To the editor:

A recent letter writer pointed out that Critical Race Theory (CRT) is not taught as a class in our primary and secondary schools. That, no doubt, is true. So then, if Critical Race Theory is not taught as a class in K-12, why make such a big deal out of it? Here’s why.

CRT is not just some unused academic theory sitting on a shelf somewhere gathering dust; it is a belief system. It is a belief system that has taken hold in the hearts and minds of teachers and administrators in our schools. It is a belief system that requires action and activism on their part. Once a teacher has become a CRT “believer,” the teacher strives to make the tenets of CRT part of any and every subject that he/she is teaching.

In the mind of a teacher who believes CRT, America is a racist nation, and our institutions have been thoroughly corrupted by racism. The solution, in such a teacher’s mind, is to completely undo America as we know it. Then, they believe, all will be equitable, fair, and just.

Teachers who believe these things feel a missionary’s desire to spread the word and fill the minds of his/her students with these ideas. No matter what the subject, their students get an injection of CRT.

The public has a right to dictate what is and is not taught in public schools. The public has a right to decide what teachings are so poisonous and divisive that they will not be allowed.

When we say that we don’t want CRT taught in our schools, what we are saying is that teachers should be prohibited from teaching any element of CRT in any class. In other words, when it comes to CRT, we must insist that teachers in our public schools keep their beliefs to themselves, in the same way as they are required to keep their religious beliefs to themselves.

Michael Thom

New Ulm