The left talks a big game about “tolerance,” but they rarely practice what they preach. In fact, they seldom do. The left also talks a big game about “diversity,” but they only tolerate diversity of melanin content or ethnic origin, neither of which matters to anyone with enough brains to pound sand. What the left will not tolerate is diversity of opinion.
Nowhere is this more apparent than in liberal enclaves, and it seems Silicon Valley, California schools are one such. A kindergarten teacher, Michelle Bal, has had the temerity to challenge the school system’s Diversity, Equity & Inclusion (DEI) initiatives, and she has been called every name in the book over it, including “white supremacist.” But she is fighting back, in part by taking her story to the public in a column at RealClearEducation.
Today, during an argument with a colleague about DEI, I was once again called a “white supremacist.” I am, of course, no such thing. What had I said? I dared to say that I agree with President Trump’s stance on eliminating all forms of DEI in schools. It’s not the first time I’ve been slandered, and I’m sure it won’t be the last. But I’ve had enough.
In the past few months, especially after the incredible victory of President Trump in this election, I’ve decided to stop staying silent.
I’ve resolved not to be afraid to speak my mind, to say what I believe, to share my views, and to voice my disagreements—even if it means being looked at differently or being despised by those around me. The kids I teach deserve no less.
That’s as it should be. Adults – last I knew we expect school teachers to comport themselves as adults – shouldn’t be threatened by disagreement. Michelle Bal’s co-workers were.
The day after the election, while everyone around me expressed sadness and disappointment over Trump’s win, I decided to say simply, “I’m happy.” From that moment on, I’ve been called names—white supremacist, racist, stupid. It’s odd to me that the same people who preach “Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion” have decided to exclude and insult me simply because I hold different beliefs. It seems those principles don’t apply to diverse perspectives or ways of thinking. That’s a disservice to children. The amount of raw material we convey to children in school –– a few historically important artists here, a few composes there –– is minimal compared to the reading and learning these kids will do at home, with friends, and on their own. They, therefore, must develop critical reasoning capabilities that allow them to judge the credibility and even the moral worth of everything they consume.
None of that is what the left and the entrenched education establishment want. They not only don’t want differing perspectives or ways of thinking – thinking at all, in fact – they actively and, frankly, viciously oppose different perspectives. They oppose thinking. They expect teachers, even kindergarten teachers, to toe the line, to recite leftist cant, to encourage the unquestioning acceptance of that cant by the students.
That’s not education. It’s indoctrination.
As a teacher, I’ve observed that DEI does the opposite. It can strip children of those faculties. I strive to teach my students genuine respect and inclusion—regardless of their skin color, gender, beliefs, or culture. In fact, beneficent inclusion is their natural tendency. What is missing is critical thinking. Herd mentality is the default, and that is why I aim to teach my students to speak their minds, to express themselves without fear, and to listen to others with respect, even when they disagree. Especially when they disagree.
This is the only place I disagree; what is missing isn’t critical thinking, it’s thinking, period. That’s not what the left wants. That’s not what the entrenched education establishment in places like Silicon Valley wants.
See Related: Freudian Slip? Ayanna Pressley Says Democrats Are Serious About ‘Censoring the American People’
Did the Mouse Just Blink? Disney Reportedly Drops Two DEI Programs As Investor Backlash Grows
Michelle Bal should be lauded for speaking up. She has the correct outlook; even a kindergarten teacher should be teaching the value of discussion, engagement, and how to civilly disagree. Instead, we have an establishment that not only doesn’t teach those things, it’s even teaching disrespect and intolerance at the university level. Students should – must – be free to seek out information, engage in discussion, about anything, and arrive at their own conclusions. I’ve long said that the education system has but one purpose, to produce young adults with marketable skills, but being able to take part in reasoned discourse even in disagreement is a skill that adults can’t get along without – unless they enter the education establishment and perpetuate the fraud.
It’s no wonder President Trump and Elon Musk are making noise about shuttering the U.S. Department of Education.
