New Youngkin ad starring a parent who wanted Toni Morrison's 'Beloved' removed from schools because

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I remember the case when this happened. To be sure, Beloved is a harrowing book, but that's kinda the point of it... Maybe the mother thought "a book about slavery" (in an AP English class!) would be Gone With The Wind?

If you want that kind of control over your child's school curriculum, you need to homeschool.

At least you can all see that books about slavery (from the black perspective) are indeed being taught in our public schools. Funny how Democrats claim that's just not happening.

No, Democrats correctly state that children aren’t being taught Critical Race Theory. Republicans don’t actually know what any of that means, but they know they don’t want the facts of American history taught to children. Have to catch ‘em early with the propaganda version or they might begin to side with the enslaved rather than the people who stole their lives.

AP history teacher here - You have no idea about the history that has and continues to be be taught for the last 20 years, which is a long litany of the sins of the U.S. Republicans are not challenging the truthful teaching of American history. How do you think all of these activists learned American history? Howard Zinn and his derivatives have been around for a long time.

They are challenging the teaching of systemic racism, skin color as determinative of outcome, oppressed group vs. oppressor group, white privilege, etc. You are playing semantic games. If these things are not CRT, how about you make up a more appropriate way to describe these divisive teachings?

Sounds like you got into the wrong subject to teach. Please tell me you don’t teach your kids that legalized slavery and segregation are not systematic racism, that skin color never determined the outcomes of Americans’ lives, that whites have never had more privileges than blacks. Those are alternative facts for sure.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
AP history teacher here - You have no idea about the history that has and continues to be be taught for the last 20 years, which is a long litany of the sins of the U.S. Republicans are not challenging the truthful teaching of American history. How do you think all of these activists learned American history? Howard Zinn and his derivatives have been around for a long time.

They are challenging the teaching of systemic racism, skin color as determinative of outcome, oppressed group vs. oppressor group, white privilege, etc. You are playing semantic games. If these things are not CRT, how about you make up a more appropriate way to describe these divisive teachings?

I agree with you, and I'd like to see more balance, but in our present climate, I doubt it will happen.

I showed your post to my spouse who thought that teaching sounds great. I mentioned that something really good happened, in the midst of all the litany of sins, and that our DC doesn't know what that was. Spouse replied that it was so narrow and restricted, not really very good at all.

Spouse has more degrees than I do, is more highly educated, and must be right. I must be wrong.

This is such a vague and poorly written post that it’s difficult to understand exactly what your spouse was saying.

I said that while the US was committing a litany of sins, there was one good achievement - the idea of freedom for all people. Spouse said that since it only applied to rich white men, initially, that it wasn't very notable or very good at all.

Your spouse is correct. Also, the US does not have a monopoly on the concept of freedom.

[Anonymous]

I agree with the mother who banned the creepy book but I am not voting Y.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
AP history teacher here - You have no idea about the history that has and continues to be be taught for the last 20 years, which is a long litany of the sins of the U.S. Republicans are not challenging the truthful teaching of American history. How do you think all of these activists learned American history? Howard Zinn and his derivatives have been around for a long time.

They are challenging the teaching of systemic racism, skin color as determinative of outcome, oppressed group vs. oppressor group, white privilege, etc. You are playing semantic games. If these things are not CRT, how about you make up a more appropriate way to describe these divisive teachings?

I agree with you, and I'd like to see more balance, but in our present climate, I doubt it will happen.

I showed your post to my spouse who thought that teaching sounds great. I mentioned that something really good happened, in the midst of all the litany of sins, and that our DC doesn't know what that was. Spouse replied that it was so narrow and restricted, not really very good at all.

Spouse has more degrees than I do, is more highly educated, and must be right. I must be wrong.

This is such a vague and poorly written post that it’s difficult to understand exactly what your spouse was saying.

I said that while the US was committing a litany of sins, there was one good achievement - the idea of freedom for all people. Spouse said that since it only applied to rich white men, initially, that it wasn't very notable or very good at all.

Your spouse is correct. Also, the US does not have a monopoly on the concept of freedom.

Over the past twenty years, I can see the value of teaching that our country is terrible, with no redeeming qualities.

My spouse is right, I know that. I'm wrong.

[Anonymous]

School libraries and classrooms have not place for these sexually explicit books. Period. Keep these books under your bed or on your home bookshelves for you to enjoy away from schools.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
AP history teacher here - You have no idea about the history that has and continues to be be taught for the last 20 years, which is a long litany of the sins of the U.S. Republicans are not challenging the truthful teaching of American history. How do you think all of these activists learned American history? Howard Zinn and his derivatives have been around for a long time.

They are challenging the teaching of systemic racism, skin color as determinative of outcome, oppressed group vs. oppressor group, white privilege, etc. You are playing semantic games. If these things are not CRT, how about you make up a more appropriate way to describe these divisive teachings?

I agree with you, and I'd like to see more balance, but in our present climate, I doubt it will happen.

I showed your post to my spouse who thought that teaching sounds great. I mentioned that something really good happened, in the midst of all the litany of sins, and that our DC doesn't know what that was. Spouse replied that it was so narrow and restricted, not really very good at all.

Spouse has more degrees than I do, is more highly educated, and must be right. I must be wrong.

This is such a vague and poorly written post that it’s difficult to understand exactly what your spouse was saying.

I said that while the US was committing a litany of sins, there was one good achievement - the idea of freedom for all people. Spouse said that since it only applied to rich white men, initially, that it wasn't very notable or very good at all.

Your spouse is correct. Also, the US does not have a monopoly on the concept of freedom.

Over the past twenty years, I can see the value of teaching that our country is terrible, with no redeeming qualities.

My spouse is right, I know that. I'm wrong.

You are acting like a bit of a drama queen right now. No one is saying our country has no redeeming value, but glossing over the very problematic parts of our history isn’t accurate or constructive.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:School libraries and classrooms have not place for these sexually explicit books. Period. Keep these books under your bed or on your home bookshelves for you to enjoy away from schools.

Did you read Beloved before you fling out this criticism? Where is the gratuitous "smut" in this book? Everything in it is carefully thought out and happens for a reason related to the purpose of writing the book.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Why are the "reservations" of culturally conservative parents any more important than the "reservations" of other parents? Why are concerns about sexually explicit materials more valid than other types of concerns?

If parents can demand that books are banned because they object to the sexual content, then why can't books also be banned at the behest of parents who object to the promotion of Christianity, a sympathetic depiction of confederate soldiers, etc?

Maybe parents should be able to opt out of any part of the school curriculum they want for whatever reason they want and leave it at that.

This is a horrifying idea.

Are you ok with parents "opting out" their children from the earth science curriculum because they believe the earth is flat? How about from the US history curriculum because they believe it glorifies violence? Or from the music/PE curriculum because they believe that music and dancing are blasphemous?

If you want that kind of personal control over your child's curriculum, you need to homeschool.

+1 I feel like Dems are missing some messaging on this point. Basically Republicans like Youngkin want to give the must lunatic, MAGA-head parents control over what kids learn in schools. It's not that "parents" get to guide the curriculum (or masking policies) - it's that THESE parents will get to do it. And do you really want your kids' education in THESE lunatics' hands?

They should homeschool or send to some like-minded private school if they want more say over what their kids will learn. I would be terrified if I had kids in public school, that these insane people might be the ones making policy there.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:School libraries and classrooms have not place for these sexually explicit books. Period. Keep these books under your bed or on your home bookshelves for you to enjoy away from schools.

Did you read Beloved before you fling out this criticism? Where is the gratuitous "smut" in this book? Everything in it is carefully thought out and happens for a reason related to the purpose of writing the book.

+1. If you find Beloved titillating you have problems. Sexual content =/= porn.

I mean plenty of classics have sexual content. The Crucible, Brave New World, the Great Gatsby, 1984, I Know why the Caged Bird Sings. Mind you I am also literally just listing books I read in class in high school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:School libraries and classrooms have not place for these sexually explicit books. Period. Keep these books under your bed or on your home bookshelves for you to enjoy away from schools.

This reminds me that the 1992 Pulitzer Prize winner, A Thousand Acres by Jane Smiley, is also "sexually explicit." As is the 1606 Shakespeare play it's based on.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

+1 I feel like Dems are missing some messaging on this point. Basically Republicans like Youngkin want to give the must lunatic, MAGA-head parents control over what kids learn in schools. It's not that "parents" get to guide the curriculum (or masking policies) - it's that THESE parents will get to do it. And do you really want your kids' education in THESE lunatics' hands?

They should homeschool or send to some like-minded private school if they want more say over what their kids will learn. I would be terrified if I had kids in public school, that these insane people might be the ones making policy there.

Right. I'm a parent, and he doesn't want to give me control over what kids learn in schools.

[jsteele]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

+1 I feel like Dems are missing some messaging on this point. Basically Republicans like Youngkin want to give the must lunatic, MAGA-head parents control over what kids learn in schools. It's not that "parents" get to guide the curriculum (or masking policies) - it's that THESE parents will get to do it. And do you really want your kids' education in THESE lunatics' hands?

They should homeschool or send to some like-minded private school if they want more say over what their kids will learn. I would be terrified if I had kids in public school, that these insane people might be the ones making policy there.

Right. I'm a parent, and he doesn't want to give me control over what kids learn in schools.

You vote for the school board and let them manage things. Just like you vote for Senators and Representatives (unless you are in DC). You are not choosing the gas tax or deciding upon military appropriations are you? If you want to have hands on involvement, run for the school board,

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Why are the "reservations" of culturally conservative parents any more important than the "reservations" of other parents? Why are concerns about sexually explicit materials more valid than other types of concerns?

If parents can demand that books are banned because they object to the sexual content, then why can't books also be banned at the behest of parents who object to the promotion of Christianity, a sympathetic depiction of confederate soldiers, etc?

Maybe parents should be able to opt out of any part of the school curriculum they want for whatever reason they want and leave it at that.

This is a horrifying idea.

Are you ok with parents "opting out" their children from the earth science curriculum because they believe the earth is flat? How about from the US history curriculum because they believe it glorifies violence? Or from the music/PE curriculum because they believe that music and dancing are blasphemous?

If you want that kind of personal control over your child's curriculum, you need to homeschool.

+1 I feel like Dems are missing some messaging on this point. Basically Republicans like Youngkin want to give the must lunatic, MAGA-head parents control over what kids learn in schools. It's not that "parents" get to guide the curriculum (or masking policies) - it's that THESE parents will get to do it. And do you really want your kids' education in THESE lunatics' hands?

They should homeschool or send to some like-minded private school if they want more say over what their kids will learn. I would be terrified if I had kids in public school, that these insane people might be the ones making policy there.

Agreed. What McAuliffe said was that parent shouldn’t be dictating what schools teach. There is a board of education to decide what the curriculum should be, and school administrators to decide how it should be implemented. They are the education experts, not random parents who saw something inflammatory on the internet. Parents can have an input by providing feedback to administrators, but that doesn’t mean they will always get their way. Nonetheless, there are Virginia regulations providing parents options to opt their children out of certain lessons/materials that he parents object to, and parents can homeschool or find a like-minded private school if they want even more control over their kids’ education. That is how a school system is properly run, not extremists screaming during school board meetings about banning books.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

+1 I feel like Dems are missing some messaging on this point. Basically Republicans like Youngkin want to give the must lunatic, MAGA-head parents control over what kids learn in schools. It's not that "parents" get to guide the curriculum (or masking policies) - it's that THESE parents will get to do it. And do you really want your kids' education in THESE lunatics' hands?

They should homeschool or send to some like-minded private school if they want more say over what their kids will learn. I would be terrified if I had kids in public school, that these insane people might be the ones making policy there.

Right. I'm a parent, and he doesn't want to give me control over what kids learn in schools.

Control over what your kids learn is why homeschooling exists.

[Anonymous]

I just read that Youngkin sent his kid to Georgetown prep where they teach Toni Morrison novels? You guys voting for him because of school board issues really have been conned.