Social Justice, Critical Race Theory, and Gender Identify, Free Speech, Love and Hate

"Returning hate for hate multiplies hate, adding deeper darkness to a night devoid of stars. Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that."
— Martin Luther King Jr.

Good morning, good afternoon, good evening, or whenever you find these words. It’s 6:10 a.m. here, we slept well, my coffee is made, and I’m ready to cleanse my mind. We worked from home yesterday, headed to lunch, and ran a couple of appointments before finishing our day. We have a busy morning, a few virtual calls, and a full plate of work that I will take care of by the end of the day. I’ll read and try to educate myself using online content between activities.

I was reading an article yesterday about social justice. I’ve shared my views on this issue before, but I thought the article did a great job of outlining the issue and the consequences of the concept. Mathematician Sergiu Klainerman wrote the article at Princeton University and is about their current president and his desire to adopt social justice at the university.

I’ll start by sharing his definition of social justice. “By definition, social justice implies something quite different from impartial justice. All modern ideologies that invoke social justice, including the kind embraced by Eisgruber (Princeton’s President), appear to envision societies in which group inequalities are not to be tolerated. Of course, achieving anything close to uniformity requires strong, top-down measures of redistribution and reeducation—that is to say, indoctrination—and the punishment of dissent and marginalization of dissenters. These “socially just” practices are naturally incompatible with free speech.”

Unfortunately, Eisgruber’s view of social justice seems to be the off-the-shelf version promoted by “progressive” ideologues who see the redistribution of jobs and honors based on skin color and self-assigned identity groupings—and the overt censorship of anyone who disagrees with them or opposes their drive for institutional power—as central to their conception of “justice.” Foundational to this approach are the tenets of critical race theory, which mandate a framework in which the United States as a whole and Princeton University, in particular, must be understood to be systemically racist. According to CRT, denying this framework is prima facie evidence of systemic racism.

So what do you think? Should we rework society to favor some over others based on skin color and other character-based traits? What are different ways to help cure the inequalities found in society? Are you a fan of censorship? What do you know about critical race theory, and do you believe it is taught in our schools?  I’m more of a traditionalist where I believe in the actual history of our country, not that we are a systemically racist group of people who have not addressed the past errors of our ways.

I would be interested in your view of social justice and all the trappings included in the progressive movement.

Another concerning thing was an article I read about the school systems in Washington and Oregon teaching kindergartners about gender fluidity.  According to the report: Public schools in Washington State and Oregon teach gender identity topics to children as young as five years old.

The Washington Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI), which oversees K-12 education in the state, defines “gender” as “a social construct based on the emotional, behavioral, and cultural characteristics attached to the biological sex assigned to a person.” OSPI set health education standards for all public schools in 2016, requiring children in kindergarten and first grade to learn that “there are many ways to express gender,” while second and third graders learn that “there is a range of gender roles and expression.”

Students listen to their teacher during their first day of the transitional kindergarten class at Tustin Ranch Elementary School in Tustin.

The standards sparked a backlash last month after grade one students in the Edmonds School District allegedly received handouts on gender pronouns that taught that gender could be divided into three categories: a “girl,” a “boy,” and “none or both.” The district defended the mission, saying it “is necessary to teach state standards.”

Meanwhile, in Oregon, the state Board of Education adopted health education standards, also in 2016, requiring children in kindergarten and first grade to “recognize that there are many ways to express gender” and “provides examples of how friends and family influence how people think they should act based on their gender.”

The state’s third-grade students are expected to be able to “define sexual orientation” as well as “recognize differences and similarities in how individuals identify concerning sexual orientation.” sex or sexual orientation.”

My wife and I discussed the article and shared how we raised our kids. Both of us waited until the age we were exposed to sex; for me, it was fourth grade, and I was appalled at the idea of sex. In fourth grade, girls were gross. As a father, I shared with my kids in fourth grade the basics of sex, and it was something that my parents advised me should only be done after marriage.  I failed to follow that advice, but one or both of my kids did wait to engage in sex until marriage.

It should be up to parents to discuss age-appropriate concepts with their kids. I believe there are two sexes and that if a person wants to identify as something other than how they were born, that is ok. But at what age should we begin having these conversations, and is it an educational institution’s role to educate children on things that might counter the parent’s beliefs?

I think the three issues of social justice, critical race theory, and gender identity are things that need to be discussed and debated. You may agree or disagree with me, but an open conversation forum allows all ideas to be heard and judged. When should the ideas be taught, and who gets to fill our children’s minds with concepts and ideas?

I was on a call with a group, and one of the members asked what I write about, and I smiled and said society. I read things, I think about them, and then share my views to hopefully help others learn something that might be off their radar. I try and inspire and share my worldview to help further a conversation. I appreciate the people that read my work and am always open to learning how others think. Maybe you agree or disagree, but I think whatever you have to say, you should be free to say anything you damn well, please.

"Returning hate for hate multiplies hate, adding deeper darkness to a night devoid of stars. Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that."
— Martin Luther King Jr.