Sometimes one simply has to stand in awe at the evil genius of Conservative messaging strategists. In some cases, the addition or omission of a single word can change the national debate. Consider the following two statements.
Schools are teaching about Critical Race Theory.
Schools are teaching Critical Race Theory.
A subtle difference, easy to miss, but with profound implications. The first statement implies that children are being taught history, facts, and figures about a socioeconomic phenomenon. The second implies that children are being indoctrinated with a particular ideology.
When scowling TV anchors keep up a steady drumbeat of alarm over a term that few non-academics fully understand (even with a term like “socialism”), it’s easy to rile-up the masses — with harmful consequences for the general public good.
Note that a similar scenario unfolded decades ago over the topic of sex education in the schools. “Teaching kids about sex” informs students about reproductive biology and health, whereas “Teaching kids sex” implies … well, I’ll leave it to your imagination.
“Critical Thinking Theory” is probably the first order of business ahead of anything else.