There is a great debate raging in the nation, including here in Cape May County, over the issue of critical race theory (CRT). There are various points of view on just what CRT means, but at its core, it is an effort to address racial wrongs.
Some see its promotion by government, including in the schools, as a surreptitious, leftist plot to lead the nation into socialism, under the guise of correcting injustice perpetrated on Blacks. Others view it as the appropriate way to correct the oppression of the Blacks by their White oppressors, requiring nothing less than a fundamental realignment of how issues are adjudicated.
Opponents push back, supporting traditional views that our system must be color blind, to which proponents of CRT respond that the status quo will not correct the oppression that Blacks desire to overcome, once and forever.
Opponents argue that CRT would put in place a two-tiered legal system that would not only privilege Blacks, but would work to the long-range detriment of the nation, wherein the oppressed become the oppressors.
Some proponents of CRT argue that Blacks are currently being held to a Western-world structure created by Whites, which perpetuate White oppression of Blacks, and that Blacks who succeed in the current structure, aren’t really Blacks. Opponents, on the other hand, argue that CRT would lead to lower standards of performance for Blacks, which would serve neither them nor anyone’s long-range interest.
CRT is a new way of looking at the situation that the American people have long faced. Man is blessed with the ability to think; we live in a democratic republic, where everybody has an opportunity to have his or her voice heard. To achieve our potential, all voices must be heard.
In recent Lower Township school board meetings, members of the public desired to be heard on this very important issue, but were limited in public meetings to four minutes. While the schools have introduced CRT-inspired instruction, the public was given miniscule opportunity to have its concerns heard and debated. When a member of the public brought this to our attention, it appeared to us that the school board desired to avoid sunlight on decisions made in the dark on this hotly debated national issue. Accordingly, we made the decision to run his thoughts on the front page of our paper. We did so to give to him as broad of a response to the school’s decisions on curriculum as we could, in order to engender the dialogue the issue requires. You, the public, have responded, as we hoped you would.
In the best interests of our community and nation, this dialogue must continue, and not settle down until all sides are heard and understood. We encourage you to submit letters to us expressing your thoughts; in doing so, explain how your thinking will lead to the betterment of all members of our community and nation.
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From the Bible: Christ said, “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another.” John 13:34-35
