Education ‘Reform’

Mitch McConnell and his Senate Republican colleagues have gotten their feelings hurt. They are worried that America’s public school students might learn words and phrases like: diversity, systemic racism, equity, social identity; and unique concepts like Black Americans’ contributions to our country; that there is bias, discrimination, and racial violence throughout U.S. history (slavery, the Civil War, racial terror lynchings, internment camps, policing targeting Black citizens); and critical analysis skills so students, especially on social media, can separate fact from fiction or opinion, and recognize bias in sources and in themselves.

So, Mitch wrote a letter complaining to the U.S. Department of Education. Instead, the GOP leaders would prefer students learn the “shared civic virtues” of Democracy as practiced by Republicans, like lies in the face of truth (“Trump won”, “the election was stolen”), and related Democracy-protecting activities, like enacting racist voter suppression laws, and drawing partisan gerrymandered legislative districts (just around the corner).

It is difficult to envision how Joe Biden can unite the country, when McConnell and Co. continue with their own propaganda campaign more aligned with Nazi Germany, that encourages insurrection and division at virtually every opportunity. They fear the loss of power and will stop at nothing to retain it. They would rather perpetuate racism while denying it exists.

Time for major reform. That starts with ending the filibuster.