
I can never un-know that the British abolished slavery in 1807, but the land of the free and the brave did not officially abolish slavery until 1863.
Why know unhappy things?
We don't want to make kids sad!
...Or...
.Do we...?
BAMBI. Probably my most painful early memory.
Until DUMBO. Why not just cut off an earlobe or pull out a fingernail and be done with it?
And children's literature?
Hello?!?!
What the heck is with children's literature?
THE GIVING TREE.
CHARLOTTE'S WEB.
OLD YELLER. (Sobbed, sobbed, sobbed.)
THE VELVETEEN RABBIT. (Heard about it, refused to read.)
THE YEARLING. (Take the other earlobe, please!)
ALL of the Brothers Grimm.
"The Little Match Girl."
What were they thinking???
Skip literature!
Skip history!
Skip the horrors and tragedies!
Skip vegetables and organ meats! Who the said they were good for you? I want names!
Critical Race Theory. It's not a terrorist movement. It's just what happened. And it might make you sad. It might change the way you think about lots of things.
That's what education does.
Eat your vegetables.
