TX: Intolerance and Classroom Politics

Your first reaction to this story is probably going to be that this is more dumb stuff from Texas. But there's another layer to examine.

Trustee (board member) Melissa Dungan in the Conroe school district expressed a desire to "crack down" on certain items, ostensibly because members of the public had contacted her because of their big big concern.

"I wish I was shocked by each of the examples that were shared with me, however, I am aware these trends have been happening for many years," Dungan said.

When pressed to share one of those examples, Dungan referred to a first grade student whose parent claimed they were so upset by a poster showing hands of people of different races, that they transferred classrooms.

"Just so I understand, you are seriously suggesting that you find objectionable, a poster indicating that all are included," Stacey Chase, another trustee, said.

This is pretty clearly a narrative of epic baloniosity, though I suppose the lack of clarity in pronoun usage leaves the door open for the possibility that it was the parents who were "upset" by the multiracial handholding. 

So there are a couple of things to note here.

The first is that, yes, there are people who are this crazypants racist in this country.

The second is the argument that Dungan makes for getting rid of the Scary Poster.

Citing "a number of parents reaching out to her about supposed displays of personal ideologies in classrooms,"

she wants to avoid "situations like that" by having the board adopt stricter standards and adhere to state policies already in place, prohibiting teachers from displaying political items not relevant to curriculum.

We've heard this argument before. Black Lives Matters shouldn't be brought up because it's a political statement. Any kind of pride flag or rainbow should be taken down because it's a political statement. We have allowed everything to become politicized, and so now, all statements are political statements.

People of different races should get along? Political statement. Vaccinations are good? Political statement. Posters with bland homilies like "be kind"? Political statement. All students should feel safe and accepted? Political statement.

The effect is that when something in school challenges someone's ignorance and intolerance, they don't have to try to defend their ignorance and intolerance--they can just call the challenge a political statement. "It's not that I want to promote a racist or intolerant idea," they declare. "It's just we don't want political statements in the classroom." And then all we have to do is label everything counter to ignorance and intolerance a political statement, creating a license to silence anything you disagree with.

Meanwhile, a classroom operates on a human scale, not a political one, and having the human being who is in charge make sure that all the human beings who are students can feel welcome, safe and supported. "It's okay that you exist, and because you exist you are entitled to respect and decent treatment," is not the sort of thing that should be banned from a classroom, nor can it be illegal to suggest that human beings of different backgrounds can and should get along and treat each other kindly. And if that's a statement that runs counter to your politics, what the hell do you stand for, anyway?