160 Comments

Wasn't there a longer version of the podcast that had an example of a Chinese woman comparing it to the cultural revolution?

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Without even listening to the debate, I can sympathize with a civil libertarian's argument regarding the desirability of open debate and freedom of expression, rather than banning things like CRT. However, what we are dealing with here is minor children, vulnerable and without fully developed minds, held captive in an institution they are obligated to attend, in the absence of their parents, being indoctrinated into an ideology by political zealots whose philosophy has baked into it, as a feature, no room for challenge or debate. They refuse to debate, and any challenge or question from anyone is "proof" that the challenger is a racist (or a transphobe, from another branch of this horrible post-modernist tree of B.S.). The libertarian's methods of open discourse simply will not work in the school setting, against the woke crowd. They are on a mission and, like the Terminator, will not stop until we are destroyed. We have come to a moment where the ultimate weapon, in this case the laws banning this divisive and destructive ideology, must be used.

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Is there a text version of David French's argument? I read much faster than listen. I'd like to see what he says.

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In my opinion CRT is demeaning and degrading to blacks! It implies that they must be treated differently from whites because they cannot compete at the same level as whites. This is patently absurd. We need to address the issues surrounding inner-city low income black children who do not have the same advantages as middle-class American children and that includes blacks whites Asians Indians etc.

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founding

Brief true story about CRT's godfather, Prof. Derrick Bell.

The year I graduated from law school (1980) the University of Oregon hired Bell to be its new law dean. Graduation was virtually simultaneous with the then-closely watched Oregon Presidential primary, and we could have likely got any speaker we wanted.

But instead we got Bell, who was coming from Harvard. I was so sure I had flunked Trusts and Estates I had discouraged my family from attending from LA. I got a "D" and was deliriously happy. Unlike virtually all my fellow graduates, I had a job waiting, at the DA's office.

Most of the audience were the proud families of the newly minted law graduates, many from families would had never even had a child graduated from college. Bell gave most the most insulting and condescending speech I have ever heard. He essentially said "not everybody could go to Harvard" and that there was a place for people like us. I know many of the families were crushed.

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founding

Everything was going great until the male panelist attacked "Qualified Immunity." The opponents of the judicially-crafted 'qualified immunity' want to over-rule a concept created by the Supreme Court, just as many leftists shibboleths like the "exclusionary rule" were created.

Qualified immunity is used all the time to protect teachers, nurses, doctors, and governmental workers who act IN GOOD FAITH but a court later decides the entity they work for should be held liable. Nobody is suggesting opening teachers up for litigation, just cops.

That is both dishonest and unworkable. As a long-time prosecutor I enjoyed something more - "absolute immunity," as do judges. That means that even if I acted wrongly and maliciously, so long as it was within the duties of my office, I could not be successfully sued. You take that away, and most judges will rarely render verdicts and DAs will run from controversy and hard choices every time.

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Since, in California, ethnic studies is now required, parents cannot allow the antisemitic and racist views held by many ethnic studies "pundits" to be spread to all public school students.

California reviews all texts approved before they are adopted. This has been done for many years and is used to provide students with accurate and unbiased texts. If schools can function "in loco parentis", they should certainly be made to avoid those destructive theories that should be anathema to schools and parents alike.

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FYI bad link on the draft of the new New Hampshire bill.

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By the way, it is not so much the idea of "banning any ideas" - and yes, some should be banned from our elementary, middle and high schools just as certain books are - but it is really that these ideas are being "mandated" to us and to our children without any push back allowed. It is indoctrinization.

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What a sad thing that our teachers are being called abusers and threatened with loss of their jobs if they do not buy in to CRT. This is from the video above. And sad that white teachers are told they are "spirit murdering" black children. You mean no white teachers are any good? Or no good unless they support CRT? No good? At all? Any wonder CRT is seen as threatening to white parents, to white teachers, and many blacks. It's extreme. See Conoleezza Rice's comments on it.

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"Is there a way to head off indoctrination while not stifling education? "

Indoctrination is what is stifling education right now. People have confused hearing ideas they don't like with violence. Yes be respectful, but no, you aren't given the right to have people act on a claim that everyone who doesn't rubber stamp your utterances is being disrespectful.

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David French has never seen a conflict in the culture war that he doesn't want to withdraw from for fear of crossing some imaginary line of liberalism.

The left has captured nearly all institutions in the country using illiberal tactics - canceling, shaming, etc., only to be met with endless amounts of tolerance from people like French for fear of the situation getting worse someday.

Someday is today.

French is a weak-kneed apologist for leftist policies, and is no longer a useful voice on the right, because he's willing to allow a minority of leftist activists to capture more and more institutions because they are politically skillful and highly motivated.

No.

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I agree with David French in so far as you must use the correct legal words to inhibit CRT from being taught as fact. I believe that K-12 shouldn't teach CRT at all. Word your proposed laws as carefully as possible, and do not allow this hate doctrine into our young children's curriculum.

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Bari, thanks for your efforts with FAIR and for continuing to focus a spotlight on these issues. Your readers also make interesting points, and I appreciate the comment section. We have to awaken the political center to save this country. I believe most reasonable American citizens will be appalled by CRT, but aren't yet familiar with it. My first direct contact with it was November 2020, and I was horrified. Your spotlight will help the recognition spread so it can meet its fate in the marketplace of ideas. I would love to see a debate with Glenn Loury, Robert Woodson, Thomas Sowell and Shelby Steele on one side, Nikole Hannah Jones, Ibram Kendi, Ta-Nehisi Coates on the other. Maybe Robin Diangelo could join the latter team. However, I don't think the latter team would have the courage to meet in a real debate. The left's effort to indoctrinate the young kids is right out of the Nazi Hitler Youth and George Orwell's description of Animal Farm, so time is of the essence!

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Bari, outstanding debate. This is the kind of thoughtful discussion that this country needs to be engaging in. I will take the view that the "hegemonic" forces in our national discourse are doing all they can to prevent this type of rational discussion. I reject/decline the vast majority of what is put forward in CRT and I hope a majority of our country finds its way to a similar conclusion. These are perilous times. Thank you for shining the light.

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This was truly an important discussion and moment. Not only because the content is so significant , but because Bari understood that there are actually true conservative intellectuals out their willing and able to have a coherent conversation. I'm confident there are many more and if there will ever be a true alternative the extremes of the left that has lost it's mind, one that liberals are comfortable voting for than more of this just has to happen. Thank you so much Bari for your wisdom and working to bring this kind of value to America.

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