Democratic Arizona Governor Katie Hobbs just vetoed a bill that would have abolished the use of critical race theory or CRT in all public schools within the state. Thankfully, the state’s Republican superintendent just launched a hotline to expose just how often it’s being used.
If you haven’t heard of it, CRT is basically the teaching that everything we do, say, and even think is inherently affected by race and, subsequently, by the history of whites or those with lighter skin complexions being in charge and having power.
As such, lessons on the subject seek to instruct children on white privilege and how to “check” the privilege, as well as that subjects like mathematics are a creation of racism because historically, only whites learned it.
And if you didn’t know it, those kinds of teachings have begun to permeate even the youngest of classrooms nationwide.
Naturally, Republican lawmakers in the state are rightfully worried about what these teachings are doing to our children and society as a whole.
Unfortunately, Katie Hobbs, who has no children as of yet, doesn’t believe CRT exists in our public schools. According to her, it’s only something taught at the university level, and so a bill to eradicate it from younger grades would not only be pointless but allow further divisions.
However, those like the state’s Republican Superintendent of Public Instruction, Tom Horne, know otherwise.
And that’s precisely why he has gone ahead and launched the “Empower Hotline” to allow students and parents to report on incidents where they believe their child is being taught ideas and theories that stray from true academics.
By calling 602-771-3500 or by emailing [email protected], people can “report inappropriate public school lessons that detract from teaching academic standards,” Horne’s Department of Education said in a March 9 news release.
“These include those that focus on race or ethnicity, rather than individuals and merit, promoting gender ideology, social emotional learning, or inappropriate sexual content.”
Conveniently, the hotline opened on the same day Hobbs vetoed SB1305, which would have criminalized CRT teachings. Clearly, Horne and others were all too aware of Hobbs’s plan to go against the bill and so planned accordingly.
According to GOP state Senator JD Mesnard, the veto is essentially a “slap in the face to parents.” And I have to say that I agree.
I mean, it’s not just like the senators who proposed this bill are just being cautious or conspiracy theorists about CRT in our schools. They are getting letters, phone calls, emails, etc., from parents statewide who are seeing it firsthand. They are experiencing their kids being shamed by teachers for nothing more than being born white. Kindergarteners are being told that they are “evil” because of their skin tone. And it’s wrong.
It was wrong when those of darker complexions were enslaved and discriminated against, and it is wrong still wrong. It doesn’t matter the color of the skin.
But by vetoing this bill, Hobbs is quite literally saying that the concerns of these parents and students don’t matter.
Whether she wants to believe it or not, CRT does exist in schools, and it is causing harm and division.
Of course, she says that this bill, as well as its closely related hotline, are doing that. When news of the hotline emerged, she said it is “a tool that … doesn’t need to exist, and it’s just going to create further division.”
Wait, I’m confused. If it doesn’t need to exist, as in it’s useless, how is it going to create more division? If CRT isn’t in our schools, the hotline won’t be reporting anything, right? So what’s the harm?
Oh, maybe she does believe that it is present in younger grades. And maybe, as with most of her party, she doesn’t care. After all, it’s playing right into her and her agenda’s hands…
Good job, Horne, on calling her bluff.
