Critical (NO!) Race (Ethnicity?) Theory (My Ass!)

Critical Definition: involving the objective analysis and evaluation of an issue to form a judgment.

Race Definition: "Race" refers to physical differences that groups and cultures consider socially significant, while "ethnicity" refers to shared cultures, such as language, ancestry, practices, and beliefs.

Theory Definition: Sociologists develop theories to explain social events, interactions, and patterns. A theory is a proposed explanation of those social interactions.

The above definitions are from a sociologist's point of view because Critical Race Theory was first examined over 40 years ago by a group of sociologists. Therefore the Definition of Critical Race Theory should be an objective analysis and evaluation of an issue to form a judgment of the practices and beliefs and explain those social interactions. Does this sound like any aspect of Critical Race theory that we are being exposed to today? Does this say that as white people, we should feel responsible for the well-being of others to the extent that we no longer have pride in ourselves as individuals?

I read this statement this morning, and it was titled "Critical Race Theory for Kindergarteners." I understood this to believe that this was an attempt to explain it to those who disagree with CRT in a simplified way because we have a five-year-old mentality. Maybe I am wrong? The statement is as follows:

"Imagine a guy who hates disabled people builds a hotel, so he bans all disabled people and builds it in such a way to specifically make access difficult for them. Years later, he sells the hotel to a new owner who has no problem with disabled people. So you have a hotel where the owner has no problem with the disabled, and neither do any of the staff; however, due to the previous owner's actions, the hotel is still built in such a way that it doesn't accommodate them ( no disabled parking, no ramps, no extra considerations, etc.) So although the people currently running it are not actively discriminating, they are operating a system designed to discriminate and need to fix it even though they are not to blame."

So I ask you to imagine this scenario:

A building was constructed sometime around 1898. The building had six apartments upstairs and a store downstairs. The same family has owned the building since its construction. The building is in extreme need of repairs, but the family is unwilling to put any money towards these repairs. The elderly father passes, and the family decides to close the store. After the store is closed, the brother and sister decide to rent the building. The new renters go to the city to apply for a business license and find out that they are responsible for bringing the building up to code. They spend about two thousand dollars on fire extinguishers, signs, fire alarms, and other miscellaneous items. When the building finally passes inspection a few weeks later, the fire Marshall laughs and comments that it has not been inspected since its construction over one hundred years ago! Why? Because the patriarchy of owners had been elected mayor of the city several times in the past, and no one wanted to "intrude" on their business practices. What if I told you the owners of the building were part of a 97% Hispanic culture that has existed in the town since the Gadsden treaty, and the renters were white and not wanted in the town! Over the last 4 years the owners have failed to pay the taxes on the building and the tax lien was just purchased by a local realtor. The renters are now faced with the hard truth of either eviction or paying a higher rent. Why? because the owners were not longer interested in the building and took no pride in maintaining it. First, you would ask, "how do you know this" and "how can we believe this is true?" I know this because it happened to me in 2017!!! I was/am the renter. I now face this uncertainty in my future because I tried to fix a problem that was not mine to fix!

Therefore is this a theory or a pervasive culture that swings both ways? How will taking away my pride as a human who happens to be white fix this problem? It won't! It will only make it worse until the tides change and another group is oppressed. As a white woman, I can assure you that I have never oppressed anyone, so why should I allow this treatment in my own life?

So now I will ask you, the reader, questions.

How do you know the minds of men that you can determine the intentions of those requesting that you fix the building?

How will it be determined when the building is actually fixed?

Will these repairs go on for generations to come if there is no blueprint to show a completed restoration?

Will your children be held responsible for the building in the future simply because you started the restoration?

If there are unforeseen accidents in restoring the building, will you be held accountable for the casualties?

If so, can your possessions be taken away in a lawsuit or your wages garnished to pay the damages?

You are probably thinking I am going to an extreme with these questions, but am I?

"Critical race theory is an academic concept that is more than 40 years old. The core idea is that racism is a social construct and that it is not merely the product of individual bias or prejudice, but also something embedded in legal systems and policies." I took this quote from an EdWeek article on CRT. This quote is also from the article: "CRT also has ties to other intellectual currents, including the work of sociologists and literary theorists who studied links between political power, social organization, and language. "The link is https://www.edweek.org/leadership/what-is-critical-race-theory-and-why-is-it-under-attack/2021/05, and I have to conclude that it is a well-written article.

I also have to include that you must be aware of what is not being said and the context in which it is explained as a reader. Notice in the quote they use the words "political power." If you think that politicians wouldn't use and abuse CRT for political gain for one minute, you have been living under a rock!

The theory of CRT has been around for over 40 years without any proven evidence that it should even be a theory. As a psychology researcher, I would say that you could disprove the so-called theory in many different ways. I could also write a book titled "The Theory of Everything," and depending on the publicity and audience; my theory could become mainstream quickly. I could then manipulate data to make my theory seem very solid when its validity may not exist.

I could talk about this topic forever, and you would only get bored. So I will ask one more thing of you. Harvard University offers a test to see if you are indeed racist. You can take the test by following the link: https://implicit.harvard.edu/implicit/takeatest.html

You cannot "cheat" on this test because it times your reactions. And the scores are based on the time you spent thinking about your answers.

However, please remember CRT was based on social issues and studied by sociologists for over 40 years. So the reality is this: You and I alone cannot change what is or is not. We can make sure we are not manipulated by a theory that has become a tool for the liberal agenda! More importantly, we cannot let this manipulation destroy the future of our children.