FCPS paying for Critical Race Theory curriculum. To be implemented in a year

[Anonymous]

We have a bronze statue done up and gold-casket funeral, murals with angel wings across the country for a man who pistol-whipped and held a gun to a pregnant woman's belly (only one of the incidents on his quite long-rap sheet) because he happened to be filmed being killed by the right color/sex of person for people to be interested. It's quite unpopular to bring up that his life apparently accomplished nothing but terror and destruction.

It is my position that Thomas Jefferson's hypocrisy and evil be taught along with his intellectual and social contributions to the society. Really it's the only way. Hero-worship of political figures no matter how great, is unhealthy. Venerate the achievements and how they help America be a place that many people want to live. If we can venerate criminals for how they die and give them statues and murals I don't see what's so untoward about simply respecting the achievements of the founders and leaving them their statues and school names. There's no requirement that new schools can't be named for others and new statues erected for different people who have contributed to the country (or various localities) in the years since.

People fault Marion Barry for his foibles but many appreciated his accomplishments in DC and put up a bronze statue, and I think it should stay.

[Anonymous]

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Anonymous wrote:I don’t dispute that he was foundational. However, being foundational doesn’t come with a free pass into perpetuity to be enshrined at taxpayers expense.

I don't quite understand this rationale. Either he was foundational or he wasn't. Who then does get a free pass into perpetuity to receive taxpayer dollars after death? Seems like this would be a first choice for a country to have a monument for. It's not like the US is the only country that has made a monument for their founders.

Oh that’s easy— no one. I believe that as we grow and evolve as a nation, we will be more honest about who we venerate and why. As we know better we we do better. I don’t think there’s anyone— black or white, man or woman— who is *entitled* to a taxpayer shrine. Jefferson is just one of the more obvious examples of why.

DP. Honestly, I think that as we grow and evolve, we can appreciate Jefferson and his wisdom and genius even more. He was incredible, an amazing awesome person. We should name more schools after him

Agreed. His accomplishments and his contributions to this country are remarkable. We should be doing more to commemorate him, really.

Why do you think that view isn’t more widely held?

Because very few people appreciate history. We have ridiculously short, internet-induced attention spans.

So, the historical fact of his enslaving his own children, raping women, and perpetuating a national disgrace, not to mention the efforts of parts of his family (the white parts) to conceal his behavior, should not be taught in your view? Or should be taught and then ignored? If you’re going to say this is about history the above facts are as historical as his drafting the Declaration of Independence.

I don't really think they are ignored. We have an african american history museum. I'm not sure what is in that since everytime I go online I can't get tickets, but there could easily be a portion of that dedicated to our founding fathers who had slaves. No one is hiding anything. The internet and Monticello are filled with information on Jefferson. That said, his monument is still beautiful and to me still makes sense. What don't you understand that he thought this was out of his control and wanted to end enslavement from Britain first? I don't understand why this basic concept isn't understood. He put all men created equal because he believed it. But he still had inner conflicts like all people do.

Wilberforce who actually did advocate for slavery ending above everything else was criticized for not doing enough for poor laborers. It took his entire life to end slavery and that was pretty much all he did that was completely successful. The rest of his efforts were somewhat successful but needed others to take the reign. We have so many worthless people in America. Jefferson was not one of those people. He laid the foundation for all people created equal and he gave a huge start to this nation. No one is dismissing his faults. They just don't deserve the same place as the place of honor for him. You confuse honoring with someone as if you are making them god. You are honoring the specific actions of that person. Not the person in their entirety.

So you would be comfortable with textbooks and discussions in civics and history class putting the facts of Jefferson’s personal behavior regarding slavery (including the enslavement of his children and the efforts of his family to hide it) side by side with his writing about slavery?

Because even if we set aside the question of ending slavery within the United States (which is a big “even if”) the choice to rape and the choice to enslave his children were fully, fully within his control.

yes. It already is in FCPS. Do you even have children in the school system?

[Anonymous]

I mean I guess I don't think in 4th grade Virginia History it's appropriate to teach about rape, but in high school of which all kids take two years of US history/government of course. Plus isn't there a year of US history in middle school as well?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I mean I guess I don't think in 4th grade Virginia History it's appropriate to teach about rape, but in high school of which all kids take two years of US history/government of course. Plus isn't there a year of US history in middle school as well?

Why not? They teach it in health education. I guess it’s unacceptable if it’s going to expose one of your white supremacist idols.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I mean I guess I don't think in 4th grade Virginia History it's appropriate to teach about rape, but in high school of which all kids take two years of US history/government of course. Plus isn't there a year of US history in middle school as well?

Why not? They teach it in health education. I guess it’s unacceptable if it’s going to expose one of your white supremacist idols.

My kid went through 4th grade and was not taught about rape even in health. We've gone all the way through FCPS. I don't know what you are talking about. Kids get history at our school for about 2 hours a week in 4th grade. You really think Jefferson's rape is of that much prominent importance when they don't even understand any basics about their state?

He's not an idol. His declaration of independence document is something to admire just like Martin Luther King's speech. I don't idolize either of them. I admire their words.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I mean I guess I don't think in 4th grade Virginia History it's appropriate to teach about rape, but in high school of which all kids take two years of US history/government of course. Plus isn't there a year of US history in middle school as well?

Why not? They teach it in health education. I guess it’s unacceptable if it’s going to expose one of your white supremacist idols.

You don't have kids, do you?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I mean I guess I don't think in 4th grade Virginia History it's appropriate to teach about rape, but in high school of which all kids take two years of US history/government of course. Plus isn't there a year of US history in middle school as well?

Why not? They teach it in health education. I guess it’s unacceptable if it’s going to expose one of your white supremacist idols.

You’ve gone off the deep end of credibility at this point. You’re a clown, troll, or both.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I mean I guess I don't think in 4th grade Virginia History it's appropriate to teach about rape, but in high school of which all kids take two years of US history/government of course. Plus isn't there a year of US history in middle school as well?

Why not? They teach it in health education. I guess it’s unacceptable if it’s going to expose one of your white supremacist idols.

You don't have kids, do you?

I have two he have recently gone through this in FCPS recently.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Some of us white people think that it's an important lesson for our children to realize their privilege. I'm glad FCPS is doing it. Better society = better America.

How does telling a bunch of UMC kids that they’re privileged change society at all? Do you think they don’t realize it?

Better question: How does telling UMC kids that they're privileged fix the economic and society structures that are responsible for inequality? Answer: It doesn't. But it makes the UMC white people who run a school system feel like they are doing something.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I mean I guess I don't think in 4th grade Virginia History it's appropriate to teach about rape, but in high school of which all kids take two years of US history/government of course. Plus isn't there a year of US history in middle school as well?

Why not? They teach it in health education. I guess it’s unacceptable if it’s going to expose one of your white supremacist idols.

You don't have kids, do you?

I have two he have recently gone through this in FCPS recently.

Obviously not.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Some of us white people think that it's an important lesson for our children to realize their privilege. I'm glad FCPS is doing it. Better society = better America.

How does telling a bunch of UMC kids that they’re privileged change society at all? Do you think they don’t realize it?

Better question: How does telling UMC kids that they're privileged fix the economic and society structures that are responsible for inequality? Answer: It doesn't. But it makes the UMC white people who run a school system feel like they are doing something.

Actually, it does help. Certainly there will be some kids who, like you, think the system is best when white people are in complete charge and uppity minorities shut up and accept their scraps, but it opens the eyes of others to see that there are things they can do to help make the world more equitable.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Some of us white people think that it's an important lesson for our children to realize their privilege. I'm glad FCPS is doing it. Better society = better America.

How does telling a bunch of UMC kids that they’re privileged change society at all? Do you think they don’t realize it?

Better question: How does telling UMC kids that they're privileged fix the economic and society structures that are responsible for inequality? Answer: It doesn't. But it makes the UMC white people who run a school system feel like they are doing something.

Actually, it does help. Certainly there will be some kids who, like you, think the system is best when white people are in complete charge and uppity minorities shut up and accept their scraps, but it opens the eyes of others to see that there are things they can do to help make the world more equitable.

Well, you're not worth listening to. Next?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Some of us white people think that it's an important lesson for our children to realize their privilege. I'm glad FCPS is doing it. Better society = better America.

How does telling a bunch of UMC kids that they’re privileged change society at all? Do you think they don’t realize it?

Better question: How does telling UMC kids that they're privileged fix the economic and society structures that are responsible for inequality? Answer: It doesn't. But it makes the UMC white people who run a school system feel like they are doing something.

Actually, it does help. Certainly there will be some kids who, like you, think the system is best when white people are in complete charge and uppity minorities shut up and accept their scraps, but it opens the eyes of others to see that there are things they can do to help make the world more equitable.

Well, you're not worth listening to. Next?

The White Supremacists don’t like it when they can’t confuse you.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Some of us white people think that it's an important lesson for our children to realize their privilege. I'm glad FCPS is doing it. Better society = better America.

How does telling a bunch of UMC kids that they’re privileged change society at all? Do you think they don’t realize it?

Better question: How does telling UMC kids that they're privileged fix the economic and society structures that are responsible for inequality? Answer: It doesn't. But it makes the UMC white people who run a school system feel like they are doing something.

Actually, it does help. Certainly there will be some kids who, like you, think the system is best when white people are in complete charge and uppity minorities shut up and accept their scraps, but it opens the eyes of others to see that there are things they can do to help make the world more equitable.

Well, you're not worth listening to. Next?

Enjoy your Klan rally!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I mean I guess I don't think in 4th grade Virginia History it's appropriate to teach about rape, but in high school of which all kids take two years of US history/government of course. Plus isn't there a year of US history in middle school as well?

I think a fourth grader could understand the evil represented by enslaving your own children, while their half siblings denied their existence and got hysterical at any inquiry about them. It’s basically the plot to Cinderella.