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This is a helpful article for understanding why those who mimic the talking points of the Left are unable to have a higher level conversation about a wide variety of topics.
I decided to respond to one of those posts by a friend and former colleague. She’s a bright, hardworking, and thoughtful woman, and from what I know, relatively apolitical.
When she posted a series of images—what Instagram calls a “story”—that mentioned “systemic racism,” “white privilege,” and a list of required reading that included the writings of Malcolm X, I messaged her directly asking if she was familiar with so-called “critical race theory.”
Critical race theory is a theoretical framework, rooted in Marxism, that posits individuals as oppressed or oppressor based on their skin color.
She replied “yes” and said she had studied it in graduate school. I pushed further to ask about her familiarity with Marxism.
She wrote back that philosophical and policy arguments have no place in this conversation and that her statements were not in any way controversial.
I was relieved to discover that she may not actually believe what she was saying, but was shocked to learn that, from her perspective, this was the only way to have a conversation about race.
I live in a large East Coast city, so it’s no surprise that many of my friends lean left and are social progressives. What was surprising is that my peers, including and especially those who are relatively apolitical, use the leftist paradigms of critical race theory to share their ideas about racism.
They don’t understand the intellectual roots of that language and think that it’s the only way to talk about racism. As such, questioning their ideas amounts to tacit support of racism and makes you a racist.
That notion reflects the true nature of all leftist ideology by being ultimately authoritarian in nature. You either agree with the left’s worldview or you are an enemy of all that is good.
That way of thinking didn’t come out of nowhere.
♥ Christian, wife, mother, homeschooler, homebody, and autodidact ♥