Storytelling (was Critical Race Theory)

[richard duncan]

Sandy: It doesn't matter whether the public schools are excluding
conservative views or indoctrinating children in praise of the free
market system. The point is that agents of the state are selecting the
values, beliefs, attitudes and perspectives of the "common
curriculum." Vitz's study speaks for itself. His evidence of
religious censorship was much stronger than that demonstrating
political bias. On political bias in social studies texts, for
example, he notes that most of the books (for grades 1-4) single out
role models for special emphasis. He demonstrates an extreme political
bias in the selection of role models--he found that most of the role
models were liberal Democrats, "not one contemporary role model is
conservative and male." "Political bias also shows in the reliable
tendency of these books to characterize recent (and much of past)
American history in terms of three issues or themes: minority rights,
feminism, and ecological and environmental issues. In every case, the
pro position is presented as positive; the opposition is never given
any serious treatment. There are no conservative positions identified
or supported in any way in any of these books. For example, there is
simply no mention of the anti-ERA movement, the pro-life movement, or
opposition to affirmative action, or the tax revolt. The idea that
government might be too big, too controlling, is never mentioned."
Vitz, at 41.

And so far as religion goes, the Supreme Court's interpretation of the
EC has *mandated* that the playing field not be level in public
schools--schools can endorse all sorts of beliefs and ideologies but
not religious beliefs and perspectives. This alone guarantees that
every day, in every public school, children like Timmy will be
inculcated from a secular perspective (indeed, it would be
unconstitutional for a public school to explain that God created the
earth or to read the Proverbs with a view to teaching children how to
live wisely). Timmy not only exists, he is typical.
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             Rick Duncan (rduncan at unlinfo.unl.edu)

"There's no pleasure on earth that's worth sacrificing for the sake of
an extra five years in the geriatric ward of the Sunset Old People's
Home, Weston-Super-Mare." Horace Rumpole