Following Claire's report yesterday, and Gary's observation about the stealth effort to subvert public education, it's worth revisiting Margaret Renkl's February column on book-banning etc.
From The New York Times:
In Tennessee, the 'Maus' Controversy Is the Least of Our Worries
The new bans are a response to contemporary political forces whose true motivation has nothing to do with books.
...it is possible to trust that the parents in McMinn County are acting in what they believe is the best interest of their children, and also to recognize that these parents are being manipulated by toxic and dangerous political forces operating at the state and national levels. Here in Tennessee, book bans are just a small but highly visible part of a much larger effort to privatize public schools and turn them into conservative propaganda centers. This crusade is playing out in ways that transcend local school board decisions, and in fact are designed to wrest control away from them altogether.
I don't mean simply the law, passed last year, that limits how racism is taught in public schools across the state. I'm talking about an array of bills being debated in the Tennessee General Assembly right now. One would purge books considered "obscene or harmful to minors" from school libraries across the state. Another would ban teaching materials that "promote, normalize, support or address lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender (LGBT) issues or lifestyles." Yet another would prevent school districts from receiving state funding for undocumented students.
Most of all I'm talking about Gov. Bill Lee's announcement, in his State of the State address last week, that he has approached Hillsdale College, a Christian institution in Michigan, to open 50 charter schools in Tennessee — Mr. Lee reportedly requested 100 — that would follow a curriculum designed to make kids "informed patriots." Not informed citizens; informed patriots, as conservative Christians define that polarizing term.
"What strikes me as the unusual takeaway is that the governor is intentionally wheeling the state into this very ideologically loaded and electorally loaded civics education," said Adam Laats, the author of "Fundamentalist U: Keeping the American Faith in Higher Education," in an interview with The Tennessean.
That's not surprising at all if you know anything about the Tennessee Republican Party, which is in lock step with right-wing oligarchs funding their campaigns. The fact that so many of these challenged books have been in the literary canon for decades is a dead giveaway that the new bans are a response to contemporary political forces whose true motivation has nothing to do with books. What they really want is to destroy public education. As Christopher Leonard, the author of "Kochland: The Secret History of Koch Industries and Corporate Power in America," notes in an interview with Jennifer Berkshire and Jack Schneider for the "Have You Heard" podcast: "The ultimate goal is to dismantle the public education system entirely and replace it with a privately run education system." (Read a transcript of the full interview here.)
The real tragedy in Tennessee, and across the red states, is this existential threat to public education, which is the very foundation of a functioning democracy. And that's where our outrage should lie — not at school boards whose decisions are formed by parental concerns that simply differ from our own. nyt
From The New York Times:
In Tennessee, the 'Maus' Controversy Is the Least of Our Worries
The new bans are a response to contemporary political forces whose true motivation has nothing to do with books.
...it is possible to trust that the parents in McMinn County are acting in what they believe is the best interest of their children, and also to recognize that these parents are being manipulated by toxic and dangerous political forces operating at the state and national levels. Here in Tennessee, book bans are just a small but highly visible part of a much larger effort to privatize public schools and turn them into conservative propaganda centers. This crusade is playing out in ways that transcend local school board decisions, and in fact are designed to wrest control away from them altogether.
I don't mean simply the law, passed last year, that limits how racism is taught in public schools across the state. I'm talking about an array of bills being debated in the Tennessee General Assembly right now. One would purge books considered "obscene or harmful to minors" from school libraries across the state. Another would ban teaching materials that "promote, normalize, support or address lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender (LGBT) issues or lifestyles." Yet another would prevent school districts from receiving state funding for undocumented students.
Most of all I'm talking about Gov. Bill Lee's announcement, in his State of the State address last week, that he has approached Hillsdale College, a Christian institution in Michigan, to open 50 charter schools in Tennessee — Mr. Lee reportedly requested 100 — that would follow a curriculum designed to make kids "informed patriots." Not informed citizens; informed patriots, as conservative Christians define that polarizing term.
"What strikes me as the unusual takeaway is that the governor is intentionally wheeling the state into this very ideologically loaded and electorally loaded civics education," said Adam Laats, the author of "Fundamentalist U: Keeping the American Faith in Higher Education," in an interview with The Tennessean.
That's not surprising at all if you know anything about the Tennessee Republican Party, which is in lock step with right-wing oligarchs funding their campaigns. The fact that so many of these challenged books have been in the literary canon for decades is a dead giveaway that the new bans are a response to contemporary political forces whose true motivation has nothing to do with books. What they really want is to destroy public education. As Christopher Leonard, the author of "Kochland: The Secret History of Koch Industries and Corporate Power in America," notes in an interview with Jennifer Berkshire and Jack Schneider for the "Have You Heard" podcast: "The ultimate goal is to dismantle the public education system entirely and replace it with a privately run education system." (Read a transcript of the full interview here.)
The real tragedy in Tennessee, and across the red states, is this existential threat to public education, which is the very foundation of a functioning democracy. And that's where our outrage should lie — not at school boards whose decisions are formed by parental concerns that simply differ from our own. nyt
It's sad when the privatization of public education is considered a divisive topic. I find it interesting that in every article I've read about this issue, the author tries to point blame to the government or "the system," a broad and vague culprit. I wish there were more pragmatists reporting on these issues, or at least more practical/manageable causes of the problem. The more we dive into complex issues involving any public system, the more I force myself to come to terms with the lack of practicality in handling these issues. Thanks for sharing this article!
ReplyDeleteSeems to be not just nationwide but worldwide. I cant hyperlink it but
ReplyDelete"German police bust right-wing group planning attack on energy grid Investigators in Germany say an extremist chat group planned bomb attacks to knock out power nationwide. They hoped to create "a civil war-like" situation to topple the country's democratic system of government."
at what point will the differing beliefs be too much to balance?
https://www.dw.com/en/german-police-bust-right-wing-group-planning-attack-on-energy-grid/a-61468227
The Public School system is as important at free vaccines for all was during the pandemic. Education and Health Care should not be reserved only for those who can afford it. These two are essential for "life, more life, a larger, richer, more satisfying life" in the words of Pragmatist philosopher Richard Rorty.
ReplyDeleteTotally agree, Gary. That was actually Wm James who Rorty was quoting, btw.
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